A review by jhbandcats
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m sorry to report that I found the narrator / heroine so rude, annoying, and just plain bitchy that I didn’t enjoy the book. I got the point about why she was so angry at the world but that didn’t need to be repeated again and again and again. 

I also wasn’t very excited about a school that’s full of dangerous creatures within a world even more full of dangerous creatures - and for that to be the only plot point. There wasn’t a lot of complexity: high school students in endless struggle to stay alive. While I appreciated the wealth of bizarre creatures within the bowels of the school, and I enjoyed seeing how each would manifest its menace, that wasn’t enough to sustain my interest. 

I know everyone else adores this book so clearly there’s a personal flaw that prevents me from appreciating it properly. I just didn’t like it. 
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