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A review by phoebe_phorreal
Favorite by Karen McQuestion
3.0
Thanks to the author for the copy of this book.
Favorite definitely does some things well, to be sure. I'd still recommend it to a friend. However, it ultimately didn't do all that much for me.
There are a few bright spots in the novel. Its treatment of a character with anxiety was fantastic, there was a fair amount of suspense in the second half, and the way the story ended subverted a few of my explanations.
By and large, though, this novel feels very run-of-the-mill. The characters seem to exist within tropes: absentminded professor, cool dad, plucky but hindered protagonist, and never seem to truly make those roles their own. The plot is relatively straightforward, and the main twists are easily seen coming. The villain has an interesting motive, but it feels kind of underexplored, which might be a good word for this book in general. There's a lot of potential, but it just doesn't seem like 162 pages was enough to go the distance.
Perhaps I'm being a little too harsh. If this was meant to be a middle-grade novel, I can easily see that. The plot is entertaining, if relatively no-frills. If you or someone you know is in middle or high school, I can see them enjoying this as a nice book to sit down with for a while.
Favorite definitely does some things well, to be sure. I'd still recommend it to a friend. However, it ultimately didn't do all that much for me.
There are a few bright spots in the novel. Its treatment of a character with anxiety was fantastic, there was a fair amount of suspense in the second half, and the way the story ended subverted a few of my explanations.
By and large, though, this novel feels very run-of-the-mill. The characters seem to exist within tropes: absentminded professor, cool dad, plucky but hindered protagonist, and never seem to truly make those roles their own. The plot is relatively straightforward, and the main twists are easily seen coming. The villain has an interesting motive, but it feels kind of underexplored, which might be a good word for this book in general. There's a lot of potential, but it just doesn't seem like 162 pages was enough to go the distance.
Perhaps I'm being a little too harsh. If this was meant to be a middle-grade novel, I can easily see that. The plot is entertaining, if relatively no-frills. If you or someone you know is in middle or high school, I can see them enjoying this as a nice book to sit down with for a while.