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maddieholmes 's review for:
But For The Mountains
by Erin Riha
Words can’t describe how much I enjoyed BUT FOR THE MOUNTAINS by Erin Riha but I’ll give it a shot! I rated this a 4.5/5!
After growing up in a benefactor’s house with a negligent man and his abusive son, Arden is surprisingly accepted as one of 18 candidates to the National Women’s Institute. The premise reminded me of THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass, but there was a depth to Arden’s character that made the story much more compelling to me. At the Institute, Arden confronts her past and tries to develop a life for herself in a world of arranged marriages while surviving threats from all sides.
I thought the depiction of trauma was really well done and accurate in a way that many young adult books are not. Arden exhibits symptoms of prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and her internal journey is placed in higher importance that the romance storyline. I didn't especially like the love triangle aspect, but it drove the story forward. The ending was hopeful, and I would love to see a sequel.
After growing up in a benefactor’s house with a negligent man and his abusive son, Arden is surprisingly accepted as one of 18 candidates to the National Women’s Institute. The premise reminded me of THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass, but there was a depth to Arden’s character that made the story much more compelling to me. At the Institute, Arden confronts her past and tries to develop a life for herself in a world of arranged marriages while surviving threats from all sides.
I thought the depiction of trauma was really well done and accurate in a way that many young adult books are not. Arden exhibits symptoms of prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and her internal journey is placed in higher importance that the romance storyline. I didn't especially like the love triangle aspect, but it drove the story forward. The ending was hopeful, and I would love to see a sequel.