A review by kims_books
Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Overall: 2.75/5
 
Tropes:
Found Family
Fake Marriage
Pregnancy
 
TRIGGER WARNING: Calorie Counting, Gene Editing
 
The only life Pendt Harland has ever known is the one where she is seen as the useless member on board the family spaceship. She is often privy to conversations debating if she is worth the oxygen and food that she is using up. In order to escape this life of innate worthlessness, Pendt schemes to leave the ship and make a new life at a space station. However, her plans are quickly changed as she manages to intrigue the two male heirs and rulers of this station. They must all work together to escape the lives that none of them asked for but had always seemed destined to fulfill.
 
This YA fantasy/sci-fi book is a very short and relatively simple read. There is romance involved, but it is not the priority in the plot. It served as a good book to get me out of a little reading slump and for that I can commend it. Unfortunately, there were also a lot of things that I didn’t particularly enjoy. 
 
Immediately I noticed that the “science” in this high-tech world wasn’t quite right, which put me off. Granted, I don’t expect everything in this genre to be realistic. But if you’re going to bother to explain the workings of a sci-fi world, it would probably be best to have base in some scientific reality. Putting that aside, the book is very plot driven with simple characters and a storyline that I found easy enough to understand. Although there are pros with it being such a short read, it also doesn’t lend to getting to know or care for the characters. I cared about Pendt, but that was pretty much it. The relationships and character traits of everyone else seemed to be a lot more “tell” than “show”. The premise of the book seemed more riveting than the actual plot.
 
This book does generally end Pendt’s story, though it is open ended enough to pick back up in future. The world conflicts are by no means solved and seems to prepare for a saga. I can’t see myself continuing this series but could see it being a good budding set of books for a young reader who is dipping their toes in science fiction.
 
 
Pros:
Fast Paced
Short
Easy to Understand Sci-Fi World
Enjoyable Writing Style
Intriguing Premise
 
Cons:
Ending Doesn’t Clear Up All of the Conflicts
Character Development is Minimal
Relationships are Unbelievable
 
 
Recommended for:
•          Younger Readers (Early Teens)
•          Quick Book for a Reading Slump
•          First Foray into Sci-fi
 
 
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