Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by emmasnothere
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin
1.0
well… there is simply nothing worse than reading a 340 page book and being bored the entire way through.
it just didn’t work for me and that’s okay (i had this book on-hand, wasn’t something i exactly chose for myself)! i’m not the target audience, who this is perfect for aka readers transitioning out of middle grade and entering ya + new to fantasy. the studio ghibli pitch was right on target with the unique magic system, but i was just so underwhelmed. nothing captured my attention and i really mean nothing—even the characters felt very one-dimensional. never was a fan of a hero’s journey story even as a kid, so not caring for the protagonist definitely didn’t help here.
then the pacing was strange… i didn’t understand the point “interlude” chapters. the author could’ve found a better way to incorporate these scenes and context, but i wonder if sei lin did this because of the juvenile audience? either way, young readers are capable of comprehending information without it being so obviously laid out.
it just didn’t work for me and that’s okay (i had this book on-hand, wasn’t something i exactly chose for myself)! i’m not the target audience, who this is perfect for aka readers transitioning out of middle grade and entering ya + new to fantasy. the studio ghibli pitch was right on target with the unique magic system, but i was just so underwhelmed. nothing captured my attention and i really mean nothing—even the characters felt very one-dimensional. never was a fan of a hero’s journey story even as a kid, so not caring for the protagonist definitely didn’t help here.
then the pacing was strange… i didn’t understand the point “interlude” chapters. the author could’ve found a better way to incorporate these scenes and context, but i wonder if sei lin did this because of the juvenile audience? either way, young readers are capable of comprehending information without it being so obviously laid out.