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A review by rain
The Girl King by Mimi Yu
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
CW: substance abuse, mentions of genocide, graphic violence
• This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the year and sadly, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. First of all, I wasn't hooked by the prologue. It's important to note that it was confusing and I felt as if I was waddling through quicksand the whole time. I can hear you saying, "BUT RAIN, AREN'T ALL BOOKS CONFUSING AT THE START??" Well, yes but I'm a mood reader. I tend to put off books that don't spark my interest. I just pushed through The Girl King because I had high hopes that it was going to redeem itself. Well, it actually did. Barely.
• I do appreciate Lu's character. I love her strength and her fighting spirit. She will also punch anyone in the face if they say she's not capable in becoming the first female Emperor of their empire. Lu is not just physically strong. She's also smart. The influx of female characters in YA who are NOT just strong just because they can wield a sword makes me glad. This is the quality content we deserve.
• Minyi, on the other hand, is someone I want to slap with bad decisions. She sure had a lot of them. She is Lu's sister and is portrayed to be so starkly different from her. I get why she was written to be one spiteful blob of insecurities but I couldn't help but feel angry at her all the time. Her naiveté and willingness to get into an abusive relationship did not help to lighten my feelings toward her too.
Note: although I have negative mojo vibes for Min, kudos to Mimi Yu for writing such a complex character
• I was also disappointed with the romance subplot in this book because it was predictable and underdeveloped. Lu and Nokhai had the potential to be a good couple but the book was too plot-driven to give them some semblance of a relationship development. I saw some chemistry between them at the start of the book but Mimi Yu wasn't able to hold on to that as the story progressed, unfortunately.
• Nevertheless, I still liked the fantasy elements in this book. I especially enjoyed reading about the shape-shifting and the Inbetween helped in giving the book an atmospheric vibe.
• This book is also fast-paced and if you're looking for a quick read, this one's for you. I had several problems with the plot execution but The Girl King is quite a page-turner. In fact, I stayed up all night just to finish it and woke up to very healthy eye bags. They weigh a ton now and are a bit bothersome. I seriously recommend y'all to have eight hours of sleep. Having designer bags under the eyes is normal but not desirable.
CW: substance abuse, mentions of genocide, graphic violence
• This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the year and sadly, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. First of all, I wasn't hooked by the prologue. It's important to note that it was confusing and I felt as if I was waddling through quicksand the whole time. I can hear you saying, "BUT RAIN, AREN'T ALL BOOKS CONFUSING AT THE START??" Well, yes but I'm a mood reader. I tend to put off books that don't spark my interest. I just pushed through The Girl King because I had high hopes that it was going to redeem itself. Well, it actually did. Barely.
• I do appreciate Lu's character. I love her strength and her fighting spirit. She will also punch anyone in the face if they say she's not capable in becoming the first female Emperor of their empire. Lu is not just physically strong. She's also smart. The influx of female characters in YA who are NOT just strong just because they can wield a sword makes me glad. This is the quality content we deserve.
• Minyi, on the other hand, is someone I want to slap with bad decisions. She sure had a lot of them. She is Lu's sister and is portrayed to be so starkly different from her. I get why she was written to be one spiteful blob of insecurities but I couldn't help but feel angry at her all the time. Her naiveté and willingness to get into an abusive relationship did not help to lighten my feelings toward her too.
Note: although I have negative mojo vibes for Min, kudos to Mimi Yu for writing such a complex character
• I was also disappointed with the romance subplot in this book because it was predictable and underdeveloped. Lu and Nokhai had the potential to be a good couple but the book was too plot-driven to give them some semblance of a relationship development. I saw some chemistry between them at the start of the book but Mimi Yu wasn't able to hold on to that as the story progressed, unfortunately.
• Nevertheless, I still liked the fantasy elements in this book. I especially enjoyed reading about the shape-shifting and the Inbetween helped in giving the book an atmospheric vibe.
• This book is also fast-paced and if you're looking for a quick read, this one's for you. I had several problems with the plot execution but The Girl King is quite a page-turner. In fact, I stayed up all night just to finish it and woke up to very healthy eye bags. They weigh a ton now and are a bit bothersome. I seriously recommend y'all to have eight hours of sleep. Having designer bags under the eyes is normal but not desirable.