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A review by ursulazc
The Search For Synergy by Brett Salter
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book was a fun middle-grade read, I believe it's more for the younger side of the middle-grade kids as it was pretty straightforward and fast to read. Most of the plot twists aren't hard to figure out and everything happens fast.
The first half it's kind of too fast and with too little world-building for my liking nothing is properly explained, but the second half it's so good it makes up for everything I could criticize in the first part.
The second half it's fun, and action-packed, so good. Perfect for Dragon-loving kids (as I was at 11, and still am). But I do believe this book would benefit from an editor, as it is a series, and think it will be really fun for kids to read it would be great if they polished them a little bit more.
I do have a few things I didn't personally like, but that shouldn't really affect the enjoyment of the book for others.
1) Mr. Jones, I understand that he is a good lad and all, but I do not trust him. It sends such a bad message to the kids when in the third chapter they corner Rome to tell him all about him being a Dragon and stuff and start pressuring him to go with them. These are literal children and an unknown adult shouldn't be forcing them to go with them somewhere they don't want to, it was honestly creepy for me to read that chapter. Also, him calling Rome Exquisite, iugh. Red flag for me.
2) The book is from Rome's POV, but sometimes we get to know what other characters are thinking which is weird, it's not clear enough to be multi-POV, and it's also not in third person so we shouldn't be getting other characters thoughts. Also, I don't know if Rome is an unreliable narrator because he's a teenager and that's on purpose, or if it was poor writing, but sometimes what he is thinking and saying is so contradictory with the scene and what we know about the characters that it makes me wonder.
The first half it's kind of too fast and with too little world-building for my liking nothing is properly explained, but the second half it's so good it makes up for everything I could criticize in the first part.
The second half it's fun, and action-packed, so good. Perfect for Dragon-loving kids (as I was at 11, and still am). But I do believe this book would benefit from an editor, as it is a series, and think it will be really fun for kids to read it would be great if they polished them a little bit more.
I do have a few things I didn't personally like, but that shouldn't really affect the enjoyment of the book for others.
1) Mr. Jones, I understand that he is a good lad and all, but I do not trust him. It sends such a bad message to the kids when in the third chapter they corner Rome to tell him all about him being a Dragon and stuff and start pressuring him to go with them. These are literal children and an unknown adult shouldn't be forcing them to go with them somewhere they don't want to, it was honestly creepy for me to read that chapter. Also, him calling Rome Exquisite, iugh. Red flag for me.
2) The book is from Rome's POV, but sometimes we get to know what other characters are thinking which is weird, it's not clear enough to be multi-POV, and it's also not in third person so we shouldn't be getting other characters thoughts. Also, I don't know if Rome is an unreliable narrator because he's a teenager and that's on purpose, or if it was poor writing, but sometimes what he is thinking and saying is so contradictory with the scene and what we know about the characters that it makes me wonder.