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A review by justinlife
Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was fine. I was expecting a lot worse based on the reviews on Goodreads. The book is a fast read and can be completed in a day or two.
It felt a bit all over the place. All the events seem to take place in about a week or two and there's a lot that happens. Overall, Rowell's style still holds up and it's mostly fun.
My issues with it:
1. I don't think she's good at writing characters that are biracial and Black. When we get the character from that POV, it felt like all the other characters, which might sound good in theory, but those experiences, especially one of a 6'2" black man from America illegally entering a country felt like it missed the mark.
2. The importance of being magical or having magical blood. I'm not a fan of the language around this. The magical people looking down on people who don't have power, especially in today's time where you can see it everywhere. The purity of the blood, dating a normal person, all of it rang too eek for me.
3. Therapy. Girl, these people need to talk some things out and work through being taken advantage of by older people. Like for reals for reals.
4. Simon and Baz's relationship- I'm so confused by it. I guess it's about as passionate as one can feel at that age. I will say they communicated better.
5. Simon is a dolt. I mean, I get it that the Mage basically didn't care about their curriculum but it definitely shows in Simon.
Would I read more in this world? Yeah, I would. I did find the world she created interesting enough and would read more about other people in that universe.
It felt a bit all over the place. All the events seem to take place in about a week or two and there's a lot that happens. Overall, Rowell's style still holds up and it's mostly fun.
My issues with it:
1. I don't think she's good at writing characters that are biracial and Black. When we get the character from that POV, it felt like all the other characters, which might sound good in theory, but those experiences, especially one of a 6'2" black man from America illegally entering a country felt like it missed the mark.
2. The importance of being magical or having magical blood. I'm not a fan of the language around this. The magical people looking down on people who don't have power, especially in today's time where you can see it everywhere. The purity of the blood, dating a normal person, all of it rang too eek for me.
3. Therapy. Girl, these people need to talk some things out and work through being taken advantage of by older people. Like for reals for reals.
4. Simon and Baz's relationship- I'm so confused by it. I guess it's about as passionate as one can feel at that age. I will say they communicated better.
5. Simon is a dolt. I mean, I get it that the Mage basically didn't care about their curriculum but it definitely shows in Simon.
Would I read more in this world? Yeah, I would. I did find the world she created interesting enough and would read more about other people in that universe.