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A review by northship
Breakout by Ann Aguirre
2.0
i'm not really sure why i don't like ann aguirre's books more than i do. on paper, they have everything that i'd want in a book: "strong female characters" who are more than just strong female characters, really interesting secondary worlds, brutal violence and real consequences to the heroes' actions or inactions. she is a competent writer, in that her books are very readable.
but i just don't enjoy them the way i should; something about them leaves me cold. i think that part of it is that her prose is very workmanlike. it's readable, but that's it. her style just doesn't grab me; it's spare in a way that makes sense for the world, but i don't think her voice really changes enough from each book/series. i also dislike the way she writes romances. they're very... over the top in a way that i do not enjoy. some people might like the "I WILL DIE FOR YOU!!!" and the angst of broken people who find each other, but they always seem very co-dependent to me and not in a good way. dred/jael is a little better than march/jax (god, i hate march) but still has that shade to it.
as for this book itself, the first half was non-stop action and the second half was a very extended epilogue. on the one hand, it was deserved: aguirre has certainly put these characters through hell during the three books that we've known them, and they've worked for their happy ever afters. on the other hand, i ended up skimming because i was bored. i don't think this is really a spoiler since the book is called breakout, but i was only really interested in seeing how they'd get off of perdition; everything else, eh.
i am sorry i don't connect more with these books, because there is a lot to like, and a lot of worth. i think it says something about aguirre that i keep reading her books even though she is a consistent three to two star writer for me.
but i just don't enjoy them the way i should; something about them leaves me cold. i think that part of it is that her prose is very workmanlike. it's readable, but that's it. her style just doesn't grab me; it's spare in a way that makes sense for the world, but i don't think her voice really changes enough from each book/series. i also dislike the way she writes romances. they're very... over the top in a way that i do not enjoy. some people might like the "I WILL DIE FOR YOU!!!" and the angst of broken people who find each other, but they always seem very co-dependent to me and not in a good way. dred/jael is a little better than march/jax (god, i hate march) but still has that shade to it.
as for this book itself, the first half was non-stop action and the second half was a very extended epilogue. on the one hand, it was deserved: aguirre has certainly put these characters through hell during the three books that we've known them, and they've worked for their happy ever afters. on the other hand, i ended up skimming because i was bored. i don't think this is really a spoiler since the book is called breakout, but i was only really interested in seeing how they'd get off of perdition; everything else, eh.
i am sorry i don't connect more with these books, because there is a lot to like, and a lot of worth. i think it says something about aguirre that i keep reading her books even though she is a consistent three to two star writer for me.