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ashwoodbooks 's review for:
Powerless
by Lauren Roberts
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit: After sitting with the ending longer this is a 3.0 not a 3.5 and I'll explain why below.
This book has some Hunger Game vibes, but the trials were set up differently and in a unique way. I also enjoyed the brevity that the balls added in between the trials. I personally felt like the book fumbled at the ending (last 40 or less pages).
I did appreciate how the characters remained consistent through their introduction to the ending with any development making sense except for 1 and that was also the character that the whole ending relied on. I find that a lot of YA novels seem to struggle with that, but Laura Roberts handled her main characters with love. Her villain, not so much which really hurt the book in my opinion.
This book has some Hunger Game vibes, but the trials were set up differently and in a unique way. I also enjoyed the brevity that the balls added in between the trials. I personally felt like the book fumbled at the ending (last 40 or less pages).
I did appreciate how the characters remained consistent through their introduction to the ending with any development making sense except for 1 and that was also the character that the whole ending relied on. I find that a lot of YA novels seem to struggle with that, but Laura Roberts handled her main characters with love. Her villain, not so much which really hurt the book in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
I'm marking it as "child death" because they are teens and not adults, but do not take it to mean like young children.