Scan barcode
A review by larkiereads
Outlawed by Anna North
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was sold on this book for the queer rep, but that aspect of it was kind of lackluster. Some characters are implied to be queer, there is a trans woman and a non binary character. However someone needs to introduce this author to the concept of pronouns that aren't he or she because any scene around the Kid got a little tiresome. Is 'they' really that hard to write?
I also felt like the plot was a little lackluster. The first third of the book is centered on getting the main character to the other main ones, and then there's just a long waiting period where she sits around and feels left out. This is definitely character driven, as a LOT of the book is a reflection on the main character's life and history, and flashbacks are frequent. While I think these flashbacks were well done and I appreciated how she built them up before they came back to be relevant later, I do think this slowed down the main plot.
The writing for this book was really well done, and I felt like the characters were fairly fleshed out - although I'm not sure they entirely lived up to that first scene where Ada meets the rest of the gang and there was so much promise for an interesting group dynamic! But then we mostly got snapshots of individual interactions, so while we know how each gang member feels about Ada and the Kid, I have no idea how, for example, News and Agnes Rose get along. I wish we could have seen more of the group than just their individual opinions on Ada. But the action scenes were exciting, I got attached to the characters enough to be upset when bad things happened, and it was a fast enough read that I didn't grow to resent its faults too much. I was just hoping for more.
I also felt like the plot was a little lackluster. The first third of the book is centered on getting the main character to the other main ones, and then there's just a long waiting period where she sits around and feels left out. This is definitely character driven, as a LOT of the book is a reflection on the main character's life and history, and flashbacks are frequent. While I think these flashbacks were well done and I appreciated how she built them up before they came back to be relevant later, I do think this slowed down the main plot.
The writing for this book was really well done, and I felt like the characters were fairly fleshed out - although I'm not sure they entirely lived up to that first scene where Ada meets the rest of the gang and there was so much promise for an interesting group dynamic! But then we mostly got snapshots of individual interactions, so while we know how each gang member feels about Ada and the Kid, I have no idea how, for example, News and Agnes Rose get along. I wish we could have seen more of the group than just their individual opinions on Ada. But the action scenes were exciting, I got attached to the characters enough to be upset when bad things happened, and it was a fast enough read that I didn't grow to resent its faults too much. I was just hoping for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt