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A review by softcalico
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
4 stars
Monsters Born and Made follows Koral, a headstrong and loyal girl who only wants the best for her family, especially her little sister, Liria. Her family is the only one on the island that can capture and tame maristags, a type of sea creature/horse that's dangerous on a good day. Left with no money and a sick and dying sister, Koral sets out to compete in the Glory Race, a competition that occurs every 4 years and is the elite ruling class's entertainment. If she wins, she'll get enough gold to take care of her family.
This book has a very interesting concept, starting from the world building. From what I gathered, humans got on a spaceship and found a mostly habitable planet that they could live on. The references to this are sparse but telling. I liked how the author went about it. It's interesting that these first humans didn't leave much knowledge to their successors - though, it may be that the Landers are hoarding this information.
The class system is separated in two: Landers and Renters. The names are pretty simplistic. If you're interested in this book, you probably like the Hunger Games, so Landers are the Capitol and Renters are the districts. One thing that pits readers against the Capitol is their blatant opulence, something shared by the Landers of this book, but not to the same extent. We only got to see a little of Lander society in this book, but I'm hoping we'll see more in the next.
Of course, with an oppressive class, this breeds rebels. The rebels in this book are called Freedom's Ark, a scattered and disorganized group that can't seem to agree on how to rebel. Koral's
I liked the romance within this book. Dorian has his own hidden agenda but his feelings bleed into his actions. Watching him struggle with pleasing his family and his feelings for Koral is an interesting juggle.
Overall, this book was highly enjoyable and I think you'll like it if you like independent protagonists, romantic/rival tension, and dystopian themes. Also, Koral's development with Stormgold: cute!
4 stars
Monsters Born and Made follows Koral, a headstrong and loyal girl who only wants the best for her family, especially her little sister, Liria. Her family is the only one on the island that can capture and tame maristags, a type of sea creature/horse that's dangerous on a good day. Left with no money and a sick and dying sister, Koral sets out to compete in the Glory Race, a competition that occurs every 4 years and is the elite ruling class's entertainment. If she wins, she'll get enough gold to take care of her family.
This book has a very interesting concept, starting from the world building. From what I gathered, humans got on a spaceship and found a mostly habitable planet that they could live on. The references to this are sparse but telling. I liked how the author went about it. It's interesting that these first humans didn't leave much knowledge to their successors - though, it may be that the Landers are hoarding this information.
The class system is separated in two: Landers and Renters. The names are pretty simplistic. If you're interested in this book, you probably like the Hunger Games, so Landers are the Capitol and Renters are the districts. One thing that pits readers against the Capitol is their blatant opulence, something shared by the Landers of this book, but not to the same extent. We only got to see a little of Lander society in this book, but I'm hoping we'll see more in the next.
Of course, with an oppressive class, this breeds rebels. The rebels in this book are called Freedom's Ark, a scattered and disorganized group that can't seem to agree on how to rebel. Koral's
Spoiler
lack of involvement with the rebels was refreshing. Usually, protagonists become a major player within their rebel faction, but Koral knows how dangerous they are. Frankly, with how they treat her, I'm glad she gives them the cold shoulder. Because of this though, her best friend Crane and her don't have much for bond or development, so I couldn't bring myself to care about her.I liked the romance within this book. Dorian has his own hidden agenda but his feelings bleed into his actions. Watching him struggle with pleasing his family and his feelings for Koral is an interesting juggle.
Overall, this book was highly enjoyable and I think you'll like it if you like independent protagonists, romantic/rival tension, and dystopian themes. Also, Koral's development with Stormgold: cute!