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poisonheart91 's review for:
Royal Blood
by Aimée Carter
This was such an enthralling read that captures the reader from the start. Evan's life was easy to get pulled into with the magic of having a royal/famous parent who is distant and a whole family unwilling to acknowledge her. As the story builds, it changes into something else with a mystery/suspense that becomes quite consuming. The elements of what happened are quite dark, as Evan was drugged for the purpose of assault, and though she was able to fight her way away, the details are fuzzy, so even she is unsure about whether she had a hand in the ensuing death. The discussions around the assault are really important discussing the way that blame is given but undeserved and situations in which this may not be so readily understood, but should be. While the context of Evan's particular situation is given, this is juxtaposed with others and these discussions are quite powerful. Another really strong and important theme was around mental illness, in the case of Evan's mother. The way both of these situations play out were really well done and open the door to critical discussions that would work well for book groups or buddy reads.
Evan is a compelling character. Even while she acts out and seems a bit prickly, she is really just trying to find her place in the world and people she can care for. Her life has been in turmoil since she was little. She lived with her grandmother while her mother was receiving treatment, until her death, and then her father's custody, which meant constant boarding schools. She cares deeply for her mother, but has not allowed herself to care for others as deeply for reasons she is still understanding herself. Her growth during the story opens herself up to difficult truths, but also to people for which she can care.
There ended up being a few consuming mysteries that kept the story moving quickly. This ended up being a read that kept the pages turning late at night to figure out what was happening and how all the chips would fall - with some good twists along the way. Should go over well with YA readers who like a little royal drama in their mystery.
Evan is a compelling character. Even while she acts out and seems a bit prickly, she is really just trying to find her place in the world and people she can care for. Her life has been in turmoil since she was little. She lived with her grandmother while her mother was receiving treatment, until her death, and then her father's custody, which meant constant boarding schools. She cares deeply for her mother, but has not allowed herself to care for others as deeply for reasons she is still understanding herself. Her growth during the story opens herself up to difficult truths, but also to people for which she can care.
There ended up being a few consuming mysteries that kept the story moving quickly. This ended up being a read that kept the pages turning late at night to figure out what was happening and how all the chips would fall - with some good twists along the way. Should go over well with YA readers who like a little royal drama in their mystery.