A review by ergative
Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This aimed for reflective and meditative, but instead only managed boring. Half credit for the ingenious nature of the Problem, but the book took the easy way out. Good plotting introduces an ingenious problem, but then also has people come up with and implement a solution. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people come up with a solution, but societal pressures or power relations or personal shenanigans prevent the solution from being implemented and the problem wins. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people try to come up with a solution, but can't, and despite their best efforts, the problem still wins. Or perhaps it introduces an ingenious problem, and people focus on that problem and fail to recognize the larger real problem that lurks somewhere else. All of these involve plot! Agency! Action! Something!

But this book did none of those things. It introduced an ingenious problem, which no one recognized as a problem (being too busy meditating and reflecting and feeling feelings), and so no one does anything, and then the problem wins. No plot. Boring.

Also Fosse was a creepy little monster, and I didn't enjoy having to spend time in his mind while he tries to come to terms with how haaaaaard it is to be a sixteen year old boy with mommy issues.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings