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gillian0231 's review for:
Motheater
by Linda H. Codega
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, I think this was an incredibly well-written and perfectly atmospheric book that is a very impressive debut novel. However, even though I largely enjoyed this novel, it was a bit confusing plot-wise at times. The story immediately starts full throttle on the first page. It was a bit jarring to get into at first and really wish there was a bit more of an introduction into the characters and setting before we got to the main plot line. I think the Appalachian setting was so perfect for this story and really loved learning about the social and economic culture that makes up this part of the world. While I did end up feeling pretty immersed in this setting, I wish we could have learned a little more about it in the beginning, specifically Bennie's everyday life. With how immediate everything starts, it kind of feels like Bennie just spawned for the events of the book to take place. Everything also ends pretty abruptly as well, but I think that it works a bit better than the rushed introduction and didn't mind it as much.
Furthermore, I was a little confused by everyone's motivations in the story, and when I did figure it out, it felt like it kind of got dropped with no warning. I think I figured it out by the end, but the plot was so meandering at times, that it got too confusing at times.
However, I did really love Motheater/Esther's moral dilemma on whether or not she should protect the well-being of the environment or of her people. I think it's a very relevant debate in what's happening right now with climate change and how we fix that. I saw some reviews saying that they didn't like the ending because it wasn't really a triumph of environmentalism over capitalism, but I don't think that's really the message of the book. Yes, we need to help protect nature and we are currently on a path of complete destruction because of our society's absolute worship of profit over everything else, but we cannot forget the well-being of people as well. A big point of this book is that if the mining industry leaves Kiron then the town will completely collapse. These people, who are already economically vulnerable, will no longer have any work opportunities and will completely loose their way of life. What would happen to those who can't move in order to find work and would it even be okay to completely abandon this town that is home to generations of history? It's a very interesting perspective that isn't really considered when we think of the climate change debate.
The characters themselves are also a great part of this book. They're all complex and they all have to fight their own inner turmoil while trying to defeat this godly being. I loved Bennie and Motheater and loved how the author wrote their magic. I love how connected the witches/magic is connected to the Earth and its animals. The connection between Bennie and Motheater was very sweet, but I think the romance was a little unnecessary. They had a literal world-ending monster to defeat and Motheater had to fight to figure out her identity after basically coming back from the dead, so it just felt like they had way too much on their plate and they didn't need to worry about any romance.
While I think this book could have been cleaned up a little bit plot-wise, it was overall an incredible read and would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys atmospheric witchy reads.
Furthermore, I was a little confused by everyone's motivations in the story, and when I did figure it out, it felt like it kind of got dropped with no warning. I think I figured it out by the end, but the plot was so meandering at times, that it got too confusing at times.
However, I did really love Motheater/Esther's moral dilemma on whether or not she should protect the well-being of the environment or of her people. I think it's a very relevant debate in what's happening right now with climate change and how we fix that. I saw some reviews saying that they didn't like the ending because it wasn't really a triumph of environmentalism over capitalism, but I don't think that's really the message of the book. Yes, we need to help protect nature and we are currently on a path of complete destruction because of our society's absolute worship of profit over everything else, but we cannot forget the well-being of people as well. A big point of this book is that if the mining industry leaves Kiron then the town will completely collapse. These people, who are already economically vulnerable, will no longer have any work opportunities and will completely loose their way of life. What would happen to those who can't move in order to find work and would it even be okay to completely abandon this town that is home to generations of history? It's a very interesting perspective that isn't really considered when we think of the climate change debate.
The characters themselves are also a great part of this book. They're all complex and they all have to fight their own inner turmoil while trying to defeat this godly being. I loved Bennie and Motheater and loved how the author wrote their magic. I love how connected the witches/magic is connected to the Earth and its animals. The connection between Bennie and Motheater was very sweet, but I think the romance was a little unnecessary. They had a literal world-ending monster to defeat and Motheater had to fight to figure out her identity after basically coming back from the dead, so it just felt like they had way too much on their plate and they didn't need to worry about any romance.
While I think this book could have been cleaned up a little bit plot-wise, it was overall an incredible read and would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys atmospheric witchy reads.