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A review by luanagomes
And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Imagine finding out that the universe and characters of one of the best-beloved children´s books are actually real, you are the heir of it all, and it´s up to you to save it. I bet most people would love to be the hero and dive right in the adventure of a lifetime, right?
Well, not Harry Bodie, though. Struggling professionally and personally, this mediocre British actor has no desire to live up to his family literature legacy. He only wishes to be taken seriously for his craft, and keep his distance from all the weirdness it entails. But Fate has other plans for him, and now he has to deal with obsessive-crazed fans, a twisted dark fairy tale universe that is in the same decaying shape his life is right now, and some hard truths about his heritage.
I really enjoyed what I found here. Having a somewhat unlikeable mature protagonist with a twisted spin on the Chosen One trope was great. Even though this book has a lot of Narnia-related references, which was a bit too much on the nose for me, I think it worked fine as a critique/homage to the middle-grade portal-style books.
However, as someone who has read Tchaikovsky before, I was expecting more from the themes, so the story as a whole fell a little flat for me at times, and was not as entertaining as I thought. Still, it is a solid quick read I would recommend, especially for an adult audience who wishes for a different sort of fantasy.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review and feedback .
Well, not Harry Bodie, though. Struggling professionally and personally, this mediocre British actor has no desire to live up to his family literature legacy. He only wishes to be taken seriously for his craft, and keep his distance from all the weirdness it entails. But Fate has other plans for him, and now he has to deal with obsessive-crazed fans, a twisted dark fairy tale universe that is in the same decaying shape his life is right now, and some hard truths about his heritage.
I really enjoyed what I found here. Having a somewhat unlikeable mature protagonist with a twisted spin on the Chosen One trope was great. Even though this book has a lot of Narnia-related references, which was a bit too much on the nose for me, I think it worked fine as a critique/homage to the middle-grade portal-style books.
However, as someone who has read Tchaikovsky before, I was expecting more from the themes, so the story as a whole fell a little flat for me at times, and was not as entertaining as I thought. Still, it is a solid quick read I would recommend, especially for an adult audience who wishes for a different sort of fantasy.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review and feedback .