A review by awkwardimagination
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was not planning on finishing this book in about one day. But it was simply too good. I say it a lot but I'm not a fan of romance - I was incomprehensible while watching my ship become end game. This book was equal parts hilarious as it was heartbreaking. It has comedy and wit in every other line and it could very easily turn people off, but I absolutely loved every second of it. It served it's purpose well, too, as I was not expecting this book to be so vocal about issues that no one was talking about loudly in 2014(?) or at least not like we do now- gender roles, war and the importance of diplomacy, colonization. I also was not expecting to have abandonment issues and my own self-worth issues laid out for me like a horrible palm reading but that's fine (it made me cry). The genderswap was a bit jarring for me at first, until I realized it's purpose and it still made me feel uncomfortable, but if it were how it is irl I would've felt the same so mission accomplished. 

I went into this book expecting a story about mermaids and growing up told by a snarky 13 yr old. Instead I got that, plus a story about the devastation of war and knowing too well how to make other people hurt you, before they decide to do it themself. And I was not dissappointed in the slightest.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings