A review by sofiya
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

When it comes to rating books, I put 5 stars as either "this book had a profound effect on me" or "I loved this book through and through and already want to re-read it." This book falls into the latter category for me, despite any of its minor flaws. I thought the world was really interesting and enjoyed El's snark even though I'm not generally a fan of first-person POVs. I like her growth as a character and that even her bad qualities revolve around really realistic things (trying to survive) rather than just her being mean for no reason.

Unlike other reviewers, I didn't have a problem with the "info dumping" and didn't really notice it until I read reviews, but there was a point where I (aloud) said "Okay, okay, I get it. Just do it already!" But I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I think that was more the character herself than the writing.

Also, I really enjoyed the writing. It felt reasonably elevated for the genre, and I personally never thought "adult Harry Potter". Overall, just really enjoyable to me and I'm excited to get to the next one.

Last thing, but I half-listened, half-read this book, and the person who recorded the audiobook did an amazing job. 
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