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A review by beccisays
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it. I had really high expectations, this was one of the books I was most looking forward to this year. I'm wondering now if I set myself up for a fall by setting my hopes too high and that’s why this felt a little underwhelming.
First of all, I appreciated the disability rep and that we saw this in a main character. In particular, I liked that Lettle's limb difference and chronic pain was acknowledged and dealt with thoughtfully, however it never held her back or came off as a weakness.
I also liked the sapphic romance and how normalised same-sex attraction was in this world. However, I do think the attraction between Yeeran and two strong, fierce women in leadership positions felt a bit predictable. I think the connections would have been more meaningful and impactful if only one had been in a position of power or if it wasn't so easy to compare the two against each other.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters deeply. I think the writing and story were okay, I just felt very passive reading this, like I was viewing the events at a surface level without being emotionally invested. I also couldn’t quite get behind the drum as a weapon thing, although it’s an interesting and unique concept with potential, I just failed to connect with it.
First of all, I appreciated the disability rep and that we saw this in a main character. In particular, I liked that Lettle's limb difference and chronic pain was acknowledged and dealt with thoughtfully, however it never held her back or came off as a weakness.
I also liked the sapphic romance and how normalised same-sex attraction was in this world. However, I do think the attraction between Yeeran and two strong, fierce women in leadership positions felt a bit predictable. I think the connections would have been more meaningful and impactful if only one had been in a position of power or if it wasn't so easy to compare the two against each other.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with any of the characters deeply. I think the writing and story were okay, I just felt very passive reading this, like I was viewing the events at a surface level without being emotionally invested. I also couldn’t quite get behind the drum as a weapon thing, although it’s an interesting and unique concept with potential, I just failed to connect with it.