Review by cuddlewithbooks - Aetherbound

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cuddlewithbooks 's review for:

Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

2.75

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

There were so many excellent pieces of world-building and lore but it just wasn't executed properly. I think the biggest drawback of this book is that it is written as very YA. I think it would've soared if it was Adult and longer. There are a lot of difficult themes in this book but they aren't dealt with well but I did enjoy the characters even if their depth was not there.

I am delighted that there was very good trans rep in this book (I am not trans so please seek some trans reviews!) but it was just lacking overall even though I do want more of the universe.

There's a lot of talk about calorie counting in this book for various reasons and as someone who has been privy to many diets and that culture through my life, it brought up some discomfort but I did enjoy the overall message as the book progressed and that it was through the lens of energy rather than body size. But it is something to realize as you read this book.

In addition, the audiobook is incredible. The sound design and voice acting was just beautiful. The little additions of ambient sound made me very happy.

Content Warnings