A review by emmonsannae
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I’d really wanted to read this book for a long time, and it wasn’t an unenjoyable read, but I was disappointed by it. The story is promising and is an easy read. The premise is so intriguing! Its actual book was a bit of a letdown, though. The writing is a bit clumsy with a lot of telling rather than showing. I didn’t feel that words were used especially well—they were used in a utilitarian way to produce the story, but because of this they ended up taking away from the story. I ended up reflecting a lot while reading on how many other authors (even “non-literary” ones) fit language to their own ends so smoothly and effectively that we often don’t notice the artistry to what they’re doing. 

Most importantly, I felt the author took advantage of readers’ suspended disbelief by choosing not to explain key elements, which meant I was never fully bought in to what the plot was doing. And it was predictable—I guessed the major plot twist about 100 pages in. The characters were also fairly one-dimensional. Their motivations felt unbelievable and contrived for the sake of the narrative. Ultimately, I just didn’t feel like the book was well-written. It’s such a great idea for a story, though—I enjoyed the creativity of it very much. 
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