Scan barcode
A review by bbbeth
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
emotional
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin's Random House Children's UK for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review.
3 ⭐️
A big ol' bag of mixed feelings for me on this one!
There were times when I really enjoyed the book, enjoyed the characters, got invested in the relationships. It was interesting to read about Black characters in the turn of the century, an area I've not read into much before - so I've no idea how historically accurate it was, but definitely enjoyed it at times.
However... I do think in this case the four different POVs, all with largely separate plot lines, was too many. Most of the characters felt a little underdeveloped to me, as did the relationships. I found the pacing a little fickle in some places too - going a bit too quick sometimes, a bit too slow in others. I found some of the ~drama~ in the relationships both a little bit pointless and far too drawn out at points. I also thoroughly disliked John as a love interest, lol.Between Amy-Rose and Ruby's POVs, I thought he was a jerk for stringing them both along like that. It seems like they're being set up to mend their relationship in a next book, but I'm certain I want that to happen.
Overall, I didn't dislike this book - I generally enjoyed it and I certainly think others would too - but it was lacking in lots of areas as well, for me. I wasn't aware that this book is intended to be the first in a series, and it does finish with loose ends, which I don't love because I'm not sure yet whether I'd be interested in reading the next one. Only time will tell!
3 ⭐️
A big ol' bag of mixed feelings for me on this one!
There were times when I really enjoyed the book, enjoyed the characters, got invested in the relationships. It was interesting to read about Black characters in the turn of the century, an area I've not read into much before - so I've no idea how historically accurate it was, but definitely enjoyed it at times.
However... I do think in this case the four different POVs, all with largely separate plot lines, was too many. Most of the characters felt a little underdeveloped to me, as did the relationships. I found the pacing a little fickle in some places too - going a bit too quick sometimes, a bit too slow in others. I found some of the ~drama~ in the relationships both a little bit pointless and far too drawn out at points. I also thoroughly disliked John as a love interest, lol.
Overall, I didn't dislike this book - I generally enjoyed it and I certainly think others would too - but it was lacking in lots of areas as well, for me. I wasn't aware that this book is intended to be the first in a series, and it does finish with loose ends, which I don't love because I'm not sure yet whether I'd be interested in reading the next one. Only time will tell!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Slavery, Racism, Misogyny, and Police brutality
Minor: Classism and Violence