A review by novelty_reads
The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really whimsical and dreamy read that was very immersive.

The Poison Season follows Leelo who lives on an island far away from the outsiders on the other side of the poisonous lake. Those with magic are the only ones allowed to stay on the island, those without are cast out of their society to find their own way in the world. When Leelo discovers a boy her age on the island who came from outside, Leelo is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about the dangerous 'outsiders'.

I think the characters were the strongest part of the book. I really liked Leelo and I thought the way she approached the world around her was very unique. I liked Jaren's chapters too, he was such a sweet character. There were times I thought the relationship between him and Leelo felt like a bit much, but overall, I didn't mind it. This book was easy to get through, one that could easily be read in one sitting. 

The only negative I really had was with the magical, dangerous forest. We knew it was a dangerous place and yet the tension, the danger was lacking a little in the book. There weren't many times when I felt scared of it, despite the main character saying how terrible and cursed it was. I also wished we got more information about the singing magic used by the islanders. It seemed like a cool concept but it wasn't talked about much. 

All in all, a pretty good read. I enjoyed this one.