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mrpumpkins42 's review for:
Mortal Engines
by Philip Reeve
Humanity has created cities that roll and eat each other up and use the parts for scraps. Tom is the main character of the book who grew up in the nicer higher decks of rolling London. Hester is the girl he meets who he gets caught up with.
The book is very much one where the protagonists are swept along with the story. Tom was useless the entire book even though he was the main POV character. Hester has an interesting backstory and motivation, I don't know why this book did not follow her as the main character.
The worldbuilding was fun. A mad max style post-apocalyptic story with rolling cities and a discussion of classism that would come with it. The term "Municipal Darwinism" is probably the best part of the book.
It felt firmly created for the young in the young adult. Mabey it is not a fair complaint because I am a grown man but the writing bothered me. It felt so simple and slow it dragged a lot. It was a struggle to complete. In addition, the audiobook narrator sounds like a 70-year-old British woman, it didn't fit the mind of a young boy.
It picks up in the last couple of chapters in time for it to end. I liked that Valentine the villain is a relatable bag guy who is fighting in a rough world to better his daughter's life. Overall it was good not great. I have no plans to read the others in the series.
The book is very much one where the protagonists are swept along with the story. Tom was useless the entire book even though he was the main POV character. Hester has an interesting backstory and motivation, I don't know why this book did not follow her as the main character.
The worldbuilding was fun. A mad max style post-apocalyptic story with rolling cities and a discussion of classism that would come with it. The term "Municipal Darwinism" is probably the best part of the book.
It felt firmly created for the young in the young adult. Mabey it is not a fair complaint because I am a grown man but the writing bothered me. It felt so simple and slow it dragged a lot. It was a struggle to complete. In addition, the audiobook narrator sounds like a 70-year-old British woman, it didn't fit the mind of a young boy.
It picks up in the last couple of chapters in time for it to end. I liked that Valentine the villain is a relatable bag guy who is fighting in a rough world to better his daughter's life. Overall it was good not great. I have no plans to read the others in the series.