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A review by jessicareadsit
Namesake by Adrienne Young
5.0
Before I get into my review, I must commend the author- Adrienne Young for her excellent choice of book covers. Fable and its sequel Namesake, have truly arresting covers that are visually stunning and almost bewitching.
After reading Fable, I was extremely excited to learn about another book in the series and utterly heartbroken to learn this would only be a two-part series. How would Adrienne compress such an intense story into one book I asked myself? Could she do justice to the spunky Fable and her epic tale?
After reading the first chapter it was evident to me that I should just shut my mouth and let Adrienne do the talking because the bombs were dropped from the very beginning and continued dropping right until the very last page!
Namesake was an absolute masterpiece that managed to give me everything I didn’t know I needed. Adrienne Young takes readers on an adventure of a lifetime with her bold characters and vivid descriptions from the deep blue seas, to rowdy pubs and ship deck bawls. Namesake fully immersed me from the first page with its nonstop thrills and surprises. The power struggles throughout the novel were riveting and shockingly intense.
About halfway through my reading all I kept thinking was, "Holy mother of an epic plot twist!" I’ve seen people say books can be impactful, but honestly, Namesake transported my soul. This was an emotionally gut-wrenching story of betrayal, revelations, love, friendship, and family. The revelations within Namesake floored me with the depth of emotion and I am not ashamed to admit the ending had me crying fat ugly tears with both its beauty and simplicity.
I adored Fable in the first book and I loved that readers get the opportunity to see her growing up in Namesake. Stepping into adulthood for Fable means accepting there is more to life than survival. To sail the waters of the Narrow, she may have to sacrifice the very things she now begins to understand are important- family, friendship, and trust.
Fable has always been a loner and emotionally distant based on her abandonment by Saint and to see her finally on the verge of happiness and a place to belong only have it violently ripped away was unbearable. My heart bled for Wes and Fable who were always so close but never on the mark.
One theme echoed throughout the novel is that of “Family.” I love that Namesake pushed the veil of family beyond the ties of blood to something richer and deeper and infinitely more beautiful. Families come in all shapes and sizes as evidence by the various iterations and representations throughout the novel from crewmates to lovers, old friends from the past, and even surprise relations.
As the novel progresses and things are brought to light, Fable can no longer fault the wrongs previously committed to her as she learns the truth about herself and her past. Saint and Fable have always had a tumultuous relationship and the beauty of certain moments where they bared their vulnerabilities to each other was heartwarming.
Thank you to NetGalley, Adrienne Young, and St. Martins Press for providing me with an arc of this incredible book. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.
After reading Fable, I was extremely excited to learn about another book in the series and utterly heartbroken to learn this would only be a two-part series. How would Adrienne compress such an intense story into one book I asked myself? Could she do justice to the spunky Fable and her epic tale?
After reading the first chapter it was evident to me that I should just shut my mouth and let Adrienne do the talking because the bombs were dropped from the very beginning and continued dropping right until the very last page!
Namesake was an absolute masterpiece that managed to give me everything I didn’t know I needed. Adrienne Young takes readers on an adventure of a lifetime with her bold characters and vivid descriptions from the deep blue seas, to rowdy pubs and ship deck bawls. Namesake fully immersed me from the first page with its nonstop thrills and surprises. The power struggles throughout the novel were riveting and shockingly intense.
About halfway through my reading all I kept thinking was, "Holy mother of an epic plot twist!" I’ve seen people say books can be impactful, but honestly, Namesake transported my soul. This was an emotionally gut-wrenching story of betrayal, revelations, love, friendship, and family. The revelations within Namesake floored me with the depth of emotion and I am not ashamed to admit the ending had me crying fat ugly tears with both its beauty and simplicity.
I adored Fable in the first book and I loved that readers get the opportunity to see her growing up in Namesake. Stepping into adulthood for Fable means accepting there is more to life than survival. To sail the waters of the Narrow, she may have to sacrifice the very things she now begins to understand are important- family, friendship, and trust.
Fable has always been a loner and emotionally distant based on her abandonment by Saint and to see her finally on the verge of happiness and a place to belong only have it violently ripped away was unbearable. My heart bled for Wes and Fable who were always so close but never on the mark.
One theme echoed throughout the novel is that of “Family.” I love that Namesake pushed the veil of family beyond the ties of blood to something richer and deeper and infinitely more beautiful. Families come in all shapes and sizes as evidence by the various iterations and representations throughout the novel from crewmates to lovers, old friends from the past, and even surprise relations.
As the novel progresses and things are brought to light, Fable can no longer fault the wrongs previously committed to her as she learns the truth about herself and her past. Saint and Fable have always had a tumultuous relationship and the beauty of certain moments where they bared their vulnerabilities to each other was heartwarming.
Thank you to NetGalley, Adrienne Young, and St. Martins Press for providing me with an arc of this incredible book. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.