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A review by sarahscupofcoffee
North Is the Night by Emily Rath
Did not finish book. Stopped at 72%.
Chloe (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6983271339?book_show_action=false) has an amazing in-depth review on this book and I agree with every single thing she says here.
I know that it was mis-marketed, but it doesn't change the fact that I was promised a sapphic, feminist love story... and I got this. The first half was full of great worldbuilding and I was excited by the tension of the premise. These two best friends, who are clearly in love with each other, get separated. Aina sacrifices herself to a death goddess in order to save Siiri from the same fate. Siiri spends the rest of the plot going on an adventure in the Finnish wilderness in the winter in search of a shaman who can help her enter the underworld to rescue her best friend.
I thought that this would take me on a slow burn, friends to lovers ride... but no. I reached page 410 and it was clear that sapphic romance wasn't going to happen. I checked GR reviews to see if I should keep reading and the answer was a resounding no. I think I would've been okay with Aina and Siiri not getting together if the relationship between Aina and Tuoni wasn't so fucking weird. I was confused by their relationship and figured that maybe I was just missing something. Maybe I'm too dumb to enjoy this story for what it was intended?
I am very disappointed and sad that I splurged, paying full price for this beautiful book, to be bamboozled like this.
I also noticed that this book was not very feminist, but I wasn't sure how Finnish folklore influenced that, so I'm going to leave that alone, but the above review I linked goes deeper into how this book is absolutely NOT feminist and disgraces indigenous people.
I know that it was mis-marketed, but it doesn't change the fact that I was promised a sapphic, feminist love story... and I got this. The first half was full of great worldbuilding and I was excited by the tension of the premise. These two best friends, who are clearly in love with each other, get separated. Aina sacrifices herself to a death goddess in order to save Siiri from the same fate. Siiri spends the rest of the plot going on an adventure in the Finnish wilderness in the winter in search of a shaman who can help her enter the underworld to rescue her best friend.
I thought that this would take me on a slow burn, friends to lovers ride... but no. I reached page 410 and it was clear that sapphic romance wasn't going to happen. I checked GR reviews to see if I should keep reading and the answer was a resounding no. I think I would've been okay with Aina and Siiri not getting together if the relationship between Aina and Tuoni wasn't so fucking weird. I was confused by their relationship and figured that maybe I was just missing something. Maybe I'm too dumb to enjoy this story for what it was intended?
I am very disappointed and sad that I splurged, paying full price for this beautiful book, to be bamboozled like this.
I also noticed that this book was not very feminist, but I wasn't sure how Finnish folklore influenced that, so I'm going to leave that alone, but the above review I linked goes deeper into how this book is absolutely NOT feminist and disgraces indigenous people.