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pages_with_panda 's review for:
The Musings of a Muse: Forgive or Forget
by Neesha Ofori-Atta
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Received this ebook for free from a Storygraph giveaway.
This assignment had more twists than a bad novel.
The premise for this sounded interesting - muses are given 'assignments' to inspire people, and one muse in particular (Kanadra) is sent on an assignment to Earth against her will to inspire human Ariyah. We see snippets of Kanadra's past as she's figuring out what to do in the present, but unfortunately this book was a miss for me. It took me about a month to finish because I just could not get into it.
The writing and the dialogue were super awkward and clunky. The characters were one-dimensional and unlikeable, and the story was a jumbled mess.
We get thrown from scene to scene with little to no explanation. The transitions were trash and we don't get any kind of descriptions of anything; character or scene-wise. The plot is supposed to be about solving a mystery, but the main characters don't actually do anything. Everyone gives them everything and tells them everything. It got to a point where I was just like, what the hell. Sure. Of course these high-schoolers can run a license plate.
Speaking of the kids, they were completely unlikeable and just boring. There would be emotional moments that were glossed over so quickly they didn't even matter, and such unreal character reactions, even for fantasy. Characters just go along with whatever. I genuinely didn't care about any of them. Cared even less about the main characters. Ariyah is a cruel bully and Kanadra is your typical sarcastic, sassy, female main character that gets away with whatever.
This book did an incredibly poor job of handling grief and forgiveness. At no point did I feel any kind of empathy to Ariyah.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:
SPOILERS: The ending really pissed me off. You're telling me Ariyah just forgave him??? Your telling me generations of her family has been killed and she FORGAVE HIM?? I don't care how powerful Kanadra's powers were, that was such bullshit. We're completely ignoring the fact that Black women were systematically murdered by this klan of 'witch hunters?' And nothing is said about it? Absolutely no kind of acknowledgement about it? And then Kanadra is going to go on her merry way and enact her revenge? What the fuck. Ariyah should've been allowed to kill someone.
Also, the ending felt rushed with a ton of random twists dumped in, but these twists fall apart as soon as you start asking any kind of questions.
Won't be picking up the sequel.
This assignment had more twists than a bad novel.
The premise for this sounded interesting - muses are given 'assignments' to inspire people, and one muse in particular (Kanadra) is sent on an assignment to Earth against her will to inspire human Ariyah. We see snippets of Kanadra's past as she's figuring out what to do in the present, but unfortunately this book was a miss for me. It took me about a month to finish because I just could not get into it.
The writing and the dialogue were super awkward and clunky. The characters were one-dimensional and unlikeable, and the story was a jumbled mess.
We get thrown from scene to scene with little to no explanation. The transitions were trash and we don't get any kind of descriptions of anything; character or scene-wise. The plot is supposed to be about solving a mystery, but the main characters don't actually do anything. Everyone gives them everything and tells them everything. It got to a point where I was just like, what the hell. Sure. Of course these high-schoolers can run a license plate.
Speaking of the kids, they were completely unlikeable and just boring. There would be emotional moments that were glossed over so quickly they didn't even matter, and such unreal character reactions, even for fantasy. Characters just go along with whatever. I genuinely didn't care about any of them. Cared even less about the main characters. Ariyah is a cruel bully and Kanadra is your typical sarcastic, sassy, female main character that gets away with whatever.
This book did an incredibly poor job of handling grief and forgiveness. At no point did I feel any kind of empathy to Ariyah.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:
Also, the ending felt rushed with a ton of random twists dumped in, but these twists fall apart as soon as you start asking any kind of questions.
Won't be picking up the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Murder
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail