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A review by alysonemery
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Okay, most of the reveals I saw coming e.g. everyone having powers - at all reveals of that there was an eye roll, but at least Jaryn being the prince who saved her from the start was a neat surprise! which meant I should have seen the last big reveal coming, but that last page was a shock.
I enjoyed this book! The audiobook was great. There was a lot of violence for violence’s sake, and more than a few awful moments with prison guards committing all manners of atrocities, so do be aware if you’re picking up the book - it does not keep from leaning in to those themes just because it’s YA, though our main character does come out mostly unscathed.
The characters were quite nice, and I loved how Kiva learned to trust and care for others slowlythough that reveal at the end does put a, er, spin on it . I am hopeful that the next book explores the impact of the trauma that they went through in a bit more depth, since I think that would fit in the next story more than it would here.
Overall, I would say the moral of the story lies in Kiva learning to care for others and taking risks to follow her own values, rather than keeping her head down to keep herself safe. Though,again I’m conflicted, because with that reveal at the end? Though well done for a twist, it makes me wonder how much of it was really Kiva showing her heart, and how much of it was Kiva being a rebel princess…….. like, I believe now that it’s likely she took on the trials to save her mom, but like……… do we really know that about her? How much does she care for her mom? How much pressure was on her to perform as a rebel princess before? Did her dad introduce these ideas to her when she was 7??? It feels… like a bit of a leap for her to suddenly take on the mantle of rebel leader when literally she just barely escaped with her life after 10 years of repeated trauma. Like, get some help, girl. Ultimately, not sure how to feel about the emotional heart of the book, but as a story, it was a fair read.
I enjoyed this book! The audiobook was great. There was a lot of violence for violence’s sake, and more than a few awful moments with prison guards committing all manners of atrocities, so do be aware if you’re picking up the book - it does not keep from leaning in to those themes just because it’s YA, though our main character does come out mostly unscathed.
The characters were quite nice, and I loved how Kiva learned to trust and care for others slowly
Overall, I would say the moral of the story lies in Kiva learning to care for others and taking risks to follow her own values, rather than keeping her head down to keep herself safe. Though,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail