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A review by awkwardreader13
The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I would like to thank the publisher for reaching out to me and giving me this e-arc.
I just finished this, and I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I really loved this. This whole universe (Birdverse) sounds so magical and I wish I could be part of it myself.
First of all, the writing was really good, and there was a nice, natural flow throughout the book. It was easy to tell whether it was Ranra or Lilún talking, as they had very different thought-patterns, but the writing flowed smoothly for both. I also felt like I could see everything that happened, because the writing created pictures in my head and made me almost able to feel what the characters were feeling. I related so much to Lilún and their need to make the world slow down so they could think, and, sometimes, also to Ranra's desperate feelings of wanting to fix everything swiftly.
All in all I think this book is beautiful. Not just in the writing, but also in the themes that are explored, and in the world it creates. The island community of Gelle-Geu is completely open and welcoming to any and all sexualities and gender expressions. I loved the way people would declare their identities to the world through ornaments/tokens weaved into their hair (or in the way they wore their hair, for example). I would have loved for there to be a small list explaining the different words and tokens used to describe people's identities and such. I mostly got the gist of it, but sometimes I had trouble remembering which was which.
I loved the island and its people, I loved the mythology of Bird, I loved the two main characters and I loved the culture of the island community.
I also found it interesting that things didn't turn out the way you might expect, and found it reflective of life in general. Things cannot always be tied up neatly with a bow, but somehow even when things go wrong, we continue on. And even if you put your whole heart into something, it's not always enough for you to succeed; this too is very much like real life.
All in all I loved this whole experience, and I'm excited to see what the author does next
I just finished this, and I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I really loved this. This whole universe (Birdverse) sounds so magical and I wish I could be part of it myself.
First of all, the writing was really good, and there was a nice, natural flow throughout the book. It was easy to tell whether it was Ranra or Lilún talking, as they had very different thought-patterns, but the writing flowed smoothly for both. I also felt like I could see everything that happened, because the writing created pictures in my head and made me almost able to feel what the characters were feeling. I related so much to Lilún and their need to make the world slow down so they could think, and, sometimes, also to Ranra's desperate feelings of wanting to fix everything swiftly.
All in all I think this book is beautiful. Not just in the writing, but also in the themes that are explored, and in the world it creates. The island community of Gelle-Geu is completely open and welcoming to any and all sexualities and gender expressions. I loved the way people would declare their identities to the world through ornaments/tokens weaved into their hair (or in the way they wore their hair, for example). I would have loved for there to be a small list explaining the different words and tokens used to describe people's identities and such. I mostly got the gist of it, but sometimes I had trouble remembering which was which.
I loved the island and its people, I loved the mythology of Bird, I loved the two main characters and I loved the culture of the island community.
I also found it interesting that things didn't turn out the way you might expect, and found it reflective of life in general. Things cannot always be tied up neatly with a bow, but somehow even when things go wrong, we continue on. And even if you put your whole heart into something, it's not always enough for you to succeed; this too is very much like real life.
All in all I loved this whole experience, and I'm excited to see what the author does next