A review by littlemonkey123
The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix

medium-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

2.75

The Ones We Burn was neither here nor there, for me. 

While Rebecca Mix's writing wasn't difficult to read, I did notice myself thinking "you didn't need to explicitly tell me that" many times throughout the book. The narrator had a habit of explaining every feeling in relatively simplistic language, which I felt could have been described in a much less... self aware way(?). Maybe it was me nitpicking over the fact I wasn't quite fully into this book as much as one would hope. 

Another example of more telling than showing was the relationship between our main pairing (Ranka and Aramis). It felt as though the narration was trying to convince me in to believing that Ranka and Aramis were attracted to each other, even though, at time, it didn't seem like anything had happened for any chemistry to build. There were truthfully not many actions between them to make me completely care for them both as a couple. Instead, I was actually much more interested in the dynamic between Gale and Ranka (of course not as a romantic couple) because of their scenes together showed me very sweet growth and compassion between them both. For Ranka and Aramis it felt like we missed some of these scenes or were just being told 'they happen, just trust me.'

I also can't help but mention the controversy surrounding this book. The negative comments might have preemptively made me somewhat weary going into this book, but now that I have finished I can finally say – I think the people who had been spamming reviews solely based on the "evil Black siblings" maybe didn't gather the entire context for this. (Firstly they weren't ever evil, or written that way.)

I would, of course, love for extra opinions on this matter (considering I am not the person to be saying what's right and wrong– white as hell, and english... i'm sorry). But I don't think "reverse racism" is exactly the right wording for this. I think this might actually, further, dumb the book down to very basic concepts which I think in the end, the book managed to conclude things in very reasonable way(? Lack for better words, and not wanting to spoil). However,that being said, maybe there are things I missed or misunderstood the importance of. I have tried to research more opinions on this matter in depth and would be very happy to hear different opinions.

Despite this, it is not a book I need to defend all that dearly as, by the end of it, I do not feel that strongly attached. 

Like I said, Neither here nor there.