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A review by ettuladyblue
The Reader by Traci Chee
2.0
Books about books have never been my bag. There's something so egocentric about being told my hobby creates magic and is so powerful and transcendent... it's very unappealing. Perhaps this is because it breaks my illusion of solitude, or maybe because it's difficult to engage in escapism when you're reminded that you're actively engaging in it.
All this to say that I have a strong bias, and this book hit all my pet peeves.
It's not a bad book! If you're into flashbacks and violence and destiny, go for it. If you like worlds that give you the bare bones and expect you to build it yourself, come on over. There's some bonus pirates for you! The intrigue is top notch, the individual threads compelling.
But it's so so frustrating. I couldn't engage with the characters. They never connected with me. The world was so bare it felt pretty generic. And the metafictional smudges and blacked out sentences...to affect the text but not the narrative? Maddening.
I think I was just too old for this book. Probably would've been revelatory if I hadn't been forced to read postmodern works since late high school.
All this to say that I have a strong bias, and this book hit all my pet peeves.
It's not a bad book! If you're into flashbacks and violence and destiny, go for it. If you like worlds that give you the bare bones and expect you to build it yourself, come on over. There's some bonus pirates for you! The intrigue is top notch, the individual threads compelling.
But it's so so frustrating. I couldn't engage with the characters. They never connected with me. The world was so bare it felt pretty generic. And the metafictional smudges and blacked out sentences...to affect the text but not the narrative? Maddening.
I think I was just too old for this book. Probably would've been revelatory if I hadn't been forced to read postmodern works since late high school.