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rachelkay1821 's review for:
What the Jaguar Told Her
by Alexandra V. Méndez
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley, author Alexandra V. Méndez, and publisher Levine Querido for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
This was a sweet MG read! I thought the storytelling was beautiful, and several descriptions of setting or stories truly took my breath away. I loved all of the cultural elements found through storytelling, especially the emphasis on how important oral storytelling is throughout generations. I feel that young readers will be able to relate to Jade in many ways, as the book does a great job of navigating growing up and the challenges that come with being a pre-teen. The book was a bit dense at times, and it does seem like the author tries to fit in a lot of different topics that younger readers might not always get a full grasp on. I also didn't realize that this book was set around 9/11 until the event happened, so that might be a factor that doesn't resonate as well with a true MG audience, but it is relatable enough in other aspects for it to work. I did enjoy this read over, and it was a great step outside my comfort zone, since I don't read a lot of books with fantasy elements!
This was a sweet MG read! I thought the storytelling was beautiful, and several descriptions of setting or stories truly took my breath away. I loved all of the cultural elements found through storytelling, especially the emphasis on how important oral storytelling is throughout generations. I feel that young readers will be able to relate to Jade in many ways, as the book does a great job of navigating growing up and the challenges that come with being a pre-teen. The book was a bit dense at times, and it does seem like the author tries to fit in a lot of different topics that younger readers might not always get a full grasp on. I also didn't realize that this book was set around 9/11 until the event happened, so that might be a factor that doesn't resonate as well with a true MG audience, but it is relatable enough in other aspects for it to work. I did enjoy this read over, and it was a great step outside my comfort zone, since I don't read a lot of books with fantasy elements!