So as most people know, with Advanced Reader Copies, it is not the finished version. For example, there are pages that have “MAP SPREAD TK” on them. I do not know about you, but I love maps in fantasy books which is just one of the reasons I will be buying this book when it comes out.
Something I want to point out is how engaging the prose is, especially with first-person.
In some books, first-person is difficult to pull off because it might feel juvenile at times, or because the author keeps using “I” in almost every sentence.
But J. Elle manages to keep the readers engaged with her use of present-tense first-person. I really enjoyed reading these things happening in well “real-time” because it is more exciting.
One thing I saw in one of the other reviews was the need for stronger world-building, and with that, I agree. If you read a lot of other YA books, you might be able to understand some of it, but if you don’t, the world-building might be a bit lacking.
But even with its flaws, I loved it. The characters of Quell and Yagrin were definitely some of the highlights of the book for me other than the setting.
Something I want to point out is how engaging the prose is, especially with first-person.
In some books, first-person is difficult to pull off because it might feel juvenile at times, or because the author keeps using “I” in almost every sentence.
But J. Elle manages to keep the readers engaged with her use of present-tense first-person. I really enjoyed reading these things happening in well “real-time” because it is more exciting.
One thing I saw in one of the other reviews was the need for stronger world-building, and with that, I agree. If you read a lot of other YA books, you might be able to understand some of it, but if you don’t, the world-building might be a bit lacking.
But even with its flaws, I loved it. The characters of Quell and Yagrin were definitely some of the highlights of the book for me other than the setting.