I was so excited to read Marie Lu’s new release, as I’ve almost all of her previous books, but sadly this one didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe it’s that they were too high, or maybe I’m outgrowing YA. Either way, this book just didn’t do it for me.
Skyhunter follows Talin, a soldier and refugee, knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts. But when a strange Federation soldier is captured and about to be executed, she decides to intervene and spare his life. Now he is her responsibility, but he has secrets of his own.
The plot was nothing new, so if you’re looking for an exciting and inventive story, you likely won’t find in Skyhunter. While I don’t mind unoriginal plots, I do need to feel some chemistry between characters. Whether it chemistry in the friend group, or between the main character and the love interest, I need to feel invested in their relationships, which I didn’t feel in this book. I wish there were more endearing moments, or even humorous moments to break the stoic mood, but all the characters were so serious the entire book. Anytime a character was amused, I was entirely bored and skimming the chapter. There was so much potential for some witty banter, but none was present. I also think that Talin gave up on her suspicions of Red far too quickly, and jut decided to like him very early on in their “unfortunate” arrangement.
But all that aside, I did still enjoy this book. It wasn’t a terrible book by any means because I’m still giving it three stars. I did like the writing, and marie Lu is a master at world building. The plot of all the ghosts attacking their steel walls surrounding the city remained me of Attack on Titan, which I really liked, so I thought that was fun.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Marie Lu’s previous books, or like Attack on Titan, check out Skyhunter. Otherwise, this is one YA sci-fi you might want to pass on.
Skyhunter follows Talin, a soldier and refugee, knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts. But when a strange Federation soldier is captured and about to be executed, she decides to intervene and spare his life. Now he is her responsibility, but he has secrets of his own.
The plot was nothing new, so if you’re looking for an exciting and inventive story, you likely won’t find in Skyhunter. While I don’t mind unoriginal plots, I do need to feel some chemistry between characters. Whether it chemistry in the friend group, or between the main character and the love interest, I need to feel invested in their relationships, which I didn’t feel in this book. I wish there were more endearing moments, or even humorous moments to break the stoic mood, but all the characters were so serious the entire book. Anytime a character was amused, I was entirely bored and skimming the chapter. There was so much potential for some witty banter, but none was present. I also think that Talin gave up on her suspicions of Red far too quickly, and jut decided to like him very early on in their “unfortunate” arrangement.
But all that aside, I did still enjoy this book. It wasn’t a terrible book by any means because I’m still giving it three stars. I did like the writing, and marie Lu is a master at world building. The plot of all the ghosts attacking their steel walls surrounding the city remained me of Attack on Titan, which I really liked, so I thought that was fun.
Overall, if you’re a fan of Marie Lu’s previous books, or like Attack on Titan, check out Skyhunter. Otherwise, this is one YA sci-fi you might want to pass on.