Benton-Walker transitioned well from YA to middle grade, keeping their dark humor while toning down the gore (but not eliminating it completely) to create an engaging apocalyptic fantasy. My only criticism is the emphasis on the budding romance and the main character’s identity. While many kids at this age struggle with how to fit in the modern world if they do not conform to the socially acceptable standard,
Benton-Walker’s prose surrounding this struck me as too adult in the sense that most kids at this age are just starting to think abstractly, a difficult perspective for any adult to portray in a character.
This comix subscription selection did not hit the ball out of the park for me. I appreciated parts of it while other parts fell flat. Since going on my classroom shelves though, several kids have picked it up and enjoyed it.
I did not realize until I reached a certain point in the book towards the end and felt completely bamboozled that the finale to the series had a lower rating than I expected, especially for readers of the English translation of the French original. Obviously, I cannot go into details in a review of the fourth book in a series. I will, however, state that I, like so many other similarly situated
readers, felt let down by that ending which did pull my rating down a little. I still wholeheartedly recommend this unique YA fantasy series.
I – like so many others on the Bookternet – have climbed aboard the hype train for this book and series. While not my favorite thing ever, I thoroughly enjoyed the first entry to this beloved series (and many need to read several more soon in case on of the entries traditionally published this year makes it on the Goodreads list.) I love the absurd RPG setting which Dinniman uses to make insightful commentary on social issues,
largely capitalism, which makes it terribly ironic that all the books are Audible exclusives. I will likely return to the series quite soon.
While I did not have to wait for this fourth installment as those who read the earlier entries upon release yet I still cannot say that it was worth the wait. So much of the infectious magic of the earlier entries was missing here, especially since Morrigan spends the majority of the book separated from Jupiter and the Deucalion. The plot also focused on a more social, less magical aspect
which did not help its case. I will continue to read although I will, unfortunately, enter the sequel with lowered expectations.
Alison Tyra devotes this entire book to the nearly uncountable number of women overlooked and undervalued by so many in so many areas. Tyra organizes the book thematically, grouping scientists together, writers together, and so on and so forth. Each chapter gives the credit to these women that they deserve while also constantly reminding us of how society purposefully did this in the past and present but hopefully not in the future. I definitely recommend this book.
