Flame in the Mist / Renee Ahdieh

3/5

Flame in the Mist delivers the strong female lead promised, although in a different way than I expected. I was hoping she would be more of an aggressive lead, rapidly improving her skills and smarts, winning against her opponents. But like most firsts in a series, this novel is more setup for those showdowns to happen in the future. There definitely were moments where Mariko impressed, and I admired her determination and growth, but ideally I would have preferred to see more of those moments. 

Unfortunately Flame in the Mist has a slightly similar vibe to Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses in that the female lead can be useless at times and there are some slightly sexist interactions occurring, but Flame also shares similarities with stronger novels such as Under the Never Sky and The Reader. Flame also brings up the interesting dilemma of independence and freedom versus loyalty, and pushes one to think about how far one would go to protect oneself. If you enjoy novels that pit smarts against strength, I would recommend giving Flame in the Mist a try.

Summer is Over But That's OK

3.5/5

I enjoyed reading each of the characters, especially watching the relationships develop between them, and I loved watching their secrets slowly be exposed. The ending felt a little like a cop out, but overall the mystery and the characters were enough to drive the entire plot forward and keep me engaged.

2.5/5

The characters weren't the best; Jemmie has flaws but overall is strong enough that I could follow her. Crowe is by far the worst. Why are we romanticizing abusive behavior? The plot is interesting and fast-paced enough that it kept me engaged, and it continued to build until the very end. I couldn't quite buy Jemmie's whole ordeal with her power/lack thereof because it was a little predictable, but Rush turned it into a good puzzle piece that fit at the end. Overall, not the most enjoyable because of the characters, but the plot is engaging enough for Devils and Thieves to provide entertainment.

2.5/5

I feel like this novel's writing style and level of character maturity is more suited toward younger teens, but it also included implications of very dark, gory themes such as torture, which made for a mismatched tone. I appreciated Reagan's independence and Orlando's depiction of her paranoia, but disliked the dialogue, particularly in Reagan's argument with her mother-- I found the language to be very unrealistic and cliche. As the novel continues, the events grow darker and become more extreme and almost outlandish. The great change of tone is a little off-putting. I'm not sure to whom I would recommend You Don't Know My Name, because I couldn't figure out the target audience.

3.5/5

I enjoyed This Mortal Coil. It starts a little slow, but as the novel progresses, the stakes rise and Suvada begins to call into question many ethical concerns. I loved deliberating over the questions she raised regarding science, humanity, and identity. This Mortal Coil is similar to Warcross and The Darkest Minds, and I would recommend it to fans of those novels who are willing to put time into this lengthier book, aren't afraid of grit, and love moral ambiguity.