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scrubsandbooks's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a pretty slow-paced book but it crawled throughout the first half of the book. I wouldn't say there was any Romeo and Juliet aspect anywhere except for their parents disliking one another. That's it, and even that didn't seem to bring anything concrete to the plot anyway. The ending just... happens? It was confusing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Bullying, and Racism
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A lyrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet with Chinese mythology infused throughout. The short chapters make this book easy to read, pulling you into this mythical place. Despite there being quite a few narrators, I didn't feel like anyone character got less development than others, and the multiple narrators were important for understanding the story.
However, some of the jumping around did make it difficult to follow what was actually happening, plot wise. I think this was just part of the mythological aspect of the story, but there were times where I felt confused.
Loved learning more about Chinese mythology, though! And the central relationship was sweet and well developed. All in all, an enjoyable book.
However, some of the jumping around did make it difficult to follow what was actually happening, plot wise. I think this was just part of the mythological aspect of the story, but there were times where I felt confused.
Loved learning more about Chinese mythology, though! And the central relationship was sweet and well developed. All in all, an enjoyable book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Torture, Racism, and Sexual content
madisone's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Bullying
Moderate: Infidelity and Chronic illness
Minor: Torture and Racism
caidyn's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've been (not so) patiently waiting for this book since I heard about it. And the wait was worth it! The story was great. The characters were dynamic with good and bad traits to them. Just another great read. I could definitely see the influence of McLemore, so I wasn't surprised to see them mentioned in the acknowledgements!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Bullying
whatjasread's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An Arrow to the Moon had a rough start for me. I went into it with very different expectations, thinking it would be high fantasy rather than a simpler magical realism novel. YA novels that focus so much on the MCs going to school don't tend to work so well for me, it's just not what I enjoy reading. However, with the subtle elements of magic and the forbidden friendship-turned-romance element added to it, AATTM was a genuinely great read. Writing wise, the first third was a bit of a struggle for me -- if the whole book had been like the final third, I think this could have been five stars.
One of my favourite things about this book is that it doesn't shy away from important, difficult topics. They're not presented in an overwhelming or overbearing way, either. There's an argument to be made that it does fall too easily into the stereotype of the strict East Asian parent who is only ever focused on academic achievement and pushing their child to the limit. While it does, the book also pays important attention to political issues such as the Taiwan China conflict (which I'm genuinely intrigued about and will probably go and research more!) It also doesn't shy away from open discussion of periods - blood, cramps and everything in between. It seems like such a minor thing, but it's so important, especially in YA.
The ending was just phenomenal, I think if similar snippets had been woven throughout more than just in the journal, it would have been amazing and added a bit more to the story. I adore all the relationships in this book, particularly between Hunter and his younger brother Cody! There were some storylines which I didn't much care about (Rodney, mostly), but otherwise this book surprised me in a good way!
TWs: asthma attacks, racism, sexism, overbearing parents, strained family relationships, cheating, financial difficulty, child abuse, depression
One of my favourite things about this book is that it doesn't shy away from important, difficult topics. They're not presented in an overwhelming or overbearing way, either. There's an argument to be made that it does fall too easily into the stereotype of the strict East Asian parent who is only ever focused on academic achievement and pushing their child to the limit. While it does, the book also pays important attention to political issues such as the Taiwan China conflict (which I'm genuinely intrigued about and will probably go and research more!) It also doesn't shy away from open discussion of periods - blood, cramps and everything in between. It seems like such a minor thing, but it's so important, especially in YA.
The ending was just phenomenal, I think if similar snippets had been woven throughout more than just in the journal, it would have been amazing and added a bit more to the story. I adore all the relationships in this book, particularly between Hunter and his younger brother Cody! There were some storylines which I didn't much care about (Rodney, mostly), but otherwise this book surprised me in a good way!
TWs: asthma attacks, racism, sexism, overbearing parents, strained family relationships, cheating, financial difficulty, child abuse, depression
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Bullying, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Sexism, Torture, and Racism
abookboundgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Bullying
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
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