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kkaste's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hanthomas's review
3.0
I’ll preface this by saying that as an adult I read some young and middle reader books to keep tabs on the types of things my kids are reading, so this book was less for my own enjoyment and more for parenting reasons.
While sometimes it is a pleasant bonus that these types of tab-keeping books are enjoyable for me to read, this particular book was difficult to finish.
I liked the Riordan-esque style blending mythology with young contemporary heroes, and I particularly enjoyed that Bengali folktales were drawn upon. I appreciated for my son and daughter both that the Indian princess, Kiranmala, was fearless, smart, and courageous: a wonderful foil for the helpless, Disney-like princesses I grew up reading about.
However, overall, it was just... boring. I couldn’t figure out if it was boring to me because of my own lack of familiarity with the folktales and myths being drawn upon, or if in fact the storyline was lacking somewhat, and it really was at times as cartoonish as it seemed. All the same, the only reason I finished was out of my own compulsion to not leave a book half read.
I fully acknowledge that I am not the target market for this book. My preteens, in contrast, thought this book was funny and clever, and adored the storyline. They can’t wait to read the rest of the series, and I hope the coming books build well on the interesting things that were present.
In summary, it wasn’t my thing, but it was my kids’ thing, which I suppose is exactly what it was meant to be.
While sometimes it is a pleasant bonus that these types of tab-keeping books are enjoyable for me to read, this particular book was difficult to finish.
I liked the Riordan-esque style blending mythology with young contemporary heroes, and I particularly enjoyed that Bengali folktales were drawn upon. I appreciated for my son and daughter both that the Indian princess, Kiranmala, was fearless, smart, and courageous: a wonderful foil for the helpless, Disney-like princesses I grew up reading about.
However, overall, it was just... boring. I couldn’t figure out if it was boring to me because of my own lack of familiarity with the folktales and myths being drawn upon, or if in fact the storyline was lacking somewhat, and it really was at times as cartoonish as it seemed. All the same, the only reason I finished was out of my own compulsion to not leave a book half read.
I fully acknowledge that I am not the target market for this book. My preteens, in contrast, thought this book was funny and clever, and adored the storyline. They can’t wait to read the rest of the series, and I hope the coming books build well on the interesting things that were present.
In summary, it wasn’t my thing, but it was my kids’ thing, which I suppose is exactly what it was meant to be.
project_moonlark027's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lbarsk's review
3.0
Awwww that was FUN. I would've really enjoyed this in middle school, I think! Great to read a mythology-based story that WASN'T Western mythology and instead was filled with Bengali folktales.
marieintheraw's review
3.0
fun, but not compelling enough for me to want to continue on in the series.
kateycakee's review
5.0
Amazing YA novel. Totally gripping and enthralling. Kirin is a lovely and relatable girl. I loved reading an American based fantasy book that wasn't about European or Greek folk tales. Really well executed story!!! Everyone should read this
anon_bookshelf's review
I had the FATTEST crush on the boy in elementary. Loved it 🥰🥰
chaosandbooks's review
3.0
I've been trying to diversify my shelf and read legends/myths/lore from other cultures, especially since the market is a bit saturated with Greek mythology. I thought this would be a good choice and I was pleased with it! The Serpent's Secret is rich in Indian culture, especially Bengali, and was a delightful and refreshing experience.
Kiran is a headstrong princess who is shocked to find out so when her family's lives and her life are put in danger. This is a pretty classic move, but so much more fun when the backstory is revealed. My biggest issue with Kiran is that she's branded as the independent warrior princess and in reality is not really. She's actually quite emotionally strong and intelligent, which I think is just as important with female role models so I'm not sure why the audience is led to believe otherwise. It was a bit annoying at times that she constantly judged the people around her and her inner monologue was repetitive. I know this is a middle grade read, but I think a lot of this could have been solved with finer editing.
The two princes become her travel companions as she attempts to save her parents. Neel and Lal serve as complete opposites and we end up spending much more time with Neel in the end. That's fine, although I wish more time had been given to Lal who is only present for a brief amount of time. The same can be said of Mati.
The adventure itself is quite fun, with a variety of characters/demons. The Serpent King is set up as the big villain although he plays a smaller role with a promising future. This was a bit dismaying given the title, although in hindsight I suppose it makes more sense. Although it is a bit of a marketing misdirection. That being said, there was never a dull moment in the plot itself.
The dialogue is quite believable for the age of the characters and they do in fact act like kids so I appreciated that. My one complaint is that there is a lot of forced humor throughout the book that made for plenty of awkward moments. Most of it could have been done away with or refined for better jokes.
All in all, this was a fun and interesting fantasy read to kick off what I'm sure is a series that gets better as it develops. I plan on reading the rest to see how things go!
Kiran is a headstrong princess who is shocked to find out so when her family's lives and her life are put in danger. This is a pretty classic move, but so much more fun when the backstory is revealed. My biggest issue with Kiran is that she's branded as the independent warrior princess and in reality is not really. She's actually quite emotionally strong and intelligent, which I think is just as important with female role models so I'm not sure why the audience is led to believe otherwise. It was a bit annoying at times that she constantly judged the people around her and her inner monologue was repetitive. I know this is a middle grade read, but I think a lot of this could have been solved with finer editing.
The two princes become her travel companions as she attempts to save her parents. Neel and Lal serve as complete opposites and we end up spending much more time with Neel in the end. That's fine, although I wish more time had been given to Lal who is only present for a brief amount of time. The same can be said of Mati.
The adventure itself is quite fun, with a variety of characters/demons. The Serpent King is set up as the big villain although he plays a smaller role with a promising future. This was a bit dismaying given the title, although in hindsight I suppose it makes more sense. Although it is a bit of a marketing misdirection. That being said, there was never a dull moment in the plot itself.
The dialogue is quite believable for the age of the characters and they do in fact act like kids so I appreciated that. My one complaint is that there is a lot of forced humor throughout the book that made for plenty of awkward moments. Most of it could have been done away with or refined for better jokes.
All in all, this was a fun and interesting fantasy read to kick off what I'm sure is a series that gets better as it develops. I plan on reading the rest to see how things go!
christiana's review
4.0
This was fun! I liked all the twists on Indian folktales (and the explanations of it in the back) as well as a princess who doesn't need saving (but could do with having some help). Start of a series, but pretty well contained (which is a preference of mine).