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2.79 AVERAGE
2.79 AVERAGE
This review was first posted on Giant Squid Books.
Urban fantasy isn’t really my genre, but Feather Bound takes it on in a really fascinating and dark way I’ve never seen before. Sarah Raughley sends us to a sort-of modern day New York, with new myths and cultural norms woven in. It’s a world where we see egregiously wealthy teenagers wielding abnormal social and political power–it’s like Cruel Intentions–and I mean that only in the best way–with a bit of an urban fantasy element thrown in.
In the world of Feather Bound there are mythological creatures that live among humans–swans. In fact, they are humans, except for the fact that there are massive wings concealed beneath their skin. Nothing else distinguishes them–but they can be bound in psychological slavery to any person who takes their wings. And sometimes the swans themselves don’t know they are swans, until an experience of emotional intensity or pain causes their wings to burst out, and puts them in danger of being so taken advantage of.
The novel starts when Deanna’s supposedly long-dead childhood friend appears at his father’s funeral–with no indication of where he’s been for the last ten years. Hyde Headley takes over his father’s prestigious publishing company, causing a political backlash amongst the elite society he moves through. As he and Deanna begin dating, she gets wrapped up in the dark world of high society–where swans suffer silently among the rich. And that’s all I say about that, to avoid giving too much away about the story!
Feather Bound does a couple of things REALLY well.
First, Raughley builds an alternate universe mythology into the plot by incorporating it into the narrative with brief (and beautifully written!) mythological stories. The combination of those chapters and the assumptions that Deanna begins with around swans create do a great job to fill in the reader while maintaining a sense of mystery. And the dark reimagining of New York is so palpably gothic and creepy.
On the realism side of the story, Raughley does a remarkable job building some of the supporting characters. The conversations between Deanna and her sister Adrianna are so on point–Adrianna’s dialogue is so solidly written, and she, like a real person, straddles the line between being truly admirable and incredibly obnoxious. I think the same is true of Shannon, a protester for swan rights, who just comes alive off the page with really strong dialogue. On the flip side of that, I did wish for a little bit more humanization of some of the villains–they’re just so wholly reprehensible!
Thematically, Feather Bound does not mess around. In deploying the swan metaphor, Feather Bound confronts issues of human trafficking, modern day slavery, poverty and class war. Generally, the metaphor worked really well for this book, especially when it comes to some of the more visceral and emotional moments about swan slavery. But despite (or maybe because of) the ambitiousness of the themes, this is where the book starts to fall. The issues needed a bit of a more delicate hand being woven into the plot–they felt a little too obvious at times. This was especially true regarding the class issues. For example, Deanna has a deep-seated hatred toward rich socialites, but the reader is never clued in completely to where her anger comes from. Without a fuller backstory to enliven her anger to the readers, it’s hard to sympathize with her completely–she just seems bitter.
And this I supposed is the biggest problem with the book. In many places I loved Deanna’s snarky and sometimes mean narrative voice–it made her a realistic character. But too much of the narrative is spent with Deanna’s thoughts, rather than her deeper impressions–she tells the reader what she feels, rather than letting the reader experience the feelings of alienation, otherness, and disconnect that she experiences. Despite being from the first person voice, the reader is kept at a distance.
Overally, I really enjoyed Feather Bound–it’s definitely a page turner! And I always love a novel with a good social justice throughline that can also balance being a genuinely fun read. I definitely look forward to seeing what Sarah Raughley does next.
3/5 for characters–I loved the way Raughley wrote dialogue, but I wanted a little more humanization of the villains–and even of some of the main characters, like Hyde Headley and Deanna’s father, neither of whom we get very close to.
3/5 for consistently solid prose that was often beautiful. But so many of Deanna’s sarcastic asides pulled away from the story and sometimes were even confusing.
4/5 for world building– I can’t say enough how much I loved the chapters that tell the swan myth. They do such a great job contrasting with the regular narrative.
4/5 for themes, which were ambitious and serious. Though sometimes a little heavy-handed, the political undertones of the plot ended up moving the story forward in an effective way.
Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley – 3.5/5 stars
Urban fantasy isn’t really my genre, but Feather Bound takes it on in a really fascinating and dark way I’ve never seen before. Sarah Raughley sends us to a sort-of modern day New York, with new myths and cultural norms woven in. It’s a world where we see egregiously wealthy teenagers wielding abnormal social and political power–it’s like Cruel Intentions–and I mean that only in the best way–with a bit of an urban fantasy element thrown in.
In the world of Feather Bound there are mythological creatures that live among humans–swans. In fact, they are humans, except for the fact that there are massive wings concealed beneath their skin. Nothing else distinguishes them–but they can be bound in psychological slavery to any person who takes their wings. And sometimes the swans themselves don’t know they are swans, until an experience of emotional intensity or pain causes their wings to burst out, and puts them in danger of being so taken advantage of.
The novel starts when Deanna’s supposedly long-dead childhood friend appears at his father’s funeral–with no indication of where he’s been for the last ten years. Hyde Headley takes over his father’s prestigious publishing company, causing a political backlash amongst the elite society he moves through. As he and Deanna begin dating, she gets wrapped up in the dark world of high society–where swans suffer silently among the rich. And that’s all I say about that, to avoid giving too much away about the story!
Feather Bound does a couple of things REALLY well.
First, Raughley builds an alternate universe mythology into the plot by incorporating it into the narrative with brief (and beautifully written!) mythological stories. The combination of those chapters and the assumptions that Deanna begins with around swans create do a great job to fill in the reader while maintaining a sense of mystery. And the dark reimagining of New York is so palpably gothic and creepy.
On the realism side of the story, Raughley does a remarkable job building some of the supporting characters. The conversations between Deanna and her sister Adrianna are so on point–Adrianna’s dialogue is so solidly written, and she, like a real person, straddles the line between being truly admirable and incredibly obnoxious. I think the same is true of Shannon, a protester for swan rights, who just comes alive off the page with really strong dialogue. On the flip side of that, I did wish for a little bit more humanization of some of the villains–they’re just so wholly reprehensible!
Thematically, Feather Bound does not mess around. In deploying the swan metaphor, Feather Bound confronts issues of human trafficking, modern day slavery, poverty and class war. Generally, the metaphor worked really well for this book, especially when it comes to some of the more visceral and emotional moments about swan slavery. But despite (or maybe because of) the ambitiousness of the themes, this is where the book starts to fall. The issues needed a bit of a more delicate hand being woven into the plot–they felt a little too obvious at times. This was especially true regarding the class issues. For example, Deanna has a deep-seated hatred toward rich socialites, but the reader is never clued in completely to where her anger comes from. Without a fuller backstory to enliven her anger to the readers, it’s hard to sympathize with her completely–she just seems bitter.
And this I supposed is the biggest problem with the book. In many places I loved Deanna’s snarky and sometimes mean narrative voice–it made her a realistic character. But too much of the narrative is spent with Deanna’s thoughts, rather than her deeper impressions–she tells the reader what she feels, rather than letting the reader experience the feelings of alienation, otherness, and disconnect that she experiences. Despite being from the first person voice, the reader is kept at a distance.
Overally, I really enjoyed Feather Bound–it’s definitely a page turner! And I always love a novel with a good social justice throughline that can also balance being a genuinely fun read. I definitely look forward to seeing what Sarah Raughley does next.
3/5 for characters–I loved the way Raughley wrote dialogue, but I wanted a little more humanization of the villains–and even of some of the main characters, like Hyde Headley and Deanna’s father, neither of whom we get very close to.
3/5 for consistently solid prose that was often beautiful. But so many of Deanna’s sarcastic asides pulled away from the story and sometimes were even confusing.
4/5 for world building– I can’t say enough how much I loved the chapters that tell the swan myth. They do such a great job contrasting with the regular narrative.
4/5 for themes, which were ambitious and serious. Though sometimes a little heavy-handed, the political undertones of the plot ended up moving the story forward in an effective way.
Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley – 3.5/5 stars
Actual rating 2.5. I think this book would have been better if the author wouldn't have had so many plot holes and worked on answering the questions she asked.
Title: Feather Bound
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 1/5
Cover Impressions: Who is this cover artist and where can I buy this print? This is just stunning. I love the colors, the feathers and the bird imagery. I can't wait to see this one in hardcover.
The Gist: Becoming a Swan means being under constant threat from someone trying to control you. Literally. If they hold your feathers (coat?), they control your every move. Having newly discovered that she is a Swan, Deanna wants nothing more than to pretend nothing has changed. But, with the recent return from the dead of her wealthy friend, Hyde, Deanna is now in the perfect position to be blackmailed. Ruin Hyde and keep her secret, or reveal her secret and risk losing everything.
Review:Oh Feather Bound. Dear, dear, Feather Bound. You had so much potential. A kick ass cover, a unique premise, connections to a haunting fairy tale but you just couldn't pull it together could you? Forgot all about the world building didn't you? Got stuck on a lame main character and a lackluster romantic entanglement didn't you? Disappointed all the people who signed on because of an incredible cover and the promise of a story we hadn't heard a thousand times didn't you? Yes, Feather Bounds, yes you did.
Where to start with this book? Well, the whole swan thing felt unnecessary and I feel like the plot would have been exactly the same if it had revolved around blackmail for some other, more realistic, reason. It was very difficult to reconcile the modern setting with the age old fairy tale. They were not well incorporated and we got no explanation for how this whole thing works. Have swans always existed? Were they recently discovered and thus became a hot commodity for human trafficking? Do people have power over a swan if they get a hold of just one feather or do they need the entire "coat"? How easy is it for these coats to be removed if regular (non-surgical) humans can take them by force? Why is there such a stigma attached to being a swan? How often do they sprout wings? Do they have to? I could ask questions for days but the bottom line is, without some worldbuilding to explain how these magical creatures came to be and what rules govern them, most readers will lose the plot entirely and begin to skim, as I did at about the halfway mark.
The rest of this review, and my parent/teacher advisories can be found at Reading Between Classes
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 1/5
Cover Impressions: Who is this cover artist and where can I buy this print? This is just stunning. I love the colors, the feathers and the bird imagery. I can't wait to see this one in hardcover.
The Gist: Becoming a Swan means being under constant threat from someone trying to control you. Literally. If they hold your feathers (coat?), they control your every move. Having newly discovered that she is a Swan, Deanna wants nothing more than to pretend nothing has changed. But, with the recent return from the dead of her wealthy friend, Hyde, Deanna is now in the perfect position to be blackmailed. Ruin Hyde and keep her secret, or reveal her secret and risk losing everything.
Review:Oh Feather Bound. Dear, dear, Feather Bound. You had so much potential. A kick ass cover, a unique premise, connections to a haunting fairy tale but you just couldn't pull it together could you? Forgot all about the world building didn't you? Got stuck on a lame main character and a lackluster romantic entanglement didn't you? Disappointed all the people who signed on because of an incredible cover and the promise of a story we hadn't heard a thousand times didn't you? Yes, Feather Bounds, yes you did.
Where to start with this book? Well, the whole swan thing felt unnecessary and I feel like the plot would have been exactly the same if it had revolved around blackmail for some other, more realistic, reason. It was very difficult to reconcile the modern setting with the age old fairy tale. They were not well incorporated and we got no explanation for how this whole thing works. Have swans always existed? Were they recently discovered and thus became a hot commodity for human trafficking? Do people have power over a swan if they get a hold of just one feather or do they need the entire "coat"? How easy is it for these coats to be removed if regular (non-surgical) humans can take them by force? Why is there such a stigma attached to being a swan? How often do they sprout wings? Do they have to? I could ask questions for days but the bottom line is, without some worldbuilding to explain how these magical creatures came to be and what rules govern them, most readers will lose the plot entirely and begin to skim, as I did at about the halfway mark.
The rest of this review, and my parent/teacher advisories can be found at Reading Between Classes
Are you familiar with the classic fairytale Swan Maidens? If not, I would recommend reading the short story before (or after) reading Feather Bound. Author Sarah Raughley gives the classic story a new modern twist.
I liked that Raughley weaved swans into the history of the book. Swan information is available in classes, on the internet, and printed in brochures. That was interesting and edgy. She also kept the story very modern with the language and references to pop culture and trends.
I prefer my fractured fairytales less edgy. The language was genuine for the characters and settings, but I would rather not read books with foul language and "totes." I was taken aback by "totes." I appreciate the dynamic reading of "totes" from the Sprint commercial, but beyond that I would prefer not to read it in books.
Sections of the Swan Maidens story was included but it felt a little out of place. I'm not sure it was needed. Or maybe it just needed different formatting. I would have liked to see story selections or quotes as chapter headings rather than having them as mini "chapters" throughout the book.
Some of the themes in the book include abuse, human trafficking, understanding yourself, and justice. Evil is overcome in the end and life can slowly be rebuilt. The story wraps up well and can standalone. I give this book two swans out of five. If you're interested in modern fairytales, I would recommend reading some Alix Flinn books.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Angry Robot Ltd!
I liked that Raughley weaved swans into the history of the book. Swan information is available in classes, on the internet, and printed in brochures. That was interesting and edgy. She also kept the story very modern with the language and references to pop culture and trends.
I prefer my fractured fairytales less edgy. The language was genuine for the characters and settings, but I would rather not read books with foul language and "totes." I was taken aback by "totes." I appreciate the dynamic reading of "totes" from the Sprint commercial, but beyond that I would prefer not to read it in books.
Sections of the Swan Maidens story was included but it felt a little out of place. I'm not sure it was needed. Or maybe it just needed different formatting. I would have liked to see story selections or quotes as chapter headings rather than having them as mini "chapters" throughout the book.
Some of the themes in the book include abuse, human trafficking, understanding yourself, and justice. Evil is overcome in the end and life can slowly be rebuilt. The story wraps up well and can standalone. I give this book two swans out of five. If you're interested in modern fairytales, I would recommend reading some Alix Flinn books.
Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Angry Robot Ltd!
3.5 It's very different and I really liked that ! Check it out when its out !
This review was originally published on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/07/10/feather-bound-sarah-raughley/
True story: I picked up this book because the protagonist shares the same name as my sister.
When Deanna attends the funeral of a family friend, she discovers a ghost from her past. She thought that her childhood crush/friend Hyde was dead, but now he’s mysteriously reappeared and is fighting to reclaim his stepfather’s company. Deanna had already mourned his loss and is now trying to sort out her feelings. Of course, she’s got bigger problems, like trying to keep her broken family afloat because her alcoholic father can’t hold down a job. And Deanna’s problems are about to get bigger…
You see, there are human swans. They reminded me a bit of the swans in Summer and Bird, but without the benefits. People can find out that they’re a swan at any age. The transformation is often triggered by extreme stress, trauma, or otherwise emotional situations. If someone steals your feathers, you are forced to submit entirely to their will. You can see where this is going. Obviously there are going to be people with swan fetishes, and when it’s that easy to control someone, consent isn’t happening. If someone knows you are a swan, the threat of what they could do to you if given the chance is enough that you’ll do anything in your power to keep it from happening. I’d have been much happier with Feather Bound if there was some sort of benefit to being a swan. The ability to fly, for instance, or some other kind of magical power that helps tip the scales in favor of surviving with one’s freedom intact. But in the world of Feather Bound, there’s nothing redeeming about being a swan. You’re pretty much screwed.
And then there’s the love interest. Hyde is what you’d get if you mix Edward Cullen’s stalker tendencies with Christian Grey’s money, with some angst and insecurity thrown in for good measure. He’s not at all my type.
Feather Bound wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it was an entertaining diversion. It was a quick read, and I did enjoy it, but I felt that it could have benefited from a bit more world building and another pass from the editor to make it less cliche. There was plenty of girl power to subvert the typical Cinderella story, and the idea of human swans was creative, just not well executed.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/07/10/feather-bound-sarah-raughley/
True story: I picked up this book because the protagonist shares the same name as my sister.
When Deanna attends the funeral of a family friend, she discovers a ghost from her past. She thought that her childhood crush/friend Hyde was dead, but now he’s mysteriously reappeared and is fighting to reclaim his stepfather’s company. Deanna had already mourned his loss and is now trying to sort out her feelings. Of course, she’s got bigger problems, like trying to keep her broken family afloat because her alcoholic father can’t hold down a job. And Deanna’s problems are about to get bigger…
You see, there are human swans. They reminded me a bit of the swans in Summer and Bird, but without the benefits. People can find out that they’re a swan at any age. The transformation is often triggered by extreme stress, trauma, or otherwise emotional situations. If someone steals your feathers, you are forced to submit entirely to their will. You can see where this is going. Obviously there are going to be people with swan fetishes, and when it’s that easy to control someone, consent isn’t happening. If someone knows you are a swan, the threat of what they could do to you if given the chance is enough that you’ll do anything in your power to keep it from happening. I’d have been much happier with Feather Bound if there was some sort of benefit to being a swan. The ability to fly, for instance, or some other kind of magical power that helps tip the scales in favor of surviving with one’s freedom intact. But in the world of Feather Bound, there’s nothing redeeming about being a swan. You’re pretty much screwed.
And then there’s the love interest. Hyde is what you’d get if you mix Edward Cullen’s stalker tendencies with Christian Grey’s money, with some angst and insecurity thrown in for good measure. He’s not at all my type.
Feather Bound wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it was an entertaining diversion. It was a quick read, and I did enjoy it, but I felt that it could have benefited from a bit more world building and another pass from the editor to make it less cliche. There was plenty of girl power to subvert the typical Cinderella story, and the idea of human swans was creative, just not well executed.
This is the second time I've tried to finish this book. The first was several weeks ago, and I made it to 12% before needing a break. The time I made it to 28% and. I. Am. Done.
There is no world-building.
The book begins with Deanna's family getting ready to go to the funeral of an old family friend. A family friend who sounds a lot like any number of men you'd find on the Forbes' Richest People in America list. A family friend whose dead son was Deanna's best childhood friend (except he came across as more of an over-eager puppy who was indulged). A family friend who enslaved his wife.
Enslaved his wife? What do you mean?!
Well, apparently, roughly 3% of the world's population are really swans, and if you steal their feathers, you can control them.
*gasp*
But where did these swans come from?
That's an excellent question. It's also a question I have no answer to.
Why not?
NO WORLD-BUILDING.
Deanna and family are at the funeral when a girl shows up in a trench coat, takes advantage of the paparazzi to soapbox, and then further demonstrates her flare for the dramatic by flinging open her coat, baring her feathers (and breasts) to the world.
That is all the introduction to the existence of swans that you get.
But wait--it gets worse . . .
Deanna is wandering around the graveyard on the way to the reception when she sees a lone boy (about her age--she can tell this at quite a distance from the view of his back) standing in front of Enslaving Family Friend's tombstone. Curious, she wanders closer, only to discover *gasps again* it's Hyde!
Hyde her not-so-dead-after-all childhood best friend.
And not just any old Hyde. A new and improved Hyde. A Hyde who is mischievously good-looking. A Hyde who dresses like a hipster (b/c all the girls LOVE hipsters). A Hyde who, despite his obvious confidence (from the whole minute and a half of their interaction), is clearly nervous about her reaction to him.
Oh, for the love of god.
This is especially annoying, b/c if you read the blurb, you know that this book is described as, "a dark debut reminiscent of Gabriel García Márquez's A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, and the twisted truth behind the fairy tale of Cinderella."
And it is dark in places, I'll give it that. But Gabriel García Márquez dark? Not hardly. Neither did it have anything to do with, "the twisted truth behind the fairy tale of Cinderella."
Ladies and gents, if you somehow don't already know, fairy tales are kind of my thing. I was raised on them. Spent my first paycheck when I was 16 y.o. on a massive collection of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales. The original German versions that I've been familiar with since I was 10.
Anyway, the point is that the dark and nasty part of the original Cinderella didn't really have anything to do with enslavement. Ashenputtl was overworked and under appreciated by her stepmother, who was definitely a hateful woman, but she wasn't an owned individual who could lawfully be executed should she displease her Mistress.
If there was anything particularly dark about the story, it would have had to do with the step-sisters cutting off large portions of their feet in an attempt to force a shoe to fit.
When a book is described as being part specific fairy tale, I expect it to share fantastical elements with the fairy tale it's being compared to. This does not. If you're going to use "slavery" as a generic umbrella term, It would be more honest to compare it to Uncle Tom's Cabin, but that probably wouldn't sell as many books to the target demographic, so somebody decided to be disingenuous instead.
Then again, I quit at 28%. Who knows? Maybe a fairy godmother shows up further down the road.
But I doubt it.
There is no world-building.
The book begins with Deanna's family getting ready to go to the funeral of an old family friend. A family friend who sounds a lot like any number of men you'd find on the Forbes' Richest People in America list. A family friend whose dead son was Deanna's best childhood friend (except he came across as more of an over-eager puppy who was indulged). A family friend who enslaved his wife.
Enslaved his wife? What do you mean?!
Well, apparently, roughly 3% of the world's population are really swans, and if you steal their feathers, you can control them.
*gasp*
But where did these swans come from?
That's an excellent question. It's also a question I have no answer to.
Why not?
NO WORLD-BUILDING.
Deanna and family are at the funeral when a girl shows up in a trench coat, takes advantage of the paparazzi to soapbox, and then further demonstrates her flare for the dramatic by flinging open her coat, baring her feathers (and breasts) to the world.
That is all the introduction to the existence of swans that you get.
But wait--it gets worse . . .
Deanna is wandering around the graveyard on the way to the reception when she sees a lone boy (about her age--she can tell this at quite a distance from the view of his back) standing in front of Enslaving Family Friend's tombstone. Curious, she wanders closer, only to discover *gasps again* it's Hyde!
Hyde her not-so-dead-after-all childhood best friend.
And not just any old Hyde. A new and improved Hyde. A Hyde who is mischievously good-looking. A Hyde who dresses like a hipster (b/c all the girls LOVE hipsters). A Hyde who, despite his obvious confidence (from the whole minute and a half of their interaction), is clearly nervous about her reaction to him.
Oh, for the love of god.
This is especially annoying, b/c if you read the blurb, you know that this book is described as, "a dark debut reminiscent of Gabriel García Márquez's A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, and the twisted truth behind the fairy tale of Cinderella."
And it is dark in places, I'll give it that. But Gabriel García Márquez dark? Not hardly. Neither did it have anything to do with, "the twisted truth behind the fairy tale of Cinderella."
Ladies and gents, if you somehow don't already know, fairy tales are kind of my thing. I was raised on them. Spent my first paycheck when I was 16 y.o. on a massive collection of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales. The original German versions that I've been familiar with since I was 10.
Anyway, the point is that the dark and nasty part of the original Cinderella didn't really have anything to do with enslavement. Ashenputtl was overworked and under appreciated by her stepmother, who was definitely a hateful woman, but she wasn't an owned individual who could lawfully be executed should she displease her Mistress.
If there was anything particularly dark about the story, it would have had to do with the step-sisters cutting off large portions of their feet in an attempt to force a shoe to fit.
When a book is described as being part specific fairy tale, I expect it to share fantastical elements with the fairy tale it's being compared to. This does not. If you're going to use "slavery" as a generic umbrella term, It would be more honest to compare it to Uncle Tom's Cabin, but that probably wouldn't sell as many books to the target demographic, so somebody decided to be disingenuous instead.
Then again, I quit at 28%. Who knows? Maybe a fairy godmother shows up further down the road.
But I doubt it.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Trigger warnings for discussions of sexual abuse and slavery—consent is a major theme in this book. Feel free to message me if you need more details and stay safe everyone!
Feather Bound, the book that intrigued me. I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads and it will be coming out on May 6th. It is a YA fantasy book about people who are part swan. I gave this book a 3.5 star rating.
When I was told I won this book, I wasn't sure what to expect when I read it. The synopsis definitely intrigued me and I was very excited to read something new and unique. I began it the day I got it in the mail and finished it in two days. It was a very simple book and easy to read in one or two settings. This book does have some more mature themes so I would recommend this for 15+ readers.
I did have a few problems with the book. I felt like I wasn't connecting very well with the main character, Dee. I don't know whether it was my fault or the authors but I found that often, I didn't have a lot of empathy for what Dee was going through. There were a couple grammar errors and a few scattered cliches throughout the book but these were only mildly irksome but did not take away from the book significantly. The plot was a little bit predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. For a debut novel, I think it was written very well and had an interesting and unique plot. It kept my interest through the entire book and I found that I could not put it down until I had finished it. I do think that Sarah Raughley's book set a great tone and I felt like her writing gave a mood for the book. I think that having a bit more world-building to help me understand more about what was up with the swan people would have been helpful but she did give the book enough for me to go on.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy modern fairytale stories or just love a good fast-paced read.
When I was told I won this book, I wasn't sure what to expect when I read it. The synopsis definitely intrigued me and I was very excited to read something new and unique. I began it the day I got it in the mail and finished it in two days. It was a very simple book and easy to read in one or two settings. This book does have some more mature themes so I would recommend this for 15+ readers.
I did have a few problems with the book. I felt like I wasn't connecting very well with the main character, Dee. I don't know whether it was my fault or the authors but I found that often, I didn't have a lot of empathy for what Dee was going through. There were a couple grammar errors and a few scattered cliches throughout the book but these were only mildly irksome but did not take away from the book significantly. The plot was a little bit predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. For a debut novel, I think it was written very well and had an interesting and unique plot. It kept my interest through the entire book and I found that I could not put it down until I had finished it. I do think that Sarah Raughley's book set a great tone and I felt like her writing gave a mood for the book. I think that having a bit more world-building to help me understand more about what was up with the swan people would have been helpful but she did give the book enough for me to go on.
I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy modern fairytale stories or just love a good fast-paced read.
Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley is the author's début novel. I went into it with no expectations beyond title and cover thumbnail (if I ever read the blurb before writing this review, I have no memory of it) and I was pleasantly surprised. By the end of the first chapter, Feather Bound had me hooked with its surprising revelation of the premise (which, OK, not surprising if you read the blurb, but it was still well-executed).
In this story, some people are swans. It's not genetic, but it is something that usually becomes apparent roughly during puberty. They don't turn into birds or anything, they just grow a cloak of feathers on their backs. And if a swan's feathers are stolen, the thief gets complete control over the swan, making them a slave in the most literal sense.
We learn very early on that Deanna sympathises with swans and is against swan slavery (and, alarmingly, that not everyone is). It seems almost inevitable when, early on, Deanna finds herself sprouting feathers for the first time. But that's only the start of her problems. Not only does her freedom depend on keeping her secret, but she very quickly has to contend with threats because of it. I don't want to go into too much detail because spoilers, but suffice to say the existence of swans makes for a lucrative and prevalent human trafficking market. I did like the way in which Raughley used swans to highlight the horrors of human trafficking and sex-slavery.
I also liked how the worldbuilding was more than just a surface layer. Every now and then there are historical references which mention how swans have been treated and societal attitudes towards them through the ages. It was nice to see that the author had given this some thought and hadn't, for example, just made it a modern phenomenon.
Finally, I liked that there were lots of female characters. The main characters were overwhelmingly Deanna and Hyde, but Deanna's sisters, especially Ade who witnesses her first swan transformation, plays and important role as well. The only other male character's are Hyde's cousin, who's a terrible person, and Deanna's father who is an alcoholic that doesn't do much more (story-wise) than exist. Even the miscellaneous swan activists were all female. It was nice to see.
The only thing I didn't like, really, was that Deanna was a bit slow at working out certain plot twists which I'd guessed much earlier. But even this wasn't as bad as it could have been. She figured it out only a chapter later than I had wanted her too, so my frustration was relatively short-lived.
Although Feather Bound is a YA book and Deanna is 17, it doesn't deal with a lot of common YA issues, at least not the sort that tend to pop up in paranormal YA. There's no school for example (I think because it takes place over summer) and Deanna and her family are relatively poor, living in Brooklyn and with the daughters having to work to pay the bills. That is strongly juxtaposed against the wealth of the other characters (particularly Hyde and the oldest sister's husband) and the society parties that Deanna keeps finding herself at.
Feather Bound was a surprising and good read. I was impressed with the way it dealt with it's issues and I'm glad I picked it up. I recommend it to all fans of paranormal YA and, for that matter, contemporary YA (since the feather thing can easily be taken as a metaphor). I highly recommend it to all fans of YA and contemporary stories with fairytale roots.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
In this story, some people are swans. It's not genetic, but it is something that usually becomes apparent roughly during puberty. They don't turn into birds or anything, they just grow a cloak of feathers on their backs. And if a swan's feathers are stolen, the thief gets complete control over the swan, making them a slave in the most literal sense.
We learn very early on that Deanna sympathises with swans and is against swan slavery (and, alarmingly, that not everyone is). It seems almost inevitable when, early on, Deanna finds herself sprouting feathers for the first time. But that's only the start of her problems. Not only does her freedom depend on keeping her secret, but she very quickly has to contend with threats because of it. I don't want to go into too much detail because spoilers, but suffice to say the existence of swans makes for a lucrative and prevalent human trafficking market. I did like the way in which Raughley used swans to highlight the horrors of human trafficking and sex-slavery.
I also liked how the worldbuilding was more than just a surface layer. Every now and then there are historical references which mention how swans have been treated and societal attitudes towards them through the ages. It was nice to see that the author had given this some thought and hadn't, for example, just made it a modern phenomenon.
Finally, I liked that there were lots of female characters. The main characters were overwhelmingly Deanna and Hyde, but Deanna's sisters, especially Ade who witnesses her first swan transformation, plays and important role as well. The only other male character's are Hyde's cousin, who's a terrible person, and Deanna's father who is an alcoholic that doesn't do much more (story-wise) than exist. Even the miscellaneous swan activists were all female. It was nice to see.
The only thing I didn't like, really, was that Deanna was a bit slow at working out certain plot twists which I'd guessed much earlier. But even this wasn't as bad as it could have been. She figured it out only a chapter later than I had wanted her too, so my frustration was relatively short-lived.
Although Feather Bound is a YA book and Deanna is 17, it doesn't deal with a lot of common YA issues, at least not the sort that tend to pop up in paranormal YA. There's no school for example (I think because it takes place over summer) and Deanna and her family are relatively poor, living in Brooklyn and with the daughters having to work to pay the bills. That is strongly juxtaposed against the wealth of the other characters (particularly Hyde and the oldest sister's husband) and the society parties that Deanna keeps finding herself at.
Feather Bound was a surprising and good read. I was impressed with the way it dealt with it's issues and I'm glad I picked it up. I recommend it to all fans of paranormal YA and, for that matter, contemporary YA (since the feather thing can easily be taken as a metaphor). I highly recommend it to all fans of YA and contemporary stories with fairytale roots.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.