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millennialbookreview's review
2.0
This book was pretty average. I liked the post-apocalyptic aspects of the story and the contrast between Starla and Ari. The two girls are very different and the development of their relationship was nice. The parts of the story that focused on how the world had changed after the catastrophic event was also fascinating to me. The pacing wasn't bad and this book didn't have much filler, which I liked.
At the same time, nothing about this book really stood out to me. The characters were run-of-the-mill. The plot wasn't surprising and neither was the "big reveal" of the plot-twist. The book isn't bad, I'd just say that its very predictable.
At the same time, nothing about this book really stood out to me. The characters were run-of-the-mill. The plot wasn't surprising and neither was the "big reveal" of the plot-twist. The book isn't bad, I'd just say that its very predictable.
swajoed's review
2.0
It was ok. Mostly a good book but it was kind of lumpy in terms of plot oddities/holes, and there were multiple times when I had to reread sections to try to figure out what the author meant. I’m kinda interested in reading the next one but not excited enough to jump right in.
snappydog's review
3.0
A Girl Called Ari is kind of a fun read, except that it's also frequently not very fun. I don't mean that in a bad way, though; it moves between comic, wholesome development of a relationship and gritty action or threat with ease.
I enjoyed seeing pampered city girl Starla gradually defrosting, warming up to the slightly rough-around-the-edges Ari, and I really enjoyed how the non-city-dwellers' dialogue is written. (I don't know whether the word 'Australia' is ever actually used, but I knew just from the way Sky rendered their speech that they had broad Australian accents, and I liked that! You don't often see regional dialects done in that way other than occasional Cockney or Scottish or something, so I was impressed by that.)
I'm not sure I ever felt as invested as the story would have liked me to in either Starla or Ari, especially as I thought it was fairly obvious from the beginning how things were going to play out (), and I would love to see what Sky could produce with the help of a good editor to polish up some of the good ideas and make them shine just a bit more.
It was an enjoyable and easy read, and just the right length to explore what it wanted to without overstaying its welcome.
I enjoyed seeing pampered city girl Starla gradually defrosting, warming up to the slightly rough-around-the-edges Ari, and I really enjoyed how the non-city-dwellers' dialogue is written. (I don't know whether the word 'Australia' is ever actually used, but I knew just from the way Sky rendered their speech that they had broad Australian accents, and I liked that! You don't often see regional dialects done in that way other than occasional Cockney or Scottish or something, so I was impressed by that.)
I'm not sure I ever felt as invested as the story would have liked me to in either Starla or Ari, especially as I thought it was fairly obvious from the beginning how things were going to play out (
Spoiler
Starla gets kicked out of apparently utopian city into apparently terrible desert, meets desert-dweller and becomes friends, turns out the city is actually kind of terrible, Starla finally realises that maybe the city wasn't all that great after allIt was an enjoyable and easy read, and just the right length to explore what it wanted to without overstaying its welcome.
ronan_beckman's review
4.0
A well written dystopian adventure that is highly readable. It had a bit of a Mad Max vibe with some hints of Logan's Run in the mix. The strong female characters and the development of their symbiotic relationship are what drives this novel.
wittyandsarcasticbookclub's review
3.0
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It will be available on March 20th.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a book that fits so well into the dystopian genre. The book starts behind the walls of a city. Starla, the mayor’s daughter, is warned that she is in danger. She ignores the warning and finds herself kidnapped and left on the other side of the wall, where there is nothing but wasteland and hardship. There, she meets Ari. Ari is a girl living outside the wall who reluctantly agrees to help Starla get safely back to the city.
It took me a while to get into this book. Starla annoyed the snot out of me. She felt very naive and spoiled. It made sense for her character arc, but it was difficult to read at first. Ari, on the other hand, was a fascinating character. She was tough and self-sufficient, but she also had deep compassion for others, a trait she tried to hide. She brought the story to life.
The journey back to the city covers the majority of the book, although Starla also needs to find out who kidnapped her and why. While there is action, this book focused more on themes of trust, friendship, and having the emotional strength to survive the things life throws at you.
If you enjoy dystopian fiction that focuses more on story development than on non-stop action, you’ll enjoy this book. It was an interesting and unique take on the genre, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for further books written by this author.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/02/25/a-girl-called-ari-by-p-j-sky-arc-review/
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a book that fits so well into the dystopian genre. The book starts behind the walls of a city. Starla, the mayor’s daughter, is warned that she is in danger. She ignores the warning and finds herself kidnapped and left on the other side of the wall, where there is nothing but wasteland and hardship. There, she meets Ari. Ari is a girl living outside the wall who reluctantly agrees to help Starla get safely back to the city.
It took me a while to get into this book. Starla annoyed the snot out of me. She felt very naive and spoiled. It made sense for her character arc, but it was difficult to read at first. Ari, on the other hand, was a fascinating character. She was tough and self-sufficient, but she also had deep compassion for others, a trait she tried to hide. She brought the story to life.
The journey back to the city covers the majority of the book, although Starla also needs to find out who kidnapped her and why. While there is action, this book focused more on themes of trust, friendship, and having the emotional strength to survive the things life throws at you.
If you enjoy dystopian fiction that focuses more on story development than on non-stop action, you’ll enjoy this book. It was an interesting and unique take on the genre, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for further books written by this author.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/02/25/a-girl-called-ari-by-p-j-sky-arc-review/
jferrell526's review
5.0
One girl saves another.
When a girl is kidnapped from the city, Are saves here and brings her back. P. J. Sky has created a post apocalyptic world that many would not survive. Yet this one girl, Ari, not only does she thrives. I found myself cheering this girl on in her battle to return her friend to the city.
When a girl is kidnapped from the city, Are saves here and brings her back. P. J. Sky has created a post apocalyptic world that many would not survive. Yet this one girl, Ari, not only does she thrives. I found myself cheering this girl on in her battle to return her friend to the city.
helengarrawayauthor's review
5.0
This is an engrossing tale, that begins a little slow as the world building develops, but boy is it worth the read. A well written Dystopian fantasy with well drawn characters that you can relate to and root for. Things are never what they seem and P.J gradually builds the tension and the action so you want to know what happens next and you can't put the book down. Roll on Book two Ari Goes to War which releases on April 20th, 2021.
alina_leonova's review
adventurous
medium-paced
5.0
Characters
There are two primary characters in the story. Starla is the mayor's daughter who lives in a walled city where she has everything she needs but feels trapped in the intrigues and power struggles. Ari is the girl with no family or friends who struggles to survive in the barren wasteland outside of the city. I found the characters fairly well-developed and distinct. P.J. Sky did a great job giving them both unique voices and showing the differences between their views and experiences.
The side characters were there rather to move the plot along, so the reader doesn't get to know them beyond some of their motivations related to the protagonists. I think it worked well for the story, though I wanted to understand the antagonist better. That might be left for the next book.
World-building
I believe that a lot was left out, probably to be discovered in the next book, but the world felt solid and believable, and I loved how some of the scenes were set. I also found it curious that the events seem to be happening in the future Australia, judging by the animals. What we know about the world is that it had been devastated by the humans of the past, though we don't know what exactly happened.
We also know about the sharp class divide: the people who live in the city in comfort and safety, with enough food and removed from the dangers and hard work of obtaining the materials used by their city, like ore or salt. They believe the outside is toxic and the people living there are dangerous and contagious. They don't have any contact with those people and don't venture outside unless they are banished from their city forever.
The people of the outside live a harsh life of hard menial labor, starvation and homelessness. There are criminals and wild animals they have to be wary of, and there is no one to protect them from numerous dangers, including being forced into the ore mines, from which no one has returned. Ari is aware that they work for the city getting next to nothing for it, but it's not clear whether anyone else sees it.
Plot
The plot is straightforward and relatively simple, the pace is quite fast and the story is engaging. The two girls try to get to the city with various obstacles on their way.
Impressions
I enjoyed the book, even though I feel that it wasn't exactly my kind of story. Not because of any objective issues, there is nothing bad I can say about it and nothing I disliked, it was fun to read and I felt engaged and interested. I also enjoyed the writing. I might read the second book in the series in the future because I'm curious what will happen next, but I don't feel the urge to know.
It was an easy read even though it raised some serious issues, like class stratification, political intrigues, manipulation, exploitation and inequality. It also showed the devastating consequences of the past generations' actions, which is definitely a food for thought.
I loved the vivid picture of the sharp contrast between the life in the city and outside its walls that P.J. Sky painted.
You might enjoy the book if you like YA dystopian / post-apocalyptic adventures with young girls as protagonists.
This review was first published on my website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors where you can find more reviews, interviews, short stories and lists.
There are two primary characters in the story. Starla is the mayor's daughter who lives in a walled city where she has everything she needs but feels trapped in the intrigues and power struggles. Ari is the girl with no family or friends who struggles to survive in the barren wasteland outside of the city. I found the characters fairly well-developed and distinct. P.J. Sky did a great job giving them both unique voices and showing the differences between their views and experiences.
The side characters were there rather to move the plot along, so the reader doesn't get to know them beyond some of their motivations related to the protagonists. I think it worked well for the story, though I wanted to understand the antagonist better. That might be left for the next book.
World-building
I believe that a lot was left out, probably to be discovered in the next book, but the world felt solid and believable, and I loved how some of the scenes were set. I also found it curious that the events seem to be happening in the future Australia, judging by the animals. What we know about the world is that it had been devastated by the humans of the past, though we don't know what exactly happened.
We also know about the sharp class divide: the people who live in the city in comfort and safety, with enough food and removed from the dangers and hard work of obtaining the materials used by their city, like ore or salt. They believe the outside is toxic and the people living there are dangerous and contagious. They don't have any contact with those people and don't venture outside unless they are banished from their city forever.
The people of the outside live a harsh life of hard menial labor, starvation and homelessness. There are criminals and wild animals they have to be wary of, and there is no one to protect them from numerous dangers, including being forced into the ore mines, from which no one has returned. Ari is aware that they work for the city getting next to nothing for it, but it's not clear whether anyone else sees it.
Plot
The plot is straightforward and relatively simple, the pace is quite fast and the story is engaging. The two girls try to get to the city with various obstacles on their way.
Impressions
I enjoyed the book, even though I feel that it wasn't exactly my kind of story. Not because of any objective issues, there is nothing bad I can say about it and nothing I disliked, it was fun to read and I felt engaged and interested. I also enjoyed the writing. I might read the second book in the series in the future because I'm curious what will happen next, but I don't feel the urge to know.
It was an easy read even though it raised some serious issues, like class stratification, political intrigues, manipulation, exploitation and inequality. It also showed the devastating consequences of the past generations' actions, which is definitely a food for thought.
I loved the vivid picture of the sharp contrast between the life in the city and outside its walls that P.J. Sky painted.
You might enjoy the book if you like YA dystopian / post-apocalyptic adventures with young girls as protagonists.
This review was first published on my website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors where you can find more reviews, interviews, short stories and lists.
samanthakroese's review
4.0
Great read!
If you are a fan of strong female characters and post-apocalypse settings this is a great little read. Starla is a girl raised in the last city of luxury in an apocalyptic world. Though she starts off a rather spoiled brat of a character she develops quite well through the book. Ari the girl she meets is more worldly and practical. I thought it was a good coming of age friendship story of two young girls maturing and surviving harrowing circumstances. I'm not usually a fan of YA but I did enjoy this book.
If you are a fan of strong female characters and post-apocalypse settings this is a great little read. Starla is a girl raised in the last city of luxury in an apocalyptic world. Though she starts off a rather spoiled brat of a character she develops quite well through the book. Ari the girl she meets is more worldly and practical. I thought it was a good coming of age friendship story of two young girls maturing and surviving harrowing circumstances. I'm not usually a fan of YA but I did enjoy this book.
popthebutterfly's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own!
Book: A Girl Called Ari
Author: P.J. Sky
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: March 20, 2020
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, kidnapping)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 274
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In a distant future… A world divided… A walled city in a devastated wasteland…
For Starla, a struggle for power becomes a struggle to survive when she finds herself on the wrong side of the wall. Lost in the wasteland, she faces warring factions, bloodthirsty creatures, and the endless burning sun. And then there’s Ari… who is she really? And can she trust this girl from the wasteland to lead her back to the city gates?
One thing’s for sure, Starla’s once privileged life will never be the same.
Review: I felt like this was a pretty good book! It was intriguing from start to finish and the setting was well developed. The writing was also well done and the book was overall really good.
However, I did feel like this book had two very different characters and, while very developed, were very opposites of each other. Reading it almost gave me whiplash lol. It was good, but it got irritating.
Verdict: It was good! Definitely recommend!
Book: A Girl Called Ari
Author: P.J. Sky
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: March 20, 2020
Genre: Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, kidnapping)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 274
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In a distant future… A world divided… A walled city in a devastated wasteland…
For Starla, a struggle for power becomes a struggle to survive when she finds herself on the wrong side of the wall. Lost in the wasteland, she faces warring factions, bloodthirsty creatures, and the endless burning sun. And then there’s Ari… who is she really? And can she trust this girl from the wasteland to lead her back to the city gates?
One thing’s for sure, Starla’s once privileged life will never be the same.
Review: I felt like this was a pretty good book! It was intriguing from start to finish and the setting was well developed. The writing was also well done and the book was overall really good.
However, I did feel like this book had two very different characters and, while very developed, were very opposites of each other. Reading it almost gave me whiplash lol. It was good, but it got irritating.
Verdict: It was good! Definitely recommend!