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mairywo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
sonderous's review against another edition
Only got 15 pages in and um??? holy racism batman
jasperge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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
2.0
deluciate's review against another edition
5.0
I greatly enjoyed this narrator's voice and how much of the narration was world-building. The Scholomance is a dark and fascinating school that I want to learn more of.
thebookpantheon's review against another edition
1.0
I DNF’d it 61 pages in. I physically could not continue with this book simply because El is absolutely aggravating. It is credit and skill to the author that she was able to create such an unbearable and intolerable character. Annoying and cringy are just two more words I would use to describe El, and although I was told there would be character development, I just couldn’t take any more of her.
The writing style felt like an unedited stream of consciousness - which, makes sense as we are in her head - but it was just dreadful to actually read. It was giving Wattpad in the worst possible way and I wouldn’t have even enjoyed this in my middle school days. She constantly jumps from thought to thought and then veers off again into another tangent before remembering what she was talking about. If I wanted to experience that I’d just go sit next to a toddler for two hours; I definitely don’t need to waste my time reading it.
She is the definition of “I’m not like other girls” and also just happens to be ridiculously rude and delusional too. I don’t understand how she can sit there and say she is hated but when anyone even attempts a conversation she shoves the stick up her *** three inches deeper and rips out a disrespectful response.
This girl is honestly one major side eye and while the first 60 pages don’t actually show her ever being bullied at that point, I would go as far as to say that sometimes, bullying is necessary and she is exhibit A.
Thank god I didn’t pay money for this book, otherwise I’d be even more upset.
The writing style felt like an unedited stream of consciousness - which, makes sense as we are in her head - but it was just dreadful to actually read. It was giving Wattpad in the worst possible way and I wouldn’t have even enjoyed this in my middle school days. She constantly jumps from thought to thought and then veers off again into another tangent before remembering what she was talking about. If I wanted to experience that I’d just go sit next to a toddler for two hours; I definitely don’t need to waste my time reading it.
She is the definition of “I’m not like other girls” and also just happens to be ridiculously rude and delusional too. I don’t understand how she can sit there and say she is hated but when anyone even attempts a conversation she shoves the stick up her *** three inches deeper and rips out a disrespectful response.
This girl is honestly one major side eye and while the first 60 pages don’t actually show her ever being bullied at that point, I would go as far as to say that sometimes, bullying is necessary and she is exhibit A.
Thank god I didn’t pay money for this book, otherwise I’d be even more upset.
_thisissummer_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-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
bcap31's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Cinsidered DNF-ing about 25% through, but it definitely picked up about halfway once most of the world-building was done. Not a huge fan of the writing style, as it is sometimes confusing and required me to reread some passages to figure out what was going on. I will likely give the second book a try since I enjoyed the last third.
ebauer10's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
There are so many magic-school books out there. Let's do ourselves a favour and not line them all up side by side, comparing rosters like an NFL analyst trying to fill a three-hour rain delay.
This one adds an intriguing take, in the form of an automated school that physically adjusts itself each term.
I wish Novik had addressed the question of why parents etc. would send their kids to a school that kills 3/4 of its students. Are there too many magicians? Do magic-using kids tend to be obnoxious (book suggests yes)?
The whole you-get-used-to-it attitude grew on me after a while. And I liked the idea that for once we have a heroine whose magic problem is that she has too big an engine. Where most magic students struggle to make their first palm light, El is worried about ending the world with a careless syllable. I would have liked more about how she knows she got dealt the turbo V8; it's not as if the author shies away from info dumps.
The book gains merit from the middle on, as El and Orion gradually realize that co-operation and politeness are not to be avoided, and can sometimes help.
A lot of work went into the worldbuilding. It would be neat after a couple of books to take the route Larry Niven did with his Kzin series (and others with theirs), to open up the setting to all comers (or perhaps by invitation) and let others build the school up. How about an AI, written by the ghost of Iain M Banks, to interact with the students? And add some snarky drone helpers.
This one adds an intriguing take, in the form of an automated school that physically adjusts itself each term.
I wish Novik had addressed the question of why parents etc. would send their kids to a school that kills 3/4 of its students. Are there too many magicians? Do magic-using kids tend to be obnoxious (book suggests yes)?
The whole you-get-used-to-it attitude grew on me after a while. And I liked the idea that for once we have a heroine whose magic problem is that she has too big an engine. Where most magic students struggle to make their first palm light, El is worried about ending the world with a careless syllable. I would have liked more about how she knows she got dealt the turbo V8; it's not as if the author shies away from info dumps.
The book gains merit from the middle on, as El and Orion gradually realize that co-operation and politeness are not to be avoided, and can sometimes help.
A lot of work went into the worldbuilding. It would be neat after a couple of books to take the route Larry Niven did with his Kzin series (and others with theirs), to open up the setting to all comers (or perhaps by invitation) and let others build the school up. How about an AI, written by the ghost of Iain M Banks, to interact with the students? And add some snarky drone helpers.