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lairofbooksandboba's review
3.0
this is an interesting mix of dystopia and fantasy that’s based in Palyku (an aboriginal people of Australia) mythology.
(again, I’m not a dystopian person; this is literally me on the hunt for interesting, accessible, diverse dystopian novels that contain age-appropriate content for the kiddos, so maybe take the 3 stars as my personal enjoyment of this and give this a 3.5 or 4 for the kids)
it’s a narrative that’s told reverse-ish chronological order, with some flashbacks in the middle.
I think it has pretty unique fantasy elements that are framed by the typical dystopian “rules.”
The tone of it is very hopeful compared to other novels in the genre.
(again, I’m not a dystopian person; this is literally me on the hunt for interesting, accessible, diverse dystopian novels that contain age-appropriate content for the kiddos, so maybe take the 3 stars as my personal enjoyment of this and give this a 3.5 or 4 for the kids)
it’s a narrative that’s told reverse-ish chronological order, with some flashbacks in the middle.
I think it has pretty unique fantasy elements that are framed by the typical dystopian “rules.”
The tone of it is very hopeful compared to other novels in the genre.
ninj's review
3.0
Compact and focused around a specific event, and quite readable, but the YA elements didn't really click for me. Post-apocalyptic, several hundred years after catastrophe, and the wilder free elements of a society with powers are rebelling against the state and the core elements abusing the state power.
Does a good job of continually hinting at things and bringing up new aspects and questions such that it drives you through the novel, ala the series Lost.
Had me reflecting back on some of the The Land Behind the World which I thought did similar things much better.
Does a good job of continually hinting at things and bringing up new aspects and questions such that it drives you through the novel, ala the series Lost.
Had me reflecting back on some of the The Land Behind the World which I thought did similar things much better.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
Another case of "it's not you, it's me."
This book should have been exactly my kind of book. Dystopia, weird mind stuff and "save the planet" kind of kids! YAY!
Instead, it was kind of....boring. Ashala is captured. From there, it's a lot of trying to figure out what on earth was going on. I think it lost me really early on, when the "dog" was leaping in the air in her dream eating "bones."
I don't mind suspense and confusion in a book, but I have to be invested in the character or the story....or the world before you confuse me. Instead, I spent almost the whole book going "wait, what?" and then having to go back and read. And the jumbly memory stuff entirely bored me and from there it was just a push to get it done (since every review talks about how amazing the end is.)
sadly, by the time I got to the end, I was so un-invested I just rolled with it. Not a series I'll be continuing.
This book should have been exactly my kind of book. Dystopia, weird mind stuff and "save the planet" kind of kids! YAY!
Instead, it was kind of....boring. Ashala is captured. From there, it's a lot of trying to figure out what on earth was going on. I think it lost me really early on, when the "dog" was leaping in the air in her dream eating "bones."
I don't mind suspense and confusion in a book, but I have to be invested in the character or the story....or the world before you confuse me. Instead, I spent almost the whole book going "wait, what?" and then having to go back and read. And the jumbly memory stuff entirely bored me and from there it was just a push to get it done (since every review talks about how amazing the end is.)
sadly, by the time I got to the end, I was so un-invested I just rolled with it. Not a series I'll be continuing.
raven_morgan's review against another edition
4.0
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is the first book in Ambelin Kwaymullina's post-apocalyptic/dystopian series, The Tribe. The series itself is marketed as YA fantasy, and while this book does technically fit into that category, I believe it would miss a lot of readers who would otherwise enjoy it.
There's a lot to like about this book. There's an originality to the world that Kwaymullina creates, even though she uses often standard tropes in its creation. An ecological disaster - never fully defined, but implied to have come about because of mankind pillaging the world through greed, and upsetting the Balance - has changed the face of the world. People, too, have changed, with many developing powers - some can cause earthquakes, others can shape the sky to forms they wish, others can read thoughts, to name just a few examples. Those who have powers are tightly controlled by the government (where control equals living in a detention centre), lest they upset the Balance and cause another apocalypse. Those who flee are Illegals, and hunted.
Ashala Wolf is the leader of the group of Illegals who live as the Tribe. This is the story of her interrogation in a detention centre.
It is a fantastic story: Ashala is a fascinating character, as are the other characters we see over the course of the book. What we see of the world is intriguing: we see the giant lizard saurs, and pieces of the Firstwood. And while this isn't like to bother many of the YA target audience, sometimes, reading this as an adult reader, I found it frustrating that we *only* get to see these hints. I feel as though Kwaymullin has actually developed this world (which does feel very much like a post-apocalyptic Australia, though Australia itself in this future does not exist), but we don't get to see *enough* of it. I do hope that more of the worldbuilding will be revealed over the course of the series.
The structure also didn't quite work for me. It feels very much the debut novel it is, as Kwaymullin reaches to peel back the layers of story and truth in a fashion that *almost* works. I actually found myself having to check several times over the first third of the book that this was indeed the first book in the series, since so much was referred to but not explained. It's nice not to see huge infodumps, but there could have been some more backstory explained.
Overall, this is a start to a very promising series by an Australian author, and an extremely accomplished debut. I've really only deducted a star for the structure that didn't quite work for me, and I would recommend this whole-heartedly. I know that if I'd read this as a fifteen-year-old, I would have been dreaming of running away to join the Tribe.
There's a lot to like about this book. There's an originality to the world that Kwaymullina creates, even though she uses often standard tropes in its creation. An ecological disaster - never fully defined, but implied to have come about because of mankind pillaging the world through greed, and upsetting the Balance - has changed the face of the world. People, too, have changed, with many developing powers - some can cause earthquakes, others can shape the sky to forms they wish, others can read thoughts, to name just a few examples. Those who have powers are tightly controlled by the government (where control equals living in a detention centre), lest they upset the Balance and cause another apocalypse. Those who flee are Illegals, and hunted.
Ashala Wolf is the leader of the group of Illegals who live as the Tribe. This is the story of her interrogation in a detention centre.
It is a fantastic story: Ashala is a fascinating character, as are the other characters we see over the course of the book. What we see of the world is intriguing: we see the giant lizard saurs, and pieces of the Firstwood. And while this isn't like to bother many of the YA target audience, sometimes, reading this as an adult reader, I found it frustrating that we *only* get to see these hints. I feel as though Kwaymullin has actually developed this world (which does feel very much like a post-apocalyptic Australia, though Australia itself in this future does not exist), but we don't get to see *enough* of it. I do hope that more of the worldbuilding will be revealed over the course of the series.
The structure also didn't quite work for me. It feels very much the debut novel it is, as Kwaymullin reaches to peel back the layers of story and truth in a fashion that *almost* works. I actually found myself having to check several times over the first third of the book that this was indeed the first book in the series, since so much was referred to but not explained. It's nice not to see huge infodumps, but there could have been some more backstory explained.
Overall, this is a start to a very promising series by an Australian author, and an extremely accomplished debut. I've really only deducted a star for the structure that didn't quite work for me, and I would recommend this whole-heartedly. I know that if I'd read this as a fifteen-year-old, I would have been dreaming of running away to join the Tribe.
yalestay's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thems0kitty's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
badgermcdove's review
adventurous
hopeful
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? N/A
5.0
sillypunk's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good! https://blogendorff.com/2019/07/17/book-review-the-interrogation-of-ashala-wolf/
katieconrad's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
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
4.0