Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis

2 reviews

deutschemausi's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Eh…. 
That’s all I can really say. There’s a lot wrong with this book but I did still think it was somewhat enjoyable. 
My biggest issue is the world building. There’s almost none and although I think this story and world had a lot of potential; it just wasn’t explained so it left me confused and somewhat irritated at times. There were point of views that didn’t really aid to the story and  made me question as to why they were included in the first place. As well as the switch of which persona it’s written in. 
I did enjoy the story I was just lacking a grasp on the world it’s set in due to no introduction into it. 
The one thing I will say that gives this book a big pro is that it’s completely accepted as a way of life for all is that rape and sexual assault or harassment is unacceptable and those who see it differently are seen as those in the wrong which was incredibly refreshing to see especially in a world with royalty.
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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Given to the Sea is a bit of an underwhelming book. There was something to the language in the dialogue that reminded me of Shakespeare – at once lyrical, pondering, and riddling. But the story itself didn’t hold up to the twists and turns in the writing, and by the time I finished the book, I was happy to see it gone.

There are four POVs in Given to the Sea, but of all the characters (POV or otherwise) only one of them stood out with any kind of interest of variety. Dara was the most developed of the characters, principally because she actually had emotions that bled through the page. Not a lot, but there was a trickle, and most of it was bottomless anger. Otherwise? I found the characters shallow and unmotivated. Each one seemed to have a prime directive intended to color their behaviour. This worked well in another of McGinnis’s books (The Female of the Species) but makes a fantasy feel lacking.

There’s clearly interesting mythology behind this world, particularly with the Indiri, but McGinnis only barely explores it. In fact, the world and plot alike feel stretched too thin. There is a regiment battling their way through the land, the magic pulling Khosa to the sea, Vincent’s ascent, the search for any other Indiri, the love triangle… quadrangle? There’s a lot going on. There’s also the community of the rejected that plays between the two warring (ish?) kingdoms that shows the deep ableism of the characters in the book. Also ageism.

Let’s not forget the attempted rape and obsession with impregnating Khosa. Which probably took up the greatest chunk of the book.

To be honest, Given to the Sea is a mess. McGinnis wanted to do too many things and as a result she did none of them well. Add the lack of interesting characters and the insufferable romance plot/subplot/who knows and the problematic society… this just isn’t worth pursuing. McGinnis’s thrillers are better (if not still extremely memorable), but I recommend steering clear of this fantasy duology.
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