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A review by thelauramay
Talon by Amanda Greenslade
Did not finish book.
I received a copy of this book from the author, after she found me...somewhere...and emailed me. As usual, this has in no way affected my review.
Normally, I try to at least finish books sent to me for review. However, this was a strong DNF at the ten percent mark. In that ten percent, we had:
a) The protagonist receiving everything they'd ever wanted, without working for it;
b) Glorious amounts of info-dumping. That's right, glorious;
c) A bunch of characters and little to no conflict;
d) Nothing driving us to read onwards. (Evidently.)
One thing that irked me, other than the above, was that I couldn't figure out the target age for the book. It's written in a style that I could possibly see being pitched for 10-11 year olds, embarking on longer texts for the first time, but then suddenly there's a mention of sex (though dropped in gingerly, queasily, as though it's a 14-year-old broaching 'adult topics' in their writing for the first time). I'm not saying that texts for younger age groups shouldn't handle issues of gender or sexuality, but it felt off somehow.
Furthermore, there were some very, very strong religious undertones. Overtones. Tones of all kinds! The humans (?) in the book were made in the image of their creator god, and 'as it was written', therefore have dominion over all animals. Even their animal partners, with whom they share their lives and consciousness. That particular power relation made me a little ill, left-wing free-hugs sort of hippy that I am, and the Christian background was over-done and unnecessary. I definitely felt isolated from the text, and I could imagine other non-Christians or non-religious folks would feel similarly.
I'm giving this a 1-star. Had I been a child when I read that 10 percent, I might have given it 2.5-3.
Normally, I try to at least finish books sent to me for review. However, this was a strong DNF at the ten percent mark. In that ten percent, we had:
a) The protagonist receiving everything they'd ever wanted, without working for it;
b) Glorious amounts of info-dumping. That's right, glorious;
c) A bunch of characters and little to no conflict;
d) Nothing driving us to read onwards. (Evidently.)
One thing that irked me, other than the above, was that I couldn't figure out the target age for the book. It's written in a style that I could possibly see being pitched for 10-11 year olds, embarking on longer texts for the first time, but then suddenly there's a mention of sex (though dropped in gingerly, queasily, as though it's a 14-year-old broaching 'adult topics' in their writing for the first time). I'm not saying that texts for younger age groups shouldn't handle issues of gender or sexuality, but it felt off somehow.
Furthermore, there were some very, very strong religious undertones. Overtones. Tones of all kinds! The humans (?) in the book were made in the image of their creator god, and 'as it was written', therefore have dominion over all animals. Even their animal partners, with whom they share their lives and consciousness. That particular power relation made me a little ill, left-wing free-hugs sort of hippy that I am, and the Christian background was over-done and unnecessary. I definitely felt isolated from the text, and I could imagine other non-Christians or non-religious folks would feel similarly.
I'm giving this a 1-star. Had I been a child when I read that 10 percent, I might have given it 2.5-3.