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A review by noahthequeer
Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner
2.0
I didn't feel attached to the characters, the good guys seemed all too perfect and the bad guys were all too evil. The only sympathy built towards the evil second-in-command was stilted and brief. There was a lot of fatphobia and ableism. The Evil Minister in charge is described repeatedly as disgustingly obese as is another of the evil rats. The aforementioned second-in-command is physically deformed and is hinted at being mentally ill as a result of being experimented on as a lab rat, testing anti-depression medication.
Also, the setting feels vaguely British, and the only rat with an 'exotic-sounding' name, Jazeer, is a traitor to the cause. (Although Spoiler he is revealed to have not been a traitor).
There doesn't feel like there's much tension in the book, and everything is straightforward, everything is exactly as the good guys say it is. I know that the author was setting this up for a sequel, and this might not actually be the case, but this book doesn't make me want to read on to find out. There should have been some sort of twist in the first book as well.
It wasn't horrid, but I didn't get anything out of it.
Also, the setting feels vaguely British, and the only rat with an 'exotic-sounding' name, Jazeer, is a traitor to the cause. (Although Spoiler he is revealed to have not been a traitor).
There doesn't feel like there's much tension in the book, and everything is straightforward, everything is exactly as the good guys say it is. I know that the author was setting this up for a sequel, and this might not actually be the case, but this book doesn't make me want to read on to find out. There should have been some sort of twist in the first book as well.
It wasn't horrid, but I didn't get anything out of it.