A review by mudder17
Benice: An Adventure of Love and Friendship by Metin Karayaka

4.0

A cute little story about love and friendship, and also about judging based on appearances. I read it in two sittings and only because I had a schedule to keep. But as soon as I was able, I got back to it and finished it. I enjoyed the story throughout, although I wasn't entirely clear on everything that happened in the end. The lessons on friendship and treating others with kindness may come off as a bit heavy-handed/silly for some people, but it's a very positive book and we probably need more of those! At the end, I thought I might be missing something, but it didn't really take away from the rest of the story. I enjoyed the illustrations and thought they really added to the story. The characters are likeable, and there's enough pirate adventure to keep the action moving throughout. It feels a little bit like a cross between Treasure Island and a Chinese folk tale. There were a couple places in the book where some Chinese characters appeared, and I'm not sure if that was deliberate or an accident in this ARC since there was no translation that came with it.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this quick read. Thanks to #Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.