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A review by alli
Concealed Power by K.J. Colt
5.0
I don't give a lot of 5 star ratings to Young Adult fiction, despite (or possibly because) I read a lot of it. Here are my reasons for making this exception:
1. It is, without a doubt, one of the most well-written novels for young adults I've read in quite some time. Colt's use of description is astounding. I loved the way she described Adenine's need to clean herself at the beginning and it sucked me in. It's powerful stuff.
2. The main character Adenine, is not your ordinary YA heroine. For instance, she isn't a Mary Sue or a damsel in distress, but a well-rounded character with strengths and weaknesses that make sense for her character. From my reading, a lot of YA heroines go around claiming to "not need a man" despite getting rescued (sometimes over and over again) by the Primary Love Interest. Adenine also isn't good at everything she tries. She struggles, but she learns and grows throughout the novel.
3. The book tackles tough issues that, I think, most YA authors are afraid, hesitant, or uninterested in tackling. The issues are important, and it's a brave book for not shying away from the tough stuff.
4. Adenine does have a protector of sorts, but unlike in just about every YA novel ever, it's a woman. I love this. The woman has a unique backstory herself that explains why she fills this role.
5. Traditional YA romance is subverted so brilliantly in this novel. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with romance, but it's often so poorly done that this was wholly refreshing.
I should mention that I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It's definitely the sort of thing I would've picked up on my own. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy but is sick of the annoying tropes and sometimes mediocre writing that often goes along with it. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next one and I can't wait to see where Colt goes with this.
1. It is, without a doubt, one of the most well-written novels for young adults I've read in quite some time. Colt's use of description is astounding. I loved the way she described Adenine's need to clean herself at the beginning and it sucked me in. It's powerful stuff.
2. The main character Adenine, is not your ordinary YA heroine. For instance, she isn't a Mary Sue or a damsel in distress, but a well-rounded character with strengths and weaknesses that make sense for her character. From my reading, a lot of YA heroines go around claiming to "not need a man" despite getting rescued (sometimes over and over again) by the Primary Love Interest. Adenine also isn't good at everything she tries. She struggles, but she learns and grows throughout the novel.
3. The book tackles tough issues that, I think, most YA authors are afraid, hesitant, or uninterested in tackling. The issues are important, and it's a brave book for not shying away from the tough stuff.
4. Adenine does have a protector of sorts, but unlike in just about every YA novel ever, it's a woman. I love this. The woman has a unique backstory herself that explains why she fills this role.
5. Traditional YA romance is subverted so brilliantly in this novel. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with romance, but it's often so poorly done that this was wholly refreshing.
I should mention that I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It's definitely the sort of thing I would've picked up on my own. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy but is sick of the annoying tropes and sometimes mediocre writing that often goes along with it. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the next one and I can't wait to see where Colt goes with this.