Genre: YA, fantasy, romance
Release date: April 28th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Maria Dahvana Headley's soaring YA debut is a fiercely intelligent, multilayered fantasy where Neil Gaiman's Stardust meets John Green's The Fault in Our Stars in a story about a girl caught between two worlds . . . two races . . . and two destinies.
Aza Ray Boyle is drowning in thin air. Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.
Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.
Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—but as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war between Magonia and Earth is coming. In Aza's hands lies fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?
My rating: ★★★
DNF: 60%
It's very rare that I don't finish books. But sadly sometimes it happens. And it's such a shame it happened with this one. It has a gorgeous cover and it started so so so good...
I listened the audiobook and the narrator is amazing by the way. She voiced everything perfectly (or from what I read). Even the singing was perfectly done. But it's actually the plot I had a "problem" with. Let me explain:
The book can actually be split in two parts. The first part is where Aza is still on earth. This part is actually pretty similar to The Fault In Our Stars. It has a contemporary theme and is very emotional, hopeful and just beautiful. I was completely into it and I was so curious about her and Jason. They are a perfect combination and I couldn't wait to find out what happens with their relationship/friendship. Aza was also amazing. I could connect easily with her character and it was so beautifully written that I already imagined myself putting this book on my favorites shelve.
But then something big happened and the genre of this book switched to fantasy. The level of Headley's fantasy was something I've never seen before. I'm sure that a lot of people would think it's brilliant, but to me if felt just weird. The world where Aza is magically cured is just.... yeah weird. I don't have another word for it. So much things didn't make sense and I couldn't relate with Aza at all anymore. I actually couldn't imagine what was happening in my head. It was that foreign to me... So weird, because that never happened to me before...
So, if you're into fantasy then you should totally go for it. It's the most unique book ever, that's for sure! I just couldn't continue with it because it isn't my type of book... This is probably the perfect example for a "It's not you, it's me..." situation. Oh well, I'll get over it :) Who knows? Maybe I'll try it again later!
No comments:
Post a Comment