Third book in the Wayward Children series. Solid, but my least favorite so far. I (mostly) enjoyed the setup of "group of oddball kids on a quest". AnThird book in the Wayward Children series. Solid, but my least favorite so far. I (mostly) enjoyed the setup of "group of oddball kids on a quest". And I get that McGuire wants to have a diverse cast who all have reasons for not fitting in with this world. But the handling of their respective difficult backstories felt like awkward and stilted info-drops that dragged the story to a halt, rather than a natural flow of conversation of characters getting to understand & appreciate each other better. At the slightest provocation, any one of them could start a speech about how they were bullied and excluded. Between that, some heavy-handed and sometimes excessive world-building explanations and narratorial musings, and a princess-in-distress who was more grating than quirky, I found the book less immersive and interesting than its predecessors.
I still enjoy the premise of the series, and feel like there's a lot of interesting concepts to explore. I might pick up the next one to see if I like it better....more
So, this book was lent to me from a friend shortly after I read the comics that were based on this. It was a quick read (though I admit I picked at itSo, this book was lent to me from a friend shortly after I read the comics that were based on this. It was a quick read (though I admit I picked at it very slowly). Oddly, it was the only time I've ever come across a book that was somehow less in-depth than the graphic novel adaptation. The book is mostly dialogue with a bit of action, so there was nothing missing from the comic version in terms of the characters' inner lives. And in fact, the comic fleshes out some characters' backstories in much more depth, including the villain--which made the villain a lot more terrifying and the stakes more real. So if you're going to read this, I recommend that version, if you can find it.
The book version? Stuff just...happens. The plot isn't bad, the characters are kinda fun, the humor is sometimes fun and sometimes just strained. Just, overall a very light, fluffy read. A resounding "okay."...more
**spoiler alert** A lovely story about the power of stories and love that can cross worlds. I was incredibly invested in the stories of Jane, Ade and **spoiler alert** A lovely story about the power of stories and love that can cross worlds. I was incredibly invested in the stories of Jane, Ade and Julian. The worldbuilding was amazing and immersive. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job with it.
January was a solid protagonist, and the author deftly handled the issues of racism and the struggles of always being viewed as an "other." My one quibble with the book was her insistence, at the climax, of leaving her friends behind and facing the Bad Guy alone. I think the author did a good job of setting up *why* she made that choice, but I still don't think it was a good choice. But then, I am a sucker for stories where the true power is Friendship (tm). And this book went to great pains to show the tragedy of loneliness when you're cut off from the people you love. So...your mileage may vary.
But overall, I really loved this book and it was 100% my jam. I love stories about the power of words and myths, I love nested stories within stories, and this was definitely that book. I kinda wish I'd found it 15-20 years ago, so younger me could read it....more
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