Review Detail
3.5 4
Young Adult Fiction
338
Classic & Lovely W/Untapped Potential
Overall rating
3.7
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
What I Loved:
As a lover of classic volumes of fairy tales, I appreciated that TOWERING reads like a classic fairy tale in both tone and pacing. The story is given to us through the perspectives of both Rachel and Wyatt. The author does an excellent job of making the characters' voices distinct. Rachel, who has been in her tower for most of her life and whose only education has come from reading classics speaks and thinks in a very formal, classical style whereas Wyatt has a modern voice. Readers will enjoy the juxtaposition, even as Rachel leaves her tower and experiences modern life while still employing her classical interpretation of the world around her.
The suspense is also well done. From the beginning, the reader wonders who to trust. Every character, even Wyatt, has a secret, and that makes for delicious late-night page turning.
Readers will also enjoy the characters of both Rachel and Wyatt. Both are unique from each other and are fully realized in back story, voice, and motivation. The emotional journey each takes feels like it only skims the surface of what each character's past deserved, and readers who enjoy a deeper emotional connection with characters might feel cheated, but readers who are in it for the plot and characters they can cheer for will be fans.
What Left Me Wanting More:
In addition to wanting a more fully realized emotional journey for each of the characters, the ending left me confused. There's a sense all throughout the story that magic is being employed (and has been since the beginning) but the end felt chaotic and rushed, and left me confused instead of satisfied. I often lost my place visually in the scenes, the magical elements weren't explained, and the villains and their motivation came out of left field and weren't fully explained either. Readers who appreciate a strong finish with all questions answered in a stand alone novel may want more from the ending.
Final Verdict:
With distinct characters and a heaping dose of suspense, TOWERING will keep readers who enjoy a quick, undemanding story turning pages far into the night.
As a lover of classic volumes of fairy tales, I appreciated that TOWERING reads like a classic fairy tale in both tone and pacing. The story is given to us through the perspectives of both Rachel and Wyatt. The author does an excellent job of making the characters' voices distinct. Rachel, who has been in her tower for most of her life and whose only education has come from reading classics speaks and thinks in a very formal, classical style whereas Wyatt has a modern voice. Readers will enjoy the juxtaposition, even as Rachel leaves her tower and experiences modern life while still employing her classical interpretation of the world around her.
The suspense is also well done. From the beginning, the reader wonders who to trust. Every character, even Wyatt, has a secret, and that makes for delicious late-night page turning.
Readers will also enjoy the characters of both Rachel and Wyatt. Both are unique from each other and are fully realized in back story, voice, and motivation. The emotional journey each takes feels like it only skims the surface of what each character's past deserved, and readers who enjoy a deeper emotional connection with characters might feel cheated, but readers who are in it for the plot and characters they can cheer for will be fans.
What Left Me Wanting More:
In addition to wanting a more fully realized emotional journey for each of the characters, the ending left me confused. There's a sense all throughout the story that magic is being employed (and has been since the beginning) but the end felt chaotic and rushed, and left me confused instead of satisfied. I often lost my place visually in the scenes, the magical elements weren't explained, and the villains and their motivation came out of left field and weren't fully explained either. Readers who appreciate a strong finish with all questions answered in a stand alone novel may want more from the ending.
Final Verdict:
With distinct characters and a heaping dose of suspense, TOWERING will keep readers who enjoy a quick, undemanding story turning pages far into the night.
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