Shadow and Bone-Didn't Live Up To The Hype
Shadow And Bone-Didn't Live Up To The Hype
|3 Stars| Ages 13 1/2+| YA| Trilogy|
“The problem with waiting is that it makes us weak.”
I truly, deeply wish I was sitting here writing some sort of rave review for this book and could gush on and on about how the hype didn't do this justice and it was one of the best things I've ever read, but then I'd be lying unfortunately. Some books hit us right in the feels, some don't, and this did not hit for me.
I've had this on my TBR (To Be Read) for years and way back in... November? (Yeah, this review has been in the works for a while) Yeah, in November I was a little, okay, a lot a bit hesitant to pick it up. But I did, and my fears were confirmed. I'd tried to start it multiple times before and each time it fell flat because this book was just not very engaging. The main heroine is so insufferable and I wanted to cry every time I opened the book because I knew I had to deal with her. You must be thinking: 'So Maddie, if you hated it so much why didn't you just quit?' Well, you see, I'd already quit this book 3 or 4 times before and I was DETERMINED to make it through, and there was one element that made me hold onto this book for dear life: The Darkling.
“The Darkling slumped back in his chair. 'Fine,' he said with a weary shrug. 'Make me your villain.'”
I promise I'm not wack in the head or seriously injured, I am fully confident in saying that I love the Darkling with my whole freaking soul. He was sooooooo hooooooootttttt, and I've NEVER said that about a morally grey (okay, pretty much morally black) character ever. But I fell for this man and I fell hard. And he was the only reason I kept reading because I loved his character. You know there is something seriously wrong with a main character/a series if the only reason the reader will stick around is because the side character is the only redeeming quality.
The part that makes all of this the hardest is, that I actually really like Leigh Bardugo's writing a lot! Six of Crows is amazing and I enjoy that book a lot! But this was nothing like Six of Crows, not even a little bit. Which makes sense, they are different series, but I don't understand how LB's writing did such a big flip between series because where Six of Crows was addicting and intricate and had main characters you would root for till the end, Shadow and Bone had characters that made you want to tear out your hair. It's a really stark difference.
“And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”
Alina Stakov has never been blessed in beauty or talents, until the day her regiment is attacked while crossing the shadow fold and Alina discovers something about herself that she'd never known, something she'd never have dreamed of. A power lays dormant inside of her, and it is ready to be set free.
As the only hope of ending a long-standing war, Alina is thrust into a world she swore she'd never be a part of and is thrown into an arena of secrets, lies, and deceptions. With the Darkling watching her every move, is it possible for Alina to truly grow into the hero she was born to be? Or will she wither into something much more sinister that will plunge the world into eternal darkness, where there is no hope, no freedom, no escape, and, worst of all, no light?
“I'm sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”
Book Content:
Parents or teens, if you want to prove what you're reading, then this section is for you! Each heading gives a heads up to what may be in the book, be it language or violence, this portion will give you the heads up you're looking for!
Language:
~D word
~A Word
~H Word
~Possible use of S word
Violence:
Mentions of murder, death of parents, strangling, attempted kidnapping, brief mention of someone being torn to pieces, mentions of torture, mentions of abuse, beating children with a belt, punching, kicking, animal cruelty, cutting someone with a knife, attempted murder, mention of someone being cut straight in half right down the middle, mentions of decapitation, and war violence.
Sexual Content:
Mentions of sleeping around, mentions of not being sexually desirable, mentions of rape, mentions of prostitution, passionate kissing-skirt is pushed up to the waist, kissing along the low neckline of dress/on exposed breast, asking to come to see someone in their bed, thoughts of sex, longing for sex, and guy and girl sleep in the same bed, but no sex happens.
Other Things To Note:
~Main character doesn't know who her parents are
~Fallen soldiers/friends (MC is on the war front)
~Being held against your will
~Mass murdering of a village
~Friends betray each other
“Did you tell him what I showed you in the dark?”
The way this quote made me flat-out laugh like a hyena when I first read this book, hahaha. Oh my gosh, the context around this was so funny, even though it wasn't meant to be that way. 🤣
Why Should I, or Should I Not, Read Shadow and Bone:
Why you should:
Shadow and Bone has a very intriguing premise and sounds amazing! And then there is the small matter of the Darkling, but that shouldn't be your primary motivator for reading this book. (I'm lying, read it for him.) And those are the only two reasons I can think of, oh, and maybe you'll like it more than I did! Try reading it for yourself and make your own decision!
Why you shouldn't:
When writing the 'why you should' section, I almost said that the world was a good part of the book, but then it clicked, this reminded me a lot of the Red Queen world, and I couldn't get through that series either 💀. The other reasons would be the plot didn't draw me in, I didn't bond with any of the characters (except the Darkling 😋), and it felt like every other YA book that came out in 2012, let's be honest, all of those are very, very similar.
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