Raybearer, by Jordan Ifueko
Jun. 10th, 2021 04:33 pmOne of those standard YA fantasy novels about a special girl who is an outsider who must REVOLUTIONIZE her country and also fall in love, but you know, it's a very good one of those! I was invested in the special girl and her efforts to be able to make her own choices instead of following what's expected of her! Also a character who would in a normal one of these books be part of a love triangle with her is instead asexual and totally uninterested and he loves her platonically, and I'm extremely charmed by this.
Also it's a West-African-inspired setting with themes that celebrate diversity over conformity, and I always like seeing that these days the classic YA tropes are now available with this kind of representation. Everyone deserves to have tropey YA that they can see themselves in!
This is a first novel for the author, and I can see that in some uneven pacing in one part of the book, but overall it's very strong writing for a debut, and I'm impressed. Definitely an author to keep an eye on in the future!
Also it's a West-African-inspired setting with themes that celebrate diversity over conformity, and I always like seeing that these days the classic YA tropes are now available with this kind of representation. Everyone deserves to have tropey YA that they can see themselves in!
This is a first novel for the author, and I can see that in some uneven pacing in one part of the book, but overall it's very strong writing for a debut, and I'm impressed. Definitely an author to keep an eye on in the future!