Review of Awakening
Posted: 07 Sep 2021, 04:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "Awakening" by Tayma Tameem.]
Imagine a much, much darker version of the Disney movie Frozen, where Elsa, named Amara, is the redheaded younger sister and has some serious anger management issues. Her older sister, Katja, a kind and compassionate young princess, is the only person in Amara's life that can keep her tethered to her humanity, only she is not always successful. This is the basic essence of Awakening by Tayma Tameem. The story begins with a young woman who wakes in the middle of a snow-covered forest unable to recall who or where she is, or how she ended up there, with only one name echoing in her mind, Katja. When she is taken in by a kind, young tavern owner, she soon discovers that she is Princess Katja of the Kingdom of Hale, and her sister, Queen Amara also known as Lady Snow, is hunting for her and their deep and unconditional love for each other is questioned.
I found the premises of this story to be very well thought out and written. Tayma Tameem turned an excellent movie for children into a great dark and twisted book for adults, and I will always be into that. The very idea of it fascinated me. What I found most noteworthy would be the immediate intrigue I have felt during the first chapter and the mystery surrounding the young woman and her lost memories. It completely ensnarled my attention. Moreover, another thing that captivated me and I found most noteworthy, would be the mind blowing twists written in this story that left me in utter, utter shock. It was just so cleverly written. I had all the clues right in front of me, I had my own suspicions, and yet I was still taken completely by surprise. A job well done.
There were a few things I had some issues with, however. It seemed to me that the majority of the book was lacking some action. Aside from Amara's mischiefs, there was hardly any sort of action befitting a story like this. For a lot of the chapters, it seemed like their purpose was to fill in the book without really providing any particularly important information. I also found a lot of the chapters to be quite dull and tiring to read even though they provided some significant character development, not just for the main character but, for secondary characters as well. Another thing I took some issue with would be the relationship between the princess and the tavern owner, Marius. I have never really been a fan of the insta-love trope. It doesn't make much sense to me that immediately after laying eyes on each other, two characters, who were complete strangers a mere second ago, instantly develop feelings for one another. It has always felt a little unrealistic, a little too fantastical even for fantasy books.
I thought long and hard as to how I would rate this book. So much of it was completely astounding, yet a lot of it was somewhat boring and could be better written. I came to the conclusion that the most appropriate rating for Tayma Tameem's Awakening should be 3 out of 4 stars. I decided that the positive aspects of this book, in my opinion, outweigh its negative aspects.
I would recommend this book to young adult readers, as well as adults. It contains elements that make it perfectly appropriate for both age groups to enjoy. I would also recommend it to other fans of fantasy books, such as myself, as it is filled with the kind of lore and magic all us fans usually find enjoyable and fun to read.
******
Awakening
View: on Bookshelves
Imagine a much, much darker version of the Disney movie Frozen, where Elsa, named Amara, is the redheaded younger sister and has some serious anger management issues. Her older sister, Katja, a kind and compassionate young princess, is the only person in Amara's life that can keep her tethered to her humanity, only she is not always successful. This is the basic essence of Awakening by Tayma Tameem. The story begins with a young woman who wakes in the middle of a snow-covered forest unable to recall who or where she is, or how she ended up there, with only one name echoing in her mind, Katja. When she is taken in by a kind, young tavern owner, she soon discovers that she is Princess Katja of the Kingdom of Hale, and her sister, Queen Amara also known as Lady Snow, is hunting for her and their deep and unconditional love for each other is questioned.
I found the premises of this story to be very well thought out and written. Tayma Tameem turned an excellent movie for children into a great dark and twisted book for adults, and I will always be into that. The very idea of it fascinated me. What I found most noteworthy would be the immediate intrigue I have felt during the first chapter and the mystery surrounding the young woman and her lost memories. It completely ensnarled my attention. Moreover, another thing that captivated me and I found most noteworthy, would be the mind blowing twists written in this story that left me in utter, utter shock. It was just so cleverly written. I had all the clues right in front of me, I had my own suspicions, and yet I was still taken completely by surprise. A job well done.
There were a few things I had some issues with, however. It seemed to me that the majority of the book was lacking some action. Aside from Amara's mischiefs, there was hardly any sort of action befitting a story like this. For a lot of the chapters, it seemed like their purpose was to fill in the book without really providing any particularly important information. I also found a lot of the chapters to be quite dull and tiring to read even though they provided some significant character development, not just for the main character but, for secondary characters as well. Another thing I took some issue with would be the relationship between the princess and the tavern owner, Marius. I have never really been a fan of the insta-love trope. It doesn't make much sense to me that immediately after laying eyes on each other, two characters, who were complete strangers a mere second ago, instantly develop feelings for one another. It has always felt a little unrealistic, a little too fantastical even for fantasy books.
I thought long and hard as to how I would rate this book. So much of it was completely astounding, yet a lot of it was somewhat boring and could be better written. I came to the conclusion that the most appropriate rating for Tayma Tameem's Awakening should be 3 out of 4 stars. I decided that the positive aspects of this book, in my opinion, outweigh its negative aspects.
I would recommend this book to young adult readers, as well as adults. It contains elements that make it perfectly appropriate for both age groups to enjoy. I would also recommend it to other fans of fantasy books, such as myself, as it is filled with the kind of lore and magic all us fans usually find enjoyable and fun to read.
******
Awakening
View: on Bookshelves