Review of First Lessons
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- Latest Review: First Lessons by Lina J. Potter
Review of First Lessons
[Following is a volunteer review of "First Lessons" by Lina J. Potter.]
A Medieval Tale - Book One - First Lessons
By Lina J.Potter
Translated by Elizabeth Adams
A historically imaginative read and a history lover’s dream!
As a medical graduate with her hopes set on becoming a surgeon, Aliya finds herself on a completely different path than the one she had set out for herself. After experiencing a fatal car accident she finds herself waking up in someone else’s body, in another time and another place. Being an intelligent open minded girl, she sets out to build a new life for herself in her new body. She has to contend with outdated medical practices, outdated hygiene practices, lazy staff and her new body’s bad habits.
I loved reading this book. It was hard to put down, I read it so quickly! I recommend this to anyone who loves their history and loves to daydream. I could easily put myself in Aliya’s shoes and could imagine wanting to fix all the problems she encounters.
What was good about the book?
Lina J.Potter writes wonderfully and allows you to build empathy with the main character straight away. You instantly see how hard working she is and how much she loves her home and her family. She does this for all the characters throughout the book which allows the reader to have a broader understanding of the different plot lines and settings. She is very good at placing you in to the story and uses dialogue well to help you understand the relationships between different characters.
In First Lessons , I liked how medicine, chemistry, business and artisan crafts are explored and developed alongside supporting the telling of the story. The changes that Aliya tries to make in her new world are exactly the sorts of changes I imagine I would need to orchestrate to survive inmediaeval times. I found her constantly busy mind endearing.
I enjoyed that First Lessons is based around a strong female lead who is taking her fate into her own hands. I also enjoyed that she doesn’t base her happiness on falling in love, like similar time travelling tales.
I also liked that you aren’t left wondering if Aliya is going to wake up back in her own body again or get back to her own world. The main character accepts her new fate pretty quickly and as a reader, you don’t feel worried that you’ll be left with the ‘it was all a dream twist’ at the end.
What was not good about the book?
I didn’t like the regular comments Lina J.Potter makes about the main character’s size and need to diet. I understand that it would feel quite strange being in a body that you weren’t used to but the obsession about eating less and commenting negatively on her own body became tiresome and repetitive. For someone who is expressing the viewpoints of strong independent women breaking barriers in society, it seems too trivial to focus on needing to change Aliya’s weight and comment on it so often.
I can also see how the number of skills that Aliya possesses could be seen as unrealistic and maybe annoying - seeing, knitting, chemistry, herbology, mechanical design, fashion design, bartering, cooking, rationing, farming and glass blowing. But I suppose this is to show her need to problem solve and could be explained as adding to her character.
I would rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars . It was a capturing read, full of interesting characters in an interesting world. It is well written and well edited which means you can just sit somewhere comfortable and enjoy the story.
This book would appeal to adults and young adults with an interest in history and fantasy. It appeals to readers with a vivid imagination who like to dream about living in different times and places.
******
First Lessons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Medieval Tale - Book One - First Lessons
By Lina J.Potter
Translated by Elizabeth Adams
A historically imaginative read and a history lover’s dream!
As a medical graduate with her hopes set on becoming a surgeon, Aliya finds herself on a completely different path than the one she had set out for herself. After experiencing a fatal car accident she finds herself waking up in someone else’s body, in another time and another place. Being an intelligent open minded girl, she sets out to build a new life for herself in her new body. She has to contend with outdated medical practices, outdated hygiene practices, lazy staff and her new body’s bad habits.
I loved reading this book. It was hard to put down, I read it so quickly! I recommend this to anyone who loves their history and loves to daydream. I could easily put myself in Aliya’s shoes and could imagine wanting to fix all the problems she encounters.
What was good about the book?
Lina J.Potter writes wonderfully and allows you to build empathy with the main character straight away. You instantly see how hard working she is and how much she loves her home and her family. She does this for all the characters throughout the book which allows the reader to have a broader understanding of the different plot lines and settings. She is very good at placing you in to the story and uses dialogue well to help you understand the relationships between different characters.
In First Lessons , I liked how medicine, chemistry, business and artisan crafts are explored and developed alongside supporting the telling of the story. The changes that Aliya tries to make in her new world are exactly the sorts of changes I imagine I would need to orchestrate to survive inmediaeval times. I found her constantly busy mind endearing.
I enjoyed that First Lessons is based around a strong female lead who is taking her fate into her own hands. I also enjoyed that she doesn’t base her happiness on falling in love, like similar time travelling tales.
I also liked that you aren’t left wondering if Aliya is going to wake up back in her own body again or get back to her own world. The main character accepts her new fate pretty quickly and as a reader, you don’t feel worried that you’ll be left with the ‘it was all a dream twist’ at the end.
What was not good about the book?
I didn’t like the regular comments Lina J.Potter makes about the main character’s size and need to diet. I understand that it would feel quite strange being in a body that you weren’t used to but the obsession about eating less and commenting negatively on her own body became tiresome and repetitive. For someone who is expressing the viewpoints of strong independent women breaking barriers in society, it seems too trivial to focus on needing to change Aliya’s weight and comment on it so often.
I can also see how the number of skills that Aliya possesses could be seen as unrealistic and maybe annoying - seeing, knitting, chemistry, herbology, mechanical design, fashion design, bartering, cooking, rationing, farming and glass blowing. But I suppose this is to show her need to problem solve and could be explained as adding to her character.
I would rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars . It was a capturing read, full of interesting characters in an interesting world. It is well written and well edited which means you can just sit somewhere comfortable and enjoy the story.
This book would appeal to adults and young adults with an interest in history and fantasy. It appeals to readers with a vivid imagination who like to dream about living in different times and places.
******
First Lessons
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: First Lessons by Lina J. Potter
