Series: Standalone
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Audiobook
Source: ARC from publishers through Library Thing (Thanks!)
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That did not sway my opinion in the least.
Summary (From Goodreads)
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.
In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.
Shannan’s Summary
Aya is a girl, ripped from her home and thrust into a world she’s been running from her whole life. She is now expected to be pretty and make men happy. But Aya is her own person and refuses to play their games. She’ll get out any way she can and do anything she can to find her family.
First Off…
When I saw the description of the story I thought it would be an interesting read, so when it showed up on the LibraryThing list I couldn’t help but request it.
Thoughts:
I gave myself some separation from this one to figure out how I felt. I thought I would like it more because it was dystopian, but the environment didn’t make up for the story. It wasn’t a bad story, it just wound up not being my style.
The beginning third of the story was heavy description which really slowed the story down. If I had been reading it myself, I probably would have given up, and even with listening, I almost did. After the third or fourth time of Aya talking about needing to get back to her cousins or not wanting to get sold, I just wanted the story to move on. I got it. She in a bad place and needs to get home to her family. Move on.
Once the story did start to pick up, it was a lot of up and down. It would get exciting, then boring then back again.
I didn’t realize until halfway through that it was a stand alone book, and while I get why Simmons chose to end the book the way she did, I think the story either needed to be balanced better or drawn out more.
The Voice
Nankani did a great job reading. I settled into her voice quickly and soon accepted it a Aya’s. I think she did a good job with dramatizing the different aspects of of the story.
In the End
I don’t care for slow beginnings with lots of description. I like to pick up on details as I go and have a little room for my imagination to take control.
10 Second Summary:
- Description heavy: This book is heavy on description and thoroughly immerses the reader in the world.
- Well developed world: I can tell Simmons knew the world she was writing about.
- Unexpected ending: It wasn’t the ending, or really even the story, I was expecting.
For me it’s a borrow. Glad I didn’t spend money on this one, but it wasn’t so bad that I feel like I totally wasted my time.