Book Review: Revelations by Donna J. W. Munro
"In a dark future, people with money live in doomed cities and use the recently deceased as repurposed servants and workers called poppets. Ellie DesLoge is the teen heiress of the company that makes and distributes poppets–your basic reprogrammed flesh robot complete with training chips and kill switches. If Ellie does everything her Aunt Cordelia says, she’ll have a life of wealth and power. If she chooses to be what is planned for her, life will be perfect.
Hey, hi, and hello! 👋
Welcome back to this review session. I'm Paige, and today, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Revelations by Donna J. W. Munro, book one of The Poppet Cycle.
This book had an intricate plot and lovable characters, but honestly, this book didn't appeal to me as much as other titles I've read. I was pretty excited to review this book, but now that I've finished the novel, my overall opinion of this book is "meh." I ended up rating this book 3 stars, so, let's dive right in and find out why.
Disclaimer: I am ARC reading this book, which means I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for a honest online review. Please note that this doesn't impact my rating- these opinions are my own.
What Worked:
First things first, that cover! It's a stunning and pulled me right in. And yes, the book has those dystopian vibes we love, but it’s more of a zombie apocalypse kind of novel- if that interests you, check it out!
Next, the dialogue in the book felt authentic and added depth to the characters. Take, for instance, the exchanges between Ellie and her aunt, Cordelia. Their verbal sparring not only revealed their conflicting perspectives but also showcased the tension and power dynamics within the story.
I also enjoyed the subplots and themes- it talked a lot about choice. Ellie's struggle to choose between the path laid out by her family and her own desires was a powerful reminder that we do have a choice- and that our choices can shape not only our lives but also the world around us.
What Didn’t:
This book was slightly dragged on. If it was reduced to 2/3 of the length, I believe the storyline would flow far more smoothly. Also, a heads up for Kindle users like me- there were many formatting errors, so I guess the book didn’t translate well on the device. At one point, I literally had to read between the lines because the text was layered.
My reading style involves scribbling notes as I go along, and one recurring theme in my annotations was the character dynamics. Some were well executed, like Ellie (protagonist) and Thom (her Poppet), but others were confusing and changed quickly.
The dialogue was mostly on point, but there were moments when characters suddenly talked like Shakespeare in a modern setting. It pulled me out of the story a bit. I mean, who talks like that in real life?
Statistics:
Age Group: I'd place this book squarely in the 6th to 9th-grade range.
Series Status: "Revelations" marks the promising beginning of The Poppet Cycle Series.
Romance: It's there, but in delicate doses.
Genre: A delightful blend of dystopian and coming-of-age.
Rating Breakdown:
Plot: 3 ½ / 5
Characters: 4/5
Unique: 5/5
In a Nutshell
"Revelations" is a decent read. It might not be the first book I'd hand to my friends, but if you're up for something new, it's worth a try. You can grab it from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or directly from the publisher's website.
One more thing- if you want a way to track the books you read, look at three free printables here. They really helped me, and they’ll help you, too!
Paige, signing off.
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