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A review by popthebutterfly
A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book for free through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (depictions/mentions of suicide, abuse, assault, dark humor)
Pages: 304
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.
Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave...
I was totally entranced again by the cover. It has purple on it! Anyways, now that I got that out of my system I have to say besides the cover the synopsis drew me in immediately. It sounds haunting and that’s my type of genre. Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. It had some really dark tones and the character development was amazing.
However, I just felt really disconnected with the book. I couldn’t keep up with what was happening at all and I found myself confused a lot while reading this. The pacing was just kind of everywhere and there really wasn’t any world building. I find myself really disliking books that don’t explain the magic or the backstory of the book and I found that to be the problem in this book. It’s one thing to leave a character in the dark, but I as a reader want to know what’s going on.
Verdict: Dark and haunting, perfect for slumber parties!
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (depictions/mentions of suicide, abuse, assault, dark humor)
Pages: 304
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Bina has never forgotten the time she and her mother ran away from home. Her mother promised they would hitchhike to the city to escape Bina’s cruel father and start over. But before they could even leave town, Bina had a new stepfather and two new stepsisters, and a humming sense of betrayal pulling apart the bond with her mother—a bond Bina thought was unbreakable.
Eight years later, after too many lies and with trouble on her heels, Bina finds herself on the side of the road again, the city of her dreams calling for her. She has an old suitcase, a fresh black eye, and a room waiting for her at Catherine House, a young women’s residence in Greenwich Village with a tragic history, a vow of confidentiality, and dark, magical secrets. There, Bina is drawn to her enigmatic downstairs neighbor Monet, a girl who is equal parts intriguing and dangerous. As Bina’s lease begins to run out, and nightmare and memory get tangled, she will be forced to face the terrible truth of why she’s come to Catherine House and what it will take for her to leave...
I was totally entranced again by the cover. It has purple on it! Anyways, now that I got that out of my system I have to say besides the cover the synopsis drew me in immediately. It sounds haunting and that’s my type of genre. Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. It had some really dark tones and the character development was amazing.
However, I just felt really disconnected with the book. I couldn’t keep up with what was happening at all and I found myself confused a lot while reading this. The pacing was just kind of everywhere and there really wasn’t any world building. I find myself really disliking books that don’t explain the magic or the backstory of the book and I found that to be the problem in this book. It’s one thing to leave a character in the dark, but I as a reader want to know what’s going on.
Verdict: Dark and haunting, perfect for slumber parties!