There was nothing particularly bad about this book, I just quickly realised that it wasn't for me. The pages I read in the first impression intrigued me enough to want to read the rest of the book, but after around 50-60 pages, I realised that I was not enjoying it as much as I hoped.
The book starts with the introduction of Julius and Georgia. Julius lives in Nigeria and while most live in poverty, Julius's uncle is governor of the state he lives in and he has more than most. He is starting to question his sexuality, and his feelings towards his friend. Georgia lives in the UK and races drones with her father, but her world is shaken when her sister commits suicide.
This is a book that I think would be great for younger readers. The characters are in their teens, so someone younger than me might identify with the characters more and care more about what is going on in the story. As it happens, I felt somewhat detached and didn't empathise with their situation enough to want to keep reading.
That being said, there is some good representation in this book, and I feel kind of bad saying that I didn't empathise with a character who has some terrible news in the first few chapters. But I think it was more the distance in age between me and the characters that made me a bit ambivalent towards it all. As I wasn't enjoying it much or feeling engaged, I decided to put it down.
So to summarise: the characters were okay, but I didn't really connect with them, the plot was okay, but didn't engage me, and the writing was okay, but again didn't engage me.
Overall, I'd say it's definitely not a bad book but suffered from lack of engagement from my own perspective. I think the characters and story will be good for someone who is also in their teens. Give it a try, and you may get more out of it than I did.
The book starts with the introduction of Julius and Georgia. Julius lives in Nigeria and while most live in poverty, Julius's uncle is governor of the state he lives in and he has more than most. He is starting to question his sexuality, and his feelings towards his friend. Georgia lives in the UK and races drones with her father, but her world is shaken when her sister commits suicide.
This is a book that I think would be great for younger readers. The characters are in their teens, so someone younger than me might identify with the characters more and care more about what is going on in the story. As it happens, I felt somewhat detached and didn't empathise with their situation enough to want to keep reading.
That being said, there is some good representation in this book, and I feel kind of bad saying that I didn't empathise with a character who has some terrible news in the first few chapters. But I think it was more the distance in age between me and the characters that made me a bit ambivalent towards it all. As I wasn't enjoying it much or feeling engaged, I decided to put it down.
So to summarise: the characters were okay, but I didn't really connect with them, the plot was okay, but didn't engage me, and the writing was okay, but again didn't engage me.
Overall, I'd say it's definitely not a bad book but suffered from lack of engagement from my own perspective. I think the characters and story will be good for someone who is also in their teens. Give it a try, and you may get more out of it than I did.