The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff
3/5 stars
Delacorte Press, 2013
449 pages
MG/YA Fantasy
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Allow me a moment of digression to open this review. This weekend I happened to catch the beginning of "Brave" and my response to that film is rather similar to my response to this book. I'm pleased as punch to see a spunky red-headed female protagonist navigating a fantastical world, don't get me wrong. Yet unlike "Finding Nemo" and "Up" and despite my very high expectations, "Brave" failed to fully engage my emotions. Similarly, I read this book more dutifully than excitedly hoping to fall in love but never succeeding. I'm not really sure why I had this response but there you go.
It didn't even matter that this book had a lot of cool stuff like the fact that it seems to be a standalone although the world could probably be expanded into a series. Or there is the prophecy and magic swirling around the story that should have been enough to enthrall me. But it didn't.
Perhaps it was the length? I think this page amount is consistent with other fantasies but it felt so long to me. Maybe it's the darkness? As you can see in the title, there is mist all around and it is an evil presence that hurts most of the people in the book. Another possibility is the timing-I got very confused about what day it was and what day we wanted it to be. Some events took both more and less time than I anticipated. And sometimes the way circumstances turned out was just a little too pat for me, just a little too easy. Whatever the reason, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to but I would certainly not try to dissuade you from reading it. I think it was partly my mood which did not want a fantasy but did want to finish this book for review.
Overall: Appropriate for older MG as it's a bit on the long side and there are some darker moments and young YA as well as older readers-hope this works better for you than it did for me.
I completely understand about not being in the right mood, that happens to me fairly frequently. I tend to revolt against the idea of "having" to read a book rather than simply wanting to, and that, however unfairly, sometimes affects my opinion of the book. Not sure how that can be helped though! Sorry you didn't love this one as much as you would have liked, I hope the next book you read is amazing:)
ReplyDeleteI did end up reading some better things this week-thanks! I feel so bad that I didn't click more with this book but the more I forced it, the less I felt it.
DeleteAs I'm not a big fantasy reader, I'll probably skip this one. But yes, it's sometimes mysterious how a book does (or does not) grab us. Sometimes the connection is just not there!
ReplyDeleteYou can find me here: Jen @ YA Romantics
Yeah, I don't think you're missing much as we tend to agree on books. I am always fascinated by which books just have that magic for us while others completely lack it.
DeleteFantasy is a hit of miss with me most of the time. I want excitement and all the elements of a fantasy to be there, this sounds like it had the potential. Sometimes being in the right mood like you said makes it breaks it. Sorry you didn't enjoy this all that much. :(
ReplyDeleteJenea @ Books Live Forever
Luckily I've since read some books I did really like and I'm erasing this from my mind.
DeleteI am really excited for this one - I keep seeing mixed things from people, so I'm curious what I will think when I finally read!
ReplyDeleteI will look forward to your review-I really want to know more people's thoughts about this one.
DeleteFunny, I felt the same way about Brave. For some reason it just wasn't as amazing as I was expecting. I remember hearing about this one and thought it sounded good but if it didn't blow you away then I'll probably hold off for now unless I see a review that convinced me otherwise. Too many books to read already!
ReplyDeleteI adored Disney/Pixar but was quite disappointed in Brave especially because it was (finally) their first with a female protagonist.
DeleteSorry it wasn't all you wanted, I think I will skip.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's what I would recommend as there are sure to be other books that are more pleasing out there.
DeleteOh man, I am looking forward to this book, so it's sad to hear that it's a bit disappointing. Hoping I like it better than you did. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it more too-I look forward to reading your thoughts!
DeleteOh no, I hate that feeling when you're trying to force yourself to like a book. I really do want to like this one, but I'll adjust my expectations now (which is probably for the better). I didn't realize it was a standalone, so that's good to know too.
ReplyDeleteFelt the same way about Brave :(
Right, Brave was so disappointing! I hope you do end up reading and loving it so that your positive review will encourage me to rethink the experience.
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