The Reader Review

This week's novel is The Reader by Traci Chee.  This one was on NPR's list of best books of 2016.

In a world where reading is magic, the world's only book is a closely guarded secret.  The books ends up in Sefia's possession after her father is murdered by a mysterious organization.  Sefia's on the run with trackers and assassins on her tail.  She's determined to find her kidnapped aunt, avenge her father, and find the book's secrets,teaching herself to read and use magic as she goes.  She finds help from a mute boy who was forced into gladiatorial battles, and a famous crew of pirates.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and it does not stand alone.  The story of finding Sefia's aunt and discovering who the mysterious organization is and what they want are resolved, but the later is clear well before the end of the book.  The book ends with the rest of the story arcs (probably) about a third complete: the story of the pirate crew's famous trip to the Western edge of the world, their current endeavor to find the Tomb of Kings, the boy coming to terms with what he's done and who he is, Sefia's quest to stop the mysterious organization and end the war that is coming.  Since these all only get about a third of the way through, it feels like this book is a lot of set up and like the story doesn't get started until towards the end.  I'd recommend waiting for all three books to come out and then reading them together, because it will probably feel less slow if it's packaged differently--as one long story instead of three shorter stories.

That said, I like all the characters and I appreciate how much time they got to spend forming their relationships.  I liked the ships and the sailing and the fantastical high seas adventures.  It felt real and kept an edge of excitement even though it's a travel story (and we know how I tend to get bored with travel stories because I am a plebeian).  But the world building of cultures with extensive trade and complicated politics who have not invented writing rings a bit false.  The world is too advanced for no one to be keeping ledgers.

***

Next Week: A Thousand Pieces of You, YA dimension jumping sci-fi by Claudia Gray