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This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

27/02/2017      4 Comments

This Savage Song by Victoria SchwabThis Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: 5th July 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow
Source: Publisher
Add it: Goodreads
Rating: two-stars

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

Apparently I just don’t get one well with Victoria Schwab’s YA books. I don’t know what it is, but I felt fairly neutral about The Archived books, and unfortunately I felt the same way about This Savage Song. Schwab’s adult books? Wonderful. I adore Vicious, and ADSOM was excellent. Can’t wait to finish the trilogy. But her YA just doesn’t click with me.

Now, I enjoyed the dystopian world in which this was set. I didn’t have a problem with it at all. I loved how gritty Verity City is, and I liked that the two characters are from two different sides. So the setting was intriguing, and it helped that I really like post-apocalyptic worlds in both books and TV shows.

I think my main problem was the story itself. I didn’t connect with either of the characters, although I did feel for Kate as she tried to make her father finally accept her, and that meant that I didn’t really get into the plot either. The story was a bit of a slog for me. I wasn’t invested.

I’ll probably read the sequel eventually. Maybe. If I ever get through my massive TBR backlog. But it’s not going to be top of my list because I’m just not emotionally invested at all.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. czai says

    27/02/2017 at 1:48 pm

    aahhh, I’m sorry this didn’t work for you. I haven’t read any books by VE Schwab although I have this ad ADSOM on my shelf. I’ll probably go with ADSOM first. I’ll definitely keep your thoughts in mind when I read this 🙂

    Reply
  2. Hannah @ Broc's Bookcase says

    27/02/2017 at 4:29 pm

    Gah! This makes me a little sad because I LOVED this book. I just fell in love with the world and the whole background to all the different types of monsters. Can’t wait to read the sequel.
    I’ve not read Schwab’s adult books yet They are currently sat on my bookshelf, I wanted to wait until they were all released because I know that I’ll probably just want to devour them in one big read!

    Reply
  3. Brittany says

    27/02/2017 at 11:59 pm

    Eeep, I’m sorry this book wasn’t for you! I haven’t read this one yet, but I really want to. Great review 😀 Hope you enjoy the sequel!

    Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles

    Reply
  4. Melissa @ Writer Grrl Reads says

    28/02/2017 at 6:59 am

    I just finished ADSOM and have been contemplating picking this one up, but I had heard that it’s quite different. I think I’ll just stick with the ADSOM trilogy for now, and then keep an eye on the reviews after the second one releases. I’ve heard that people either like her YA and can’t get into her adult books, or the other way around. Guess we’re just the adult fans!

    Reply

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