*e-book given for a free, unbiased review*
4/5 stars
This book is a very impressive work. This is completely my fault, by I was not able to finish the book. I have serious anxiety and I was already going through some stuff and this book, though usually is my kind of book, gave me a few panic attacks. Trigger Warnings will be at the bottom. I would just like to thank Christopher D. Ochs for being so understanding. I realize that I was an inconvenience. This is only the second time a book has given me a panic attack (Girls Like Us by Gail Giles was the first) so I didn't really understand how I felt. However, I am determined to write a review since I got about halfway through.
Jasmine is having a hard time fitting into her new school. She is being bullied and she has already gotten on the bad side of the meanest girl in the school. The only person she has is Bibi, her neighbor. That is until she finds out she has been chosen by a guardian to protect her. Then her life goes down-hill quickly.
Character Development: 5 stars
Story Line: 5 stars.
Readability: 4 stars.
Writing style: 4.5 stars.
My enjoyment: 2 stars.
Average Star Score: 4.1 stars.
Character Development
You can really tell that Christopher did his research when writing the book. Religion and historical facts bring Bibi alive. I also relate to Jasmine as I have a very traumatic past with bullies. Also, Caleb is like the stereotypical bad boy and it just fits the story.
Story Line
It makes sense. Everything that I read makes sense and fits together perfectly. I can't forget the moment when I realized what the chameleon meant.
Readability
There were a couple of grammatical mistakes and only one time when the pronoun was undefined but other than that it was easy to read. I was very impressed by the writing.
Writing Style
This sorta ties into readability. The writing style is not what I usually like. I prefer first-person however, I feel like with this book that would have been so much worse. It is (almost) perfect just the way it is. The third-person perspective makes it feel like you are there but not enduring what Jasmine has to go through. This book is one of the few instances when I would rather be in the third person (A few others are Harry Potter, Caraval, and (I believe) Eragon.)
My Enjoyment
I have anxiety. When I was younger I was bullied a lot and so I now have really bad anxiety and this book just brought it all back. IT IS NOT THE AUTHORS FAULT. I put no blame on the author for this. I really hate that I couldn't finish the book. It is very rare that I am not able to finish a book. I just feel terrible that I wasn't able to read the rest of the book. That is the only reason my enjoyment was so low. If it wasn't for the anxiety, I would have given the book at least a 4. I was really enjoying the book... until you know... anxiety.
Mr. Ochs was super nice and thoughtful when I emailed him telling him about me not being able to finish his book. I would love to thank him for that. I feel absolutely terrible about it. However, this book was masterfully written and full of joy even in the midst of sadness. The emotions are so strong and you will cry and laugh with Jasmine.
*Trigger Warnings* Bullying, attempted rape, mild language.