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A review by skywhales
To Best the Boys by Mary Weber
3.0
Okay, let's start with the good bits.
-The worldbuilding was super cool. Anything where monsters and science coexist is absolutely a-OK in my book, and I would love to read more about its history, the species that live there, etc. etc.
-The supporting characters! Beryl and Seleni were both totally adorable, and I really appreciated the fact that even though Seleni wanted to follow a different path than Rhen (that of a wife and mother) this was never treated as "less than" Rhen's passions, and the two stay friends despite their separate interests.
-The idea of the Labyrinth is a fairly original twist on the whole "secretive challenge with high stakes" plot, and it kept me interested.
-Rhen was, for the most part, a likeable heroine. Her motivations were clear, and her goals were believable. For the most part, she was someone who I was okay following throughout the book. Plus, she has dyslexia, which is something I've very rarely seen in YA, and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. :)
Then there's some stuff I'm split down the middle about. Mostly Ben. I have autism, though not Down syndrome. I appreciate and respect that the author of the book based Ben's character off of people she knew in real life, but his character really seemed to only serve as motivation for Lute to participate in the labyrinth challenge, and he couldn't really stand on his own right as a character, which is...weird to do with a disabled character.
Some stuff I didn't like:
-The plot felt weird and disjointed at times. The whole Labyrinth section of the book seemed to move way too fast, and I wasn't hooked on it the way I had hoped I would be. There's also various plot holes: Rhen's reasoning for dressing up as a boy is never fully explained, considering girls aren't actually banned from the Labyrinth, a fact stated OUTRIGHT by Rhen before she enters the challenge (the invitation is adressed to all gentlepersons, not gentlemen). Was it because of the social implications? Did no one in-world ever pick up on that before?
-As a love interest, Lute was just...boring. I'm sorry, I can't think of a better way to say it. He comes off as this selfless golden boy type with no real flaws or character traits other than being one of the "good" men in Rhen's life. Oh, his reasoning for entering the Labyrinth is so much more selfless and deep than the others! Oh, he saw through Rhen's disguise right away because he knows her so well! Oh, he's standing up for her against those other boys! Like...it grated on me a little bit. Beryl and Rhen's father are also upstanding and kind; it's not like the book is lacking good men. Maybe I'm being too harsh on him. I know a lot of people like a strong, selfless romantic hero type.
In the end, it's something I might reread if I find it at the library, but I doubt I'd purchase it. I'm sure other people will like this more than I did, but it's not really my thing.
-The worldbuilding was super cool. Anything where monsters and science coexist is absolutely a-OK in my book, and I would love to read more about its history, the species that live there, etc. etc.
-The supporting characters! Beryl and Seleni were both totally adorable, and I really appreciated the fact that even though Seleni wanted to follow a different path than Rhen (that of a wife and mother) this was never treated as "less than" Rhen's passions, and the two stay friends despite their separate interests.
-The idea of the Labyrinth is a fairly original twist on the whole "secretive challenge with high stakes" plot, and it kept me interested.
-Rhen was, for the most part, a likeable heroine. Her motivations were clear, and her goals were believable. For the most part, she was someone who I was okay following throughout the book. Plus, she has dyslexia, which is something I've very rarely seen in YA, and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. :)
Then there's some stuff I'm split down the middle about. Mostly Ben. I have autism, though not Down syndrome. I appreciate and respect that the author of the book based Ben's character off of people she knew in real life, but his character really seemed to only serve as motivation for Lute to participate in the labyrinth challenge, and he couldn't really stand on his own right as a character, which is...weird to do with a disabled character.
Some stuff I didn't like:
-The plot felt weird and disjointed at times. The whole Labyrinth section of the book seemed to move way too fast, and I wasn't hooked on it the way I had hoped I would be. There's also various plot holes: Rhen's reasoning for dressing up as a boy is never fully explained, considering girls aren't actually banned from the Labyrinth, a fact stated OUTRIGHT by Rhen before she enters the challenge (the invitation is adressed to all gentlepersons, not gentlemen). Was it because of the social implications? Did no one in-world ever pick up on that before?
-As a love interest, Lute was just...boring. I'm sorry, I can't think of a better way to say it. He comes off as this selfless golden boy type with no real flaws or character traits other than being one of the "good" men in Rhen's life. Oh, his reasoning for entering the Labyrinth is so much more selfless and deep than the others! Oh, he saw through Rhen's disguise right away because he knows her so well! Oh, he's standing up for her against those other boys! Like...it grated on me a little bit. Beryl and Rhen's father are also upstanding and kind; it's not like the book is lacking good men. Maybe I'm being too harsh on him. I know a lot of people like a strong, selfless romantic hero type.
In the end, it's something I might reread if I find it at the library, but I doubt I'd purchase it. I'm sure other people will like this more than I did, but it's not really my thing.