A review by jacqueline_07
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

slow-paced

3.5


Overall, I liked this book. It took a while for me to really get into it, because I found the first like third of the book to be pretty slow. For a while, I felt like I was waiting for something to happen, waiting for the book to start. For that reason I said it was slow paced. 
However, once things got going I was hooked. I thought the plot was interesting. There was a main reveal at the end they I did not see coming for a long time, however once it was revealed it made so much sense, and it was cool  to look back at previous parts of the and be like ohhhh thats why they did that. Small details that were actually really subtle hints that I didn't realize until the big reveal. I thought that was cool. 
I also really liked the way Hartman wrote her dragons. I thought the whole exploration of a species that rejected emotion was really interesting, and how it all culminated in this idea that "love is not a disease." I thought the exploration of a culture that rejected emotion was super interesting. For this reason, I think Orma has to be my favorite character. I think he was the most complex and interesting to read about, and his journey balancing human and dragon culture was really interesting to read about. Especially, his ultimate decision and acceptance of one, spoke volumes. 
I thought the commentary on love, as mentioned before, was interesting as well: The idea that it isn't reckless or careless / you aren't a bad person if you chose to follow love, despite the consequences. I think this was shone through how Seraphina initially held a lot of resentment towards her mother, but then began to understand her through her own journey and the reason her mother did what she did. 
However, I don't totally know how I feel about this because it is clear that her mother's decision proved to be incredibly harmful to Seraphina, because of the society they lived in. However, there were notes of the book that emphasized Seraphina's power and gifts that came out of being half dragon. Also, at the end of the book Seraphina and Lucian addmitted their love for each other and pretty much said they would be together when them being together wouldn't harm the political situation, or those around them. I think this is supposed to show how ultimately, Seraphina and her mother chose the same thing: love. Seraphina for much of the book rejected it and almost promised herself she would let it go because of the repercussions. However, ultimately she realized she couldn't live like that, and couldn't live with herself if she did not express her love. Which is completely understandable to me. However, what I feel conflicted about is how, Seraphina and Lucian are pretty much devoting themselves to each other, but Lucian is going to continue being with Glisselda, although his heart is Serpahina's. I loved Glisselda, so it hurts to see this, and idk if morally this is that great. Like out of their respect and love for Glisselda I feel as though they should tell her. I think she has the right to know. And perhaps from there they can work out what the public story will be. Idk, that just really rubbed me the wrong way. But I guess that just makes them morally grey characters, and made me really think. 
On a different note, I think the commentary on hating yourself, finding yourself disgusting and unlovable was really interesting and relatable. I could really relate to how she was always in fear of people knowing her too well, and how she "knew" that once those around her knew who she truly was they would not love her. Also, the way she was living a lie, and constantly maintaining this false identity really showed how exhausting it is to lie, and almost how impossible it is to maintain lies. Particularly, how exhausting and demoralizing it is to lie about who you are to those around you, and the people you love. Also the fear of people seeing your physical body and always covering up with clothes and then the absolute panic when you are / close to being revealed was really relatable / real to me. 
Ok. I also feel like I just have to say something about this. One thing I COULD NOT GET OVER the entire book, was that Lucian and Gliselda are cousins....Like tf??? Every time they called her, his cousin..... Like wdym your cousin / fiance????? So that was weird to me. 
Also some / kind of a lot of the dialog between Lucian and Seraphina was kinda cringe to me. 
And the scene where Orma's uncle (forgot his name) found them on their way back from the journey and she just "bluffed him" or whtv and he just left I just didn't really like. Like I get it. Subjectively I think it was fine, but personally I felt like it was a little anticlimactic and then the way Lucian was like blown away....like king calm down that wasn't that crazy. 
Also one thing I find myself thinking about a lot of fantasy books I read, including this one, is I want to know more about the world. I want to know more about the society and culture, and what normal people do. Like I always feel kind of like the characters are disconnected from the society they're in. 

Those are my thoughts after just finishing. I thought it was good, I'm glad I read it. I took away some good ideas. Leaves me thinking about love, and if it is always the best thing to do to follow your heart. I think this book argues yes, and I think I agree. But the ending when they commit themselves to each other and plan on not telling Glisselda I really do not like. So I think where I stand right now is, yes you should always follow your heart, because how can you live with yourself if you don't, but you should be honest with those around you about it, and communicate, and work with them to work it out. Will continue to think about this. 

Another thing I'm adding...My thoughts on the plot. I thought the premise was good, but like Lucian says in the book I feel like they were acting on not very grounded claims. Also it was supposed to be like oh Orma's uncle is plotting against the Ardmager, but I didn't feel very threatened, until the very end. And maybe that was what was so good about Orma's uncle's plan, he was so low-key. However, if he was this smart and strategical, I think his final hurrah and plan to kill them seemed rushed and uncalculated and therefore OUT OF CHARACTER. It wasn't that hard for them to catch him during this phase of his plan, and they did. Orma's uncles plot and strategy was so cool and calculated until the end, and I never suspected Aunt whtv her name is until the very end. I thought the detail with the dress in the cave so cool, especially looking back on. But yeah, Orma's uncle was so smart, and so low-key , that I never really felt threatened, however, as a book, I felt it made the plot not seem so urgent and not as entertaining. 
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