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A review by monetp
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
5.0
"I decided that Orion needed to die after the second time he saved my life." ~ [b:A Deadly Education|50548197|A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1)|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1596909044l/50548197._SY75_.jpg|75543174]
This book has come under fire recently so I thought long and hard before making the decision to pick it up. Here is my thinking: Naomi Novak is one of my favorite woman fantasy authors and I love the way she writes strong and complex female characters. I appreciate that when readers reached out with criticism of this novel, Novak immediately acknowledged their feelings and apologized profusely to her fans. I read her apology and appreciated it greatly. Personally, I didn't find anything racist or insulting in the story, but I do have white privilege so I am only aware to a certain point. I respect authors who include as much diversity in their work as possible. However, I think it is an error when white authors write about a BIPOC protagonist because they will truly never understand how that character is feeling. This is just my opinion and I admire Novak for trying to include a lot of diversity, specifically other languages, in this book. I believe that she made a mistake, but that she will strive to do better in the future.
As for the book's contents, I loved everything about this novel. This book just screams DARK ACADEMIA and I am living for it! El's story reminds me of a Maleficient backstory of sorts, like how Maleficient went from a good guy to a bad guy? I kinda want to see El become an antihero, but for now, I am excited with her relatable, sarcastic character traits. I love that she is the only person at the school who treats Orion like he's an actual human being, and I really think that's the reason he respects her. This has been one of my favorite reads of 2020; it's mystical, dark, and atmspheric, just perfect for foggy autumn days. And ok, after that cliffhanger, I NEED THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW!!!!
This book has come under fire recently so I thought long and hard before making the decision to pick it up. Here is my thinking: Naomi Novak is one of my favorite woman fantasy authors and I love the way she writes strong and complex female characters. I appreciate that when readers reached out with criticism of this novel, Novak immediately acknowledged their feelings and apologized profusely to her fans. I read her apology and appreciated it greatly. Personally, I didn't find anything racist or insulting in the story, but I do have white privilege so I am only aware to a certain point. I respect authors who include as much diversity in their work as possible. However, I think it is an error when white authors write about a BIPOC protagonist because they will truly never understand how that character is feeling. This is just my opinion and I admire Novak for trying to include a lot of diversity, specifically other languages, in this book. I believe that she made a mistake, but that she will strive to do better in the future.
As for the book's contents, I loved everything about this novel. This book just screams DARK ACADEMIA and I am living for it! El's story reminds me of a Maleficient backstory of sorts, like how Maleficient went from a good guy to a bad guy? I kinda want to see El become an antihero, but for now, I am excited with her relatable, sarcastic character traits. I love that she is the only person at the school who treats Orion like he's an actual human being, and I really think that's the reason he respects her. This has been one of my favorite reads of 2020; it's mystical, dark, and atmspheric, just perfect for foggy autumn days. And ok, after that cliffhanger, I NEED THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW!!!!