“When a reader falls in love with a book, it leaves its essence inside him, like radioactive fallout in an arable field, and after that there are certain crops that will no longer grow in him, while other, stranger, more fantastic growths may occasionally be produced." ----Salman RushdieTraci Chee, an American author, pens her debut YA fantasy novel, The Reader which is the first book in the Sea of Ink and Gold series and this series opens with a young teenage girl and her aunt who are on a ru

Because in Kelanna, if they didn’t keep telling your story after you died, you might as well have never lived at all. The Reader is a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t heard much other than that it’s a book about a book and there’s a heap load of adventure involved. Somehow that’s understating things.. yes, it’s a book about reading, though it’s set in a world where people can’t read. And there’s pirates, magic, assassins, librarians, secret societies, and an epic story to tie it all together.We a

This one has promise. It starts as your typical YA fantasy, with a Bad Guy (or organization) hunting MC (for the past six years). She doesn't know why, but they've killed her parents, and the only clue she has is something they gave her before they died, which she keeps in the bottom of her bag (we know nothing about it at this point beyond that it's relatively small).My guess would be it has to do with the light she can see shimmering around things out of the corner of her eye, but what do I kn...

Meh. This book was super promising, and I'm sure a lot of people will like it, but I'm not a fan of books about pirates, and I didn't know that's what this would be about! I liked the writing and plot of this, but I just got really wildly bored. If I hadn't combined the audiobook with some skim-reading, I definitely might have DNF'ed this. Sefia just seemed like a very basic and interchangeable main character, and the rest of the characters were pirates or mysterious/confusing/muddled-backstory

this book is utterly fantastic. it has it all--an amazing heroine with an intricate backstory, a gorgeously rendered fantasy landscape, diverse characters, and beautiful prose.did i mention it has SWASHBUCKLERS and SHARPSHOOTERS?you need this book in your life. trust me.

TW: Gore, blood, murder, death of a parent, death of a loved one, PTSD, panic AttackHOLY SHIT THIS BOOK!!!!! IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!!!! Not gonna lie, I was confused for a good chunk of it about some things but that kept me sucked in the story because I wanted my questions to be answered, and when they were IT WAS SO GOOD AND UNEXPECTED and some parts of the story made so much more sense and my mind was blown. I'm not sure I'll write a full review but PLEASE PICK IT UP!!! I'm so g...

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***The Reader by Traci CheeBook One of the Sea of Ink and Gold seriesPublisher: PutnamPublication Date: September 13, 2016Rating: 4 starsSource: eARC from First to ReadSummary (from Goodreads):Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can hel...

Re-read on audio so I can read second book!So, wow - how do I write this review?! ← I tend to ask that a lot. Anyhoo . . . So this world of Kelanna doesn't have books! What? Who are these people? There is a whole story thing about it, but I got a little confused so don't ask me. A what? What's a book? Or as someone asked in this story, "What's a buck?"Sefia has been on the run with her aunt Nin for quite some time. There are people looking for Nin because she's the most notorious thief in the Fi...

This was so utterly thrilling and captivating. I adored it.

The best way I can think of to describe The Reader is that it is a "thrilling fairy tale." The world-building is in a league with Leigh Bardugo, the writing style is reminiscent of the brilliant V.E. Schwab, and there's a fairy tale quality that is all Traci Chee. If you like The Winner's Curse, A Darker Shade of Magic, and/or Rebel of the Sands, you'll love The Reader.When I first heard about The Reader and then read the wonderful excerpt, I was super excited to read this book. After pre-orderi...

"...set in a world where reading is forbidden."That's scary. I WANT THIS BOOK.

Mr.Darling overhears a lot of audiobooks that I listen to. This is the only instance in which he finally said, after two days, "So this book you're listening to is pretty terrible."So....while I don't think it's terrible, exactly, I've listened to ten chapters feeling puzzled and somewhat bored. And occasionally annoyed, because "This is a book, this is a book, this is a book" gets repeated a lot in reverential tones. And look, I LOVE books; my house is crammed full of them, not only review ARCs...

I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this novel. It's truly lovely: rich prose, a vivid setting, characters you want to cheer for (and others you love to hate), and a fast-paced plot.

"This is a book. You are the reader. Look closer. There’s magic here." I'm not sure exactly what it is about this book, but it is exquisitely magical. When I read books like this, I wish that every other book was as wonderful. I would highly recommend this book to anybody who loves YA fantasy."Once there was, and one day there will be. This is the beginning of every story. "Assassins, magicians, pirates, this book has it all! The epic adventure stories intertwine and overlap to form a complex na...

This is a book. You are the reader. Look closer. There’s magic here. I really struggled with this one. Despite exciting little quotes - like the one above - to draw in any self-proclaimed bibliophile, something about this book just felt off from the very start.I mean, it's slow. But that on its own is not necessarily a problem. Fantasy is often the kind of genre that can get away with having a slower, more drawn-out and intricate plot. No, it's more that I think the premise is fundamentally f

I HATE writing reviews for books I really love or admire. Not-so-good books -- sure, picking out what I disliked is easy. But sometimes it's really hard to quantify just what was so great about a book, especially without spoiling it. So forgive me if this review seems a little scattered. This book was amazing. It starts out seeming like a typical fantasy, as main character Sefia is set on the run with an object her enemies will do anything to get their hands on. She's already lost her parent...

This is a complex, magical story of a girl's journey to find answers. I loved how it weaved multiple storylines and POVs together and how they all intertwined in the end. However, I don't think audiobook format is the best way to read this book. I would often get confused because it wasn't totally clear in the audiobook when storylines/POVs switched. I would recommend having the physical book on hand to read along with or look through.Check out my full review on my blog: http://www.kassidyvoinch...

Between the restless waves of the sea and the leafy ferns of the jungle, you'll (willingly) get lost in this beautiful book about stories, family, bravery, and love. As Sefia journeys and discovers new stories, as well as new dangers, you'll fall in love with the cast of characters and the sprawling world of Kelanna. And if you're anything like me, it'll keep you up late into the night just to find out what happens next. This is a book you do not want to miss.

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/09/11/...I was totally blown away by The Reader. Yes, I’d wanted to check it out after learning that it was a “book about books”, but what I got was simply far beyond anything I expected or imagined. There’s honestly nothing I love more than being surprised when it comes to YA, and this book dazzled me in all the ways that counted, drawing me in with fantastic writing, compelling characters, and a wildly imaginative story.The Reade...

Wonderful exquisite writing! You don't have much to go on.. Because reading this was like being left in the dark. And some books don't transition between being able to grasp your attention. Thankfully this isn't that type of book because I was invested whole-heartedly. This was such a major journey for our main character and I was there along with her. Some questions are answered by the end, but I needed and wanted so much more. Especially how the Book came to be. Why are these people so special...