Welcome back to another collective review. This year Solene and I are trying to read a book a month together but with the ton of work we have this year, we know we’ll have to skip a few months. However, we are having so much fun reading together, especially this year because of the quality of the books we chose. This Savage Song was also a great book and we really enjoyed it. Here are our thoughts:
Why did you decide to read this book?
S: I had been wanting to read This Savage for a very, very long time, and honestly this book club monthly reading was just a very good reason to cross it off the list!
E.: I honestly never heard of This Savage Song before this year. I saw someone on Goodreads reading and reviewing it (feel free to check their bookstagram it's great !) and I put it on my “Want To read” list. Then Solene and I realized we both had the same book and that we should had it to our list of books for the book club.
Before reading it, what were your expectations?
S: Quite high. I had already read VE Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic and I enjoyed it a lot. This Savage Song had also been pitched to me as a villain-centric book, so I was really looking forward to it.
E.: My friend on Goodreads spoke highly of this book so I expected a pretty good book. Moreover, I heard only good things about V. E. Schwab and this was my first book from this author so I was very excited. I went into this book with some expectations, but I just wanted to enjoy the story as much as possible.
After the first chapter, did you wanted to read more?
S: Actually, yes. This wasn’t disappointing at all. I was hooked in from the first chapter, even though the action took quite some time to start.
E.: The first chapter was great; it was easy to enter the story and follow the characters. After the first chapter, I read at least 5 other chapters because I wanted to learn more. I really enjoyed the third person narrative.
Rate this book on a scale from 1 to 10?
S : 8/10. It was another really good reading (I’m not used to loving the books we choose to read in this bookclub, so it’s a notable event) and I’m looking forward to reading the second part as well.
E.: I would also give an 8/10 for this book. Maybe even an 8.5/10 I’m not sure. This was so easy and quick to read. I wanted to read more and more each day. After the second half of the book, it was hard to put it down.
Favourite character? Most hated character?
S: I really liked Kate as a main character. In general, the characters are all really well built and multi-dimensional, I thought it was one of the strong points of this book.
E.: For me, I feel in love with August. His character is so interesting. I also loved his sister, Ilsa. It was easy to connect with them and understand their struggles as well as their dreams. Most hated character for me would be Kate’s dad, what a monster in a town full of monsters.
Would you recommend this book?
S: Definitely.
E.: I actually recommended it to a friend who is getting back to reading. I felt like the story of this book would be perfect for her.
What could have been done by the author for you to enjoy the book even more?
S.: At the beginning of the book, the context wasn’t quite clear to me, I had to read a few more chapters to really understand the world I was in. Some of the chapters were a little bland for me, and the real action only starts when you’re in middle of the book, which is quite long when I think about it. But honestly, Schwab really has a talent for writing so I wasn’t really bothered by anything in particular.
E.: Just like Solene, there was a moment in this book, towards the middle where the story was a little bit boring but necessary for the plot. After the second half of the book however, everything was happening at the same time and it was hard to breathe and put the book down. Moreover, at the beginning of the book I kept on texting Solene because I was not sure I understood the timeline and the different kind of monsters in Verity City. This was the only comment I could have but honestly other than that, it was perfect.
Final thoughts:
S: More than anything, I loved that there was no romance to be seen, just a lot of monsters and darkness. It’s a very rare thing to find a YA novel that isn’t driven by romance, so I was so, so happy to read one. The writing is excellent, the storyline is there, and even though the pacing wasn’t the best, I really enjoyed my time reading this, especially in the last chapters.
E.: I cannot wait for the second book. We might also read this for the book club but not review it. I connected with the characters, they had their flaws and their qualities. After a few chapters, I started to really get into the story and understand the world that was built. The plot was driven by the characters which made it very fluid. It was a little bit dark but perfect for adults or young adults.
What’s next?
S: I contemplated reading the second book right away, but my bank account didn’t like the idea, so I ended up reading something I already owned (which is Death Note, v.2)
E.: After this book, I had one mission: to finish the Shadow and Bone trilogy before the TV show came out. The only one left was: Run and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. I went back into the Grisha universe for the last book of this trilogy.
It really was refreshing to read a book and actually enjoy it. Unfortunately, it did not last long because the next book we will be destroying.. erm... reviewing is A Court of Mist and Fury and boy we were disappointed.
I told you about this book! I personally loved it! You should read one of the last books from V. E Schwab : the invisible life of Addie Larue (just incredible). I didn't know I would like it that much!