Review: Strong protagonist, but the story lacked something.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 24, 2014
Note: I received a free copy of Gateway in exchange for an honest review.I liked Gateway, but it lacked something. Although it's full-length novel, it seemed short, as if the plot was too small. I enjoyed the world-building, and I really liked Ember, but I wished for more from this first installment in the Gateway Trilogy.I'm particular about Young Adult books, as I've mentioned before. I decided to read this one because I liked the premise--demons and chaos. What's not to love? There's plenty of that in the book, although I wished for more revelation of the world behind the world. I'm guessing more will be uncovered as the series progresses.One of the things I loved about the book was the main character, Ember. I'm particularly picky when it comes to my YA protagonists. I've never been one for teenaged drama, even when I was a teenager, so now that I'm adult, I'm fully out of that phase. (Pregnancy hormones not-withstanding--we'll just not go there, since my condition is temporary.) But Ember never comes across as angsty or whiny. She's always forging onward, looking to the next crisis, and generally being a badass. Even cynical old me found the romance interesting, with little to no time spent mooning over the color of Taren's eyes or where the relationship was going. A+ on the character development.I've pondered what it is about the plot that makes me feel like it wasn't enough, but I can't put my finger on one thing exactly. The ending seemed satisfying, although some of the prose got a little purple and over-dramatic for my taste. It just feels like there's not enough development of the middle. Ember gets swept away into a new world after she's committed to a mental institution, and then BAM! Time to fight the boss at the end.If you like urban fantasy young adult books, you'll enjoy this. The characters are interesting, and the world seems fully fleshed out. Hopefully more will be revealed in later books, and Ember continues to be a rock-steady teen protagonist.Also posted on my blog, Magic & Mayhem Book Reviews at saboviec.wordpress.com.