Star Wars: Rebel Rising

by Beth Revis

[Quirky Cat]

This book is perfect for anyone that's curious about what happened to Jyn Erso after Saw Gerrera retrieves her from the cave, but before we see her rescued from the prison transport ship. It does a perfect job of making you even more sympathetic for Jyn, which makes you wish all the more that circumstances ended differently for her.

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Jyn Erso lived a hard life, right up until the end. I sincerely thought I couldn't feel worse for her than I already did, but I was wrong. While the author doesn't beat you over the head with “feel bad for Jyn: vibes, there are heartbreaking events that happen to her, so if you're looking for an upbeat read, this probably isn't for you.
Despite the overall heavy tone of the novel, I found myself really enjoying it. We got to see more about Jyn's background; how she grew up, how she survived and managed to hide from the Empire, everything. I adore details like that, so there's no surprise that I ate this book up. Along with the backstory given we're provided with Jyn's constant struggle and internal debate about hope. Even when things seem to be at their worst for her, Jyn never seems to give up.
There were a few parts in particular that I felt were really standout. I absolutely loved the quasi father-daughter relationship that Jyn and Saw had. I should have known better than to get attached though, considering that thanks to Rogue One I knew there had been some sort of falling out between them. Silly me, but I couldn't help it. Seeing Saw care for and worry about Jyn really brought a whole new human element to him, so I was reluctant to see it go. Obviously one of the major plot points of the book is what happens between them, so it had to happen, and it completely explains Jyn's lack of enthusiasm to see him again.
I also loved the introduction of Hadder. I felt that he's the reason Jyn was able to emotionally heal after everything that she had already been through, between losing her parents and Saw. He showed her what a normal life was; which is something I think she really needed in her life. He wasn't in the novel for all that long, but I'm glad he was included.
Overall I think Rebel Rising is a fantastic and worthwhile read. This is especially true for those that desperately want more details about any part of the current movie base.
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