Reviewed by shannonmiz on
This started off... well, it was weird, okay? I hadn't a clue what was happening, where/when we were, or what the point even was. I won't lie, I almost quit. I tell you this so that I can also yell "don't give up!", because it gets so much better! This is one of those books that makes me never trust myself because had I given up, I feel like I would have missed a genuinely awesome story, just because I was a little frustrated by the beginning. And to be totally honest, I think my frustrations were on me more than the book? Like- I wanted answers, but maybe I hadn't earned them yet, you know?
The story follows Las Mal Criadas, a girl gang, and more specifically, their leader Nalah (aka, Chief Rocka). I love her. She is such a grumpy old man. "Get off my lawn", I imagine her yelling. But it works, because all the girls have these strong personalities, and particular strengths that make the group cohesive. And Nalah being the consummate cynic is part of her role. She (and the others) grow so much during the story. Their bonds are tested, their allegiances questioned, their loyalty challenged.
"By what exactly?", you may be asking. And okay, this is the part that confused me when I started. There's a leader, Déesse, and she seems to be the motivating factor for Nalah. Oh and by the by, men mean nothing in this world. It's an interesting dynamic that is explored further. Anyway, as you can imagine, there's more than meets the eye to Déesse, which is easy for the reader to see, but less so for Nalah, who's been idolizing her for ages. There's an absurd gap between the elite and the masses (sound familiar?) and Nalah yearns to earn her place as an elite.
But she has a lot of journeying to do. Both in the literal and figurative sense, as Déesse sends Las Mal Criadas on a pretty harrowing mission. They cross some rough terrain with some even rougher adversaries facing them, and the whole thing becomes quite an adventure. One that you will not want to miss.
Bottom Line: After a slow/confusing start, I fell completely in love. And actually, can we maybe have a sequel please and thank you?
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 20 February, 2019: Finished reading
- 20 February, 2019: Reviewed