Ender enters American Ninja Warrior ( )

Whoa, I honestly had no clue what to expect when I started this, but I loved every moment of it. It's rare to read a fantasy novel that doesn't end in an epic battle! But that doesn't make Court of Fives any less exciting, suspenseful, and even downright chilling in some parts (the funeral procession, whoa!!!). There's a lot of political maneuvering going on and I still don't have a firm grasp on all of it--so many names!--but still, Court of Fives has an amazing level of history, world-building and attention to detail. And the romance! I'm not one for love stories, but those tender moments between the main couple had my heart racing. The plot moves at a steady pace; I'm a slow reader, but I finished the book in about a week. Very excited for the next book in the series! ( )

This may be the first time I have actively wished a book was not YA.

There comes a point about halfway through the book where a really dramatic, dire event happens, and it is totally grim and totally horrifying. My husband was joggling the cat and wiggling the bed doing it, and I totally quieted him and made him quit just so I could really concentrate on that specific event, because I figured it was going to continue to its very grim conclusion and I really wanted to not miss anything.

And then there was a rescue mission. And that is where YA splits away from adult. In an adult book, that grim event would have catalyzed our protagonist into a very grim purpose with the intent of overthrowing the whole damned system. And I *wanted* that. I am not even a grimdark fan, but I wanted that grim, dark outcome because it would have been fabulous in terms of the greater story line and our protagonist's motivations.

So here I am, wishing this book had been adult and not YA.

An adult book might not have gotten so much explanation of the obstacle course, either. But that's really ancillary to my original pout. And I am absolutely pouting.

:| ( )

New-to-me author in a YA genre, Kate Elliott wrote a compelling story. The narrative was slow to start, which might not grab the YA audience, but if the reader sticks with the set-up, the story is exciting and full of adventure. My rating reflects the shallow depth of readers' engagement with characters.

From an adult perspective, the individual personalities are less developed, with only Jessamy, the main character, appealingly portrayed; however, the plot is satisfactory in its complexity and presents something of a coming-of-age theme that was well done. The final chapter sets up for the next book in the series and I liked the reality of Jessamy's choices. ( )

I wish I had remembered who Kate Elliot was before I had started the book. I wouldn't have wasted my time reading this book. I had to give up reading because this book because it got on my nerves. Not worth reading. Overdone, retread plot and shallow characters with no character. ( )