Book Review: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

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It's very rare that I don't finish a book. For the most part, I feel like the majority of books have hope and will ride it out to the end. However, with this book, the more I pushed the more I tired of it. Now, I know that it can be cruel to write a bad review but I believe "bad" reviews need to be written for two reasons.

1. Not everything in the world is happiness and rainbows.

2. I do believe in leaving reviews unwritten if there is nothing good to say but that even if the book has a few redeeming qualities, they deserve to be spoken on.

I didn't finish this book. I kept pushing and pushing through but ended up giving up with 1/4 of the book left. For books that I didn't finish and didn't absolutely loath I like to break them down by what did and didn't work for me.

What Didn't Work for Me:

This book was in one moment a mature read (with drugs, sex, and abuse) and in the next, a very immature read (romance, language, story progression). I was surprised to read that the opening of the book features our main guy, Ash, not only participating in a drug deal but seemingly also selling himself but refuses to use the word fuck. For me it wasn't that one or the other bugged me. It was the fact that the author should've taken one stance and ran with it.

The romance didn't do it for me at all. The spark between Ash and Natalie fell so flat for me. They lacked the chemistry that was supposedly instantaneous and bewildering.

The religious aspect of it threw me off a lot.

The plot wasn't set up to well.

For me, I do not think this book was bad because of the author or that the author has no potential. There was a lot of potential that I saw. I would actually blame it on the publisher/editor for not sticking this one out with the author a little more. I know this is going to sound terrible but I have well intentions: this book felt like a 2nd or 3rd draft that just needed a bit more thought and process. The well intention being that I've noticed this author has yet to write anything else and I actually would really love to see her redeem this book.

I know this is YA and that these characters are supposed to be younger. I know that because of this, they and the setting may come from a slightly more immature voice. I know this and I understand it. I just don't think it can be purely blamed on the level of maturity these characters have for the following reasons:

The Potential (What Did Work for Me):

Again, I think that the author did a good job writing both the mature and immature scenes. I just think that she should have just picked one and ran with it. If the characters were to be just young and immature, go with it. If they are seemingly more mature for their age, go with it! I didn't like the wishy washiness. Liked the writing of each wish/ wash.

The romance buzz from Ash and the darkling girl from beyond the wall. Their interaction and interest of each other is EXACTLY how Natalie and Ash's romance should have been written from the get-go. That unexplainable attraction and interest was written so well among these two and gave me a massive spark of hope! A little drama added to the mix was perfect....maybe it was just Natalie that was too immature for me?

The unexpected turns of fate that we were given was a huge shocker (in terms of Natalie)...(and even in terms of the government) they just fell a little short though they were really great concepts! For example, I would've liked to hear about the lore of the Darkling's and their mate match process earlier on in the story. I would've liked the alternative creature's presence and role in the dystopian world earlier on. It would've created a better set up than what we got.

I liked the side characters and just wish they were given a bit more depth/characteristics. I wouldn't have even minded if they were given their own POV in the book. Definitely would have been interesting.

The pieces were all here they just weren't finished.

This is one person's opinion and should not in any way stop you from trying it out yourself. Again, I didn't hate this book I just couldn't finish it. I think this author needs to come out with something new. I think this book tried blending one too many things that either needed more time for thought and process or needed to lose a few layers. I want to see her write something else and would be one of the first to be in line to get it.

This one got a DNF rating.