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Xiran Jay Zhao: Iron Widow (Hardcover, 2021, Penguin Teen) 4 stars

Science fiction and East Asian myth combine in this dazzling retelling of the rise of …

Review of 'Iron Widow' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Zeitan is intent on getting revenge on the Chrysalis pilot that killed her sister. After succeeding, her list of people and groups to get revenge on slowly grows.

Zeitan falls in love?… I’m not sure if love is actually present, but as presented on the page, a love triangle forms between her, her pilot, and her friend. That is, she falls for each of them, they fall for each other, and each of them fall for her. It's hard to tell that anything developed, because I feel there is very little weight to any particular decision or action for the characters. I didn't feel that decisions, when choices were presented, came with serious, character (or world) altering repercussions. The world is superficial. The characters are flimsy and shallow. There is little substance, little depth to be had. The book seems more of a vehicle for the author’s profound thoughts, dropped regularly, on everything from cherishing and inspiring someone, to pregnancy and slavery.

I particularly didn’t enjoy that the entire premise for Zeitan is that she isn’t like other girls. That’s nearly the full extent of her character. Perhaps most frustrating is that Zhao clearly cares about what they are writing and why, they’re anger is tangible and real. But that anger, that drive doesn’t make up for my perceived lack of depth.

I felt that it over promised and under delivered.