The Reader Hardcover – Deckle Edge, September 13, 2016

4.5 out of 5Traci Chee’s THE READER is about BOOKS. And PIRATES. And MAGIC. More importantly, it’s about a girl named Sefia who’s left alone with a mysterious artifact after her aunt is kidnapped. The artifact turns out to be a book – and in Sefia’s largely illiterate world, this book is both mysterious and dangerous. Sefia, however, believes the book might help her rescue her beloved aunt, discover who killed her father (both of her parents have been dead for years), and learn more about her burgeoning magical powers. So she embarks on a journey with a mute young man and a legendary pirate crew – and by the end, she realizes her adventures might only be the beginning of a much greater story.THE GEMS…:- The protagonist. I adored Sefia from the get-go. She’s preciously imperfect, a believable mix of cleverness, curiosity, loyalty, and sass. I grew more endeared to her as she taught herself to read, recalled horrific memories from her childhood, and stayed focused on her mission. No wonder I nearly cried at the end.- Sefia’s best friend, Archer. The poor guy. Between his own traumatic childhood and the abuse he suffered as a “slave-fighter,” Archer has been traumatized into muteness. After Sefia rescues him from his captors, he learns how to be human again and tag-teams with her for their survival. The struggles he endures during THE READER are just as compelling as hers.- It’s not just Sefia’s story, by the way. THE READER features two other storylines that are deftly interwoven with the main one. First, we meet Lon and Mareah, two of the Guild’s rising stars who struggle with and question the group’s purpose. Second, we learn about the mythic Captain Reed and his crew of the Current of Faith through stories that Sefia reads in the Book – and discover his tales are more than mere legends.- Books, pirates, and magic – oh my! The two latter elements alone would have sold me on this book. But as the title indicates, THE READER is also about the power of literature and the dangers of it in a largely illiterate world. Think Markus Zusak’s THE BOOK THIEF with shades of Rachel Caine’s Great Library series, with a magic system that involves “reading” people in order to learn their memories and secrets – and perhaps take advantage of them.- A convincing friendship-turned-romance that never overtakes the plot. One of my favorite types of romances. And it’s a slow-burn, too. <3- Traci Chee’s writing style. It’s vivid and evocative, yet clean and precise. It fits the story really well and maintains a smooth flow and maturity without getting too flowery.- The art direction. THE READER takes the “story within a story” concept several steps further with occasional aesthetic touches like smudged fingerprints, faded or crossed-out text, and burn marks that heighten the reading experience rather than interfering with it. And if you pay close attention to the page numbers, you’ll find words that, when strung together, create a message.… AND THE THORNS:- Some world-building aspects were lacking. Apart from the magic system, insights into the Guild, legends, and historical bits, I never got a strong sense for the "flavor" of the archipelago known as Kelanna. Learning about the islands' cultures and other aspects would have fully immersed me in the world. So I'm hoping there will be more of this in the sequel.- How did Lon and Mareah discover the Book? I can’t say more without spoiling anything, but there’s a HUGE, unexplained gap in time between Lon and Mareah becoming disenchanted with the Guild and the big gamble that changes everything. It was enough to make me stop for a moment and ask if I had missed something, even though I hadn’t. Again, maybe we’ll learn more in the sequel?IN SHORT:After a string of so-so YA fantasies earlier this year, I’m so glad I’m finding true jewels now. Traci Chee’s THE READER is one such diamond, spellbinding and intelligent in its layered storytelling, beautiful yet understated prose, and compelling characters. Fans of Cornelia Funke’s INKHEART, Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, and (yes, even though it’s not fantasy) THE BOOK THIEF will want to dive in and stay submersed for a long, long time.

This book absolutely blew me away from the first line. It draws you in so well, it feels like you’re a part of the story (and you kind of are!) I don’t want to give too much away, since I really think it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible; so please bear with my extremely vague review. (Maybe I’ll do a book talk soon so I can talk in detail?)I really loved how we got to see through multiple POVs that were seemingly unconnected until the end! The way everything tied together made so much sense and I liked that it wasn’t something that was easy to figure out sooner.The characters and world building in this book are absolutely amazing! Everyone is well fleshed out and it really feels like you’re living through them. When you can feel the same emotions as characters and envision the world clearly, how could you not fall in love?There is also TONS of diversity as well as strong female characters; what more could you want?For some reason I thought the little extras and hints were printing errors in the beginning and I honestly feel so ridiculous for thinking it, haha. First I saw a fingerprint on one of the pages and was like, “wow, that’s a really big error for a Penguin book.” Then, about 100 pages in, I noticed the words on the bottom of the pages and finally realized that I was missing out on all kinds of clues and hints.I did some reasearch and found that the author said there were 10+ hidden messages! I am not perceptive enough to find them all, even after going through the book twice; so if anyone else has found more than two please tell me. I need to know!Overall, I really loved this book. It’s been a while since a book completely blew me away and this really did it for me. I’m absolutely amazed that this is a debut novel, since it was written so well! Also, the books are absolutely gorgeous!

For a long time, Sefia has only had her aunt, Nin. Ever since her father was murdered, they have been on the run, and Nin teaches Sefia to live in the wilderness. When Nin is suddenly taken, Sefia is determined to save her, even if she has no idea where to start. With the help of a mystery object she learns is a book, a scarred boy with a dark past, and her fierce will, Sefia journeys to save her aunt, discover the secret of her family, and learn to read in a society that is illiterate.Traci Chee’s THE READER is a mesmerizing fantasy about the power of words, stories, families, and friendships. Sefia is easily lovable, kind, and strong, and her story is anything but easy. She carries the grief of losing her family around with her and often feels that she could have prevented Nin being taken in the first place. Readers will see something of themselves in her as she discovers more about written words and the book she carries. Throughout the story, there are brief excerpts from the book she carries around, allowing you to really connect with what Sefia is experiencing.Though romance is a small portion of the book, it demands to be discussed. Sefia and Archer have the sweetest slow-burn/friendship turned to love relationship I have ever read. There are some slow romances where you want to characters to kiss at every turn, and there are some, even more rare for me because I love kissing scenes, where you would happily revel in any scene with both of them, whether they’re just hunting for food or sitting silently, enjoying each other’s company. Sefia and Archer are both heartbreakingly vulnerable, and the way they learn to lean on each other is nearly tear-inducing.A book about a book, a young woman learning to read while saving her remaining family, a boy whose hands are tough but heart is soft, and an endearing and existential pirate crew come together to make the fantastic experience that is THE READER.

THE READER was incredible! I knew it would be special when I read the blurb. A book about a book in a world where books really do hold magic that only a select few can access? Yes, please! And I was not disappointed. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but the concept and execution were so exciting and creative, and my heart broke on more than one occasion.The writing was beautiful, and it made me love books so much more. If you look on Goodreads, I have so many quotes that I highlighted while reading, but the note at the start of the book was my favourite."Hello.If you're reading this, then maybe you know you ought to read everything. And maybe you know you ought to read deeply. Because there's witchery in these words and spellwork in the spine.And once you know to look for signals in the smoke, for secrets in the sea, then you understand what it is to read. This is a book. You are the reader. Look closer.There's magic here."See what I mean? I want this on a poster!One of my favourite things was that Sefia was so determined to survive and could totally take care of herself. She learned to hunt and track and READ on her own. But, even though she managed to harden her exterior, she remained kind inside, rescuing a guy in need and being unable to cross the line of killing humans. And then this guy? He was ADORABLE, even though he had a dark past. I loved how he and Sefia were able to connect without words, caring for each other. Be still, my beating heart.The world was extensive, which was both good and bad. Good because it felt like a real world with different places and climates and cultures. Bad because it made it difficult to keep track of where people were. There was a gorgeous map at the start that helped, but maps aren't as easy to read and access on a Kindle when compared to a physical book, so maybe get the physical for this one.Which brings us to my biggest issue while reading. I was often confused, as there seemed to be at least three different stories going on. First, there was Sefia looking for Nin. Then there was Lon, an apprentice learning to access the magic of the Book. THEN there was Captain Reed on his great adventures. AND THEN there was another lady who I won’t say more about for spoiler reasons. I wasn’t sure if the stories were running parallel but would eventually connect, or if they were happening at different times in history. When one thing was eventually cleared up, yet another POV was introduced. Don’t get me wrong, the story was interesting and kept me hooked this way, but it also had me feeling uncomfortable along the way. There is a line where mystery and intrigue goes too far, and I think THE READER did a little jig back and forth over it. Luckily, all the separate strings started to come together around the halfway point in surprising and delightful ways.Despite the confusion, I couldn't stop reading. I even got the audiobook to go with the ebook (thank you, Whispersync) so that I could listen when I had to use my eyes for other business, like walking to and from the train station or cooking. It was so compelling!Basically, if you're a reader (duh, otherwise why are you here), you should read THE READER. Just do it.

Sefia and Archer are interesting and capable characters to follow. The way Reed’s chapters and those of other characters are interwoven is pretty cool and well-done. The writing is good and the story captivating. The romance, such as there is in the first book, doesn’t take center stage and is not distracting from the rest of the story too much.

First off, I have to say I absolutely love the cover of this book. So beautiful! If you like beautifully crafted books, I suggest the hardcover. The writing was lovely and effortless, and I also liked the relationship between Sefia and Archer.

An intriguing book, fast paced and gripping

I liked it.