Scan barcode
A review by ravensandpages
Icarus by K. Ancrum
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and HarperTeen.
I ended up DNFing ICARUS at 41%. I was going to try and push through to the end, but after careful deliberation, I've decided to shelve this.
This novel follows Icarus Gallagher, a thief who spends his days muddling through high school and his nights replacing pieces of the wealthy Mr. Black's art collection with his father's masterful forgeries. Across tightly woven short chapters, Icarus meets Mr. Black's son Helios, imprisoned in the manor and desperate for a friend, and against his better judgment accepts a deal that could upend everything he's been working towards.
I enjoyed the first inklings of their relationship, the layers and metaphors surrounding them, and I greatly enjoyed the prose. But overall, ICARUS felt... well, I'm not sure how else to put it other than shallow. It certainly had breadth, with a large cast despite Icarus' inner focus, and I have a multitude of screenshots of great lines, but I didn't feel any tension or draw to the story. I also found the book startlingly slow-paced despite the short length of the chapters which eventually turned the reading experience into a drag. I wanted to care about Icarus and Helios and their situation, but I didn't miss them or think about this book during my break from it. The story is missing something for me, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
I would still recommend this if you're into more slow-paced stories, heists & thieves, and gay relationships with a delicious sprinkling of religious metaphors. There are several quotes I'll be holding to my chest even though I had to give up on this one (and who knows, maybe I'll return to try again if Libby ever gets the audiobook). K. Ancrum is still an author I greatly admire, and I am looking forward to the other books on my list from her.
I ended up DNFing ICARUS at 41%. I was going to try and push through to the end, but after careful deliberation, I've decided to shelve this.
This novel follows Icarus Gallagher, a thief who spends his days muddling through high school and his nights replacing pieces of the wealthy Mr. Black's art collection with his father's masterful forgeries. Across tightly woven short chapters, Icarus meets Mr. Black's son Helios, imprisoned in the manor and desperate for a friend, and against his better judgment accepts a deal that could upend everything he's been working towards.
I enjoyed the first inklings of their relationship, the layers and metaphors surrounding them, and I greatly enjoyed the prose. But overall, ICARUS felt... well, I'm not sure how else to put it other than shallow. It certainly had breadth, with a large cast despite Icarus' inner focus, and I have a multitude of screenshots of great lines, but I didn't feel any tension or draw to the story. I also found the book startlingly slow-paced despite the short length of the chapters which eventually turned the reading experience into a drag. I wanted to care about Icarus and Helios and their situation, but I didn't miss them or think about this book during my break from it. The story is missing something for me, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.
I would still recommend this if you're into more slow-paced stories, heists & thieves, and gay relationships with a delicious sprinkling of religious metaphors. There are several quotes I'll be holding to my chest even though I had to give up on this one (and who knows, maybe I'll return to try again if Libby ever gets the audiobook). K. Ancrum is still an author I greatly admire, and I am looking forward to the other books on my list from her.