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A review by lilyrooke
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
3.0
(2.5*) Really difficult book to rate. If it weren't for the age-inappropriate language, I'd encourage young readers to pick it up without question, but I don't feel good about suggesting 8- and 9-year-olds read about BDSM references, but on the other hand it's written in quite a juvenile style considering from Teo's age I'm assuming this is targeted at upper-YA readers. For the trans umbrella rep alone it's worth three stars.
+ I loved how the world is queernormative. The most important god is nonbinary and gender confirmation ceremonies are a thing because it's absolutely normal for people to identify with a gender different to that which they were assigned at birth. Pronouns switches are inquired about and seamlessly changed. This is a model example of what I'd like to see more of in MG and YA fiction, and it's the main reason why I rated the book so high. I don't feel good rating less than 3* when this aspect of the storytelling and worldbuilding is so important.
+ Teo's experience of dysphoria and how this is portrayed on the page was really affirming. I'm not surprised at all because Aiden Thomas is one of the best authors at writing this experience, but it's just really important to me to know a main character is being shown in this light and time is being taken to explore what dysphoria means and how it feels and how one experiences that day to day. Again, I think it's incredibly important to have this book on YA shelves so readers can see themselves in Teo.
+ The prologue was beautiful and I kind of wish the book had been about the gods not the semidioses...
- Other than the mature language and sexual references (which kind of felt more Adult, ngl...) the book felt more MG than YA. It's written in quite a juvenile tone, and I honestly thought Teo was like 10 or 11, not 17... It's not a case of 'YA is for teens', because... Teo reads more like a pre-teen, except he's swearing and there are references to furries, BDSM, and Vine. For me the tonal shifts didn't work at all. As a MG book, I would be wanting to give this 5*. As a YA book, 2* at best, then extra for the rep.
- This is a book where the main characters are fighting for their lives, kind of like The Hunger Games but not killing each other, yet the stakes felt incredibly low. I felt the challenges could have been more interesting and exciting. Again, this links back with the YA/MG feel. It felt like the book was supposed to be much darker or more mature, but that only 'MG' levels of stakes were permitted.
cw: dysphoria; parental figure who purposefully withholds access to medical intervention (so child abuse?); references to BDSM, furries, much f-ing and blinding
+ I loved how the world is queernormative. The most important god is nonbinary and gender confirmation ceremonies are a thing because it's absolutely normal for people to identify with a gender different to that which they were assigned at birth. Pronouns switches are inquired about and seamlessly changed. This is a model example of what I'd like to see more of in MG and YA fiction, and it's the main reason why I rated the book so high. I don't feel good rating less than 3* when this aspect of the storytelling and worldbuilding is so important.
+ Teo's experience of dysphoria and how this is portrayed on the page was really affirming. I'm not surprised at all because Aiden Thomas is one of the best authors at writing this experience, but it's just really important to me to know a main character is being shown in this light and time is being taken to explore what dysphoria means and how it feels and how one experiences that day to day. Again, I think it's incredibly important to have this book on YA shelves so readers can see themselves in Teo.
+ The prologue was beautiful and I kind of wish the book had been about the gods not the semidioses...
- Other than the mature language and sexual references (which kind of felt more Adult, ngl...) the book felt more MG than YA. It's written in quite a juvenile tone, and I honestly thought Teo was like 10 or 11, not 17... It's not a case of 'YA is for teens', because... Teo reads more like a pre-teen, except he's swearing and there are references to furries, BDSM, and Vine. For me the tonal shifts didn't work at all. As a MG book, I would be wanting to give this 5*. As a YA book, 2* at best, then extra for the rep.
- This is a book where the main characters are fighting for their lives, kind of like The Hunger Games but not killing each other, yet the stakes felt incredibly low. I felt the challenges could have been more interesting and exciting. Again, this links back with the YA/MG feel. It felt like the book was supposed to be much darker or more mature, but that only 'MG' levels of stakes were permitted.
cw: dysphoria; parental figure who purposefully withholds access to medical intervention (so child abuse?); references to BDSM, furries, much f-ing and blinding