This post is the first in a series for my blog where I break down YA novels. It’s not a review, but rather an analysis of what I liked and disliked within a YA context. This post’s analysis is about Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

What I liked:

• Multiple perspectives
  • Why it worked: The multiple perspectives were all unique and gave multiple viewpoints into a complex world. Each character had a strong motivation for why they were a part of the story.
• Fast-paced plot
  • Why it worked: For a surprisingly large book (130,000+ words?) the plot did not slow down. There was lots of action the whole way through with enough moments of reflection to not exhaust the reader. A great example of pacing for YA.
• Worldbuilding
  • Why it worked: The Grishaverse is a diverse world with lots to explore. There are cultures, races and class systems that are unique. The strength of this book is that there are no info dumps to explain these aspects of the world. The important aspects are shown or briefly explained. The characters feel like they’re moving through a real world.

What I disliked:

• The first two chapters
  • Why it didn’t work: There is a lot of information thrown in here (not an info dump) with lots of characters, some who are inconsequential to the rest of the plot. Perhaps the second chapter would be an exciting scene in a film or show but I was left confused and overwhelmed.
• The withholding of character backstory
  • Kaz, the leader of the heist team, doesn’t have his key character backstory revealed until over halfway through the book. I would have like to have seen it sooner to build empathy for his character and explain his motivations upfront.