Hey book nerds!
So today I am going to be reviewing But For The Mountains by Erin Riha. It is the first book in the series, but we don't have all the details yet.
MY RATING- 🌟🌟.⭐
"The point is, don't give up because your mountains block the sky."
Now finally getting into a review for this book: So a lot of people have been comparing it to The Selection series by Kiara Cass (which I'm not a huge fan of BTW), which is not wrong I guess, as the main setup of the book is quite similar. It's the same bachelor-esque trope where all these girls are competing for prince. I would like to say that it's definitely better than the selection in a lot of ways in my opinion but it also wasn't much better. 😅
When I saw this book on NetGalley, I was so intrigued because the synopsis and the cover kind of give me this cut-throat dark academia vibes, which I clearly misunderstood because it was nothing like I had expected, and not in a good way unfortunately.
I received an ARC in an exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thank you so much to Reuts Publication for giving me this opportunity.
TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️- sexual assault, physical abuse, harassment, trauma.
Prepare for a horde of mixed feelings below...
I had very high expectations going into this book. The beginning was quite strong as well, and for the first few chapters at least it's so good. Although the first chapter practically begins with the sexual assault (which makes it a little too on the nose 😕) it's still a strong beginning.
CHARACTERS- While I actually really like the main character Arden, she wasn't really someone I able to connect with. And David and Beck are just stupid.
You have no idea why David even likes Arden so much. It's as if it has been just fed into his system that he loves Arden but he doesn't care why. It was honestly the most prominent part of his personality.
And Beck, although slightly better, is still an idiot who says things like, "you hit like a girl." I just wished that the characters would have been more fleshed out.
THEMES-
One thing that you can really appreciate in this book is the examination of trauma a main character Arden is a victim of rape and sexual assault and the book really focuses on this aspect and allows us to really grow and learn through this ordeal I think this was really well done.
“A chill runs down my spine as I think of each girl here. Flesh and blood, yet we all belong to someone in some way.”
WORLD BUILDING- You are also really not gonna find any magic, or mythological creatures or any fantastical elements other than the fact that it is set in a different place that is not in our world. There really is no magic, so if you are expecting a uniquely different magic system or world building, that's not what this book is about.
“I am not who he wants me to be. I am me, and he cannot have me.”
So that was my review for this book. Ofcourse, these are just my personal opinions and I understand that books are subjective, so if you happened to enjoy I'd love to know your thoughts!
Let's Chat!
Tell me everyone, what are some of your thoughts on this book, if you've read it. Are there any books that have done this trope well? What kind of story would you write if you ever got this kind of set-up as a prompt?
Until then,
Everyone stay inside and stay safe,
Bye bye!