The Rithmatist - YA Review by Lyric K


Reader: Lyric K
Age: 14
Title: The Rithmatist
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pub Date: 05/14/13
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book:  Brandon Sanderson is great at making a chalk battle between two people very captivating. and he is great at making a mystery, but he doesn't do enough of either in this book. It is way too slow. Being slow makes it very tense. The main character is well developed, but I know nothing about his mom except for the fact that she works a lot. The secondary character has a great personality, but there is no back story. I would suggest the book if you were into fantasy, otherwise don't bother.
Memorable or Forgettable:  I will never forget the world in which it is set, with chalk being the center point of the plot. But all in all it was a very boring book. Kind of like a mystery and fantasy in a steampunk setting minus all the action. (reading about the main character being bored of reading but not having anything else to do does not help)
Cover:  The cover made it look like a steampunk book, but it didn't have to do much with it at all and was more about other things.
Age Range: Under 12 through 15
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments Sadly, it is set up to be a series
Annotation: Joel is going to a boarding school where Rithmatists, people able to give life to chalk drawings, are taught, and it is Joel's dream to be taught the same stuff they are being taught. But Joel is forbidden to take those classes since he is not a Rithmatist. But Joel is determined to learn all he can about rithmatism and will in this great book.

tags:  fantasy / suspense / magic / mystery / steampunk / ya lit



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