Ottilie en de drochtenjagers

The Narroway Trilogy #1

by Rhiannon Williams, Sofia Engelsman (Translator)

Ottilie en haar broertje Waldemar hebben altijd voor elkaar gezorgd. Dus als Waldemar op een avond ineens verdwijnt, aarzelt Ottilie geen moment: ze moet hem vinden. Ze ontdekt al snel dat haar broer is meegenomen door de drochtenjagers, een geheime organisatie die jaagt op wilde monsters. En meisjes zijn bij die jacht níét welkom.
Maar daar Ottilie zich niet door tegenhouden - ze verkleedt zich als jongen en infiltreert in de groep. Samen bereiken ze fort Fiori, waar ze zullen worden opgeleid door meedogenloze drochtenjagers. Ontsnappen is vrijwel onmogelijk. En dus traint Ottilie mee met de andere jongens, die niet doorhebben wie ze eigenlijk is. Gewapend met haar pijl-en-boog en jachtmes blijkt Ottilie een van de meest getalenteerde jonge jagers van de groep. En ondertussen duikt ze dieper in het waren geheim van de drochtenjagers...

Ottilie en de drochtenjagers is het eerste boek van de Australische Rhiannon Williams, die met dit verhaal de prestigieuze Ampersand Prize voor debuterende auteurs won.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, High Fantasy, Cats

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Rhiannon Williams lives in Tasmania, where she writes magical books for young readers. Her debut novel, Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt, won the Ampersand Prize. Her books have also been named CBCA Notables and shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards, the Readings Children’s Book Prize, the Speech Pathology Australia Book Awards and the IBBY Ena Noël Award.

Reviews

[shannon✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek was echt zó vermakelijk. Ik vond de hele wereld, het concept van jagen op drochten en het bijbehorende puntensysteem zo origineel en leuk. Daarnaast gedroeg Ottilie zich zo dapper en stoer, ik vond het heerlijk om naar dit verhaal te luisteren. Ik vond het einde ook echt goed, het was wel een einde wat je verwacht in een middle grade, maar de manier waarop had ik niet helemaal zien aankomen. Ik ben erg benieuwd naar wat deel 2 zal brengen!

[Elwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der Anfang war etwas zäh aber durchaus wichtig, um die Herkunft der Charaktere kennenzulernen und ihre weitere Entwicklung zu verstehen. Umso spannender war es zudem auch schon bald die Wunder und Schrecken von Narroway zu entdecken. Die Charaktere sind allesamt gut geschrieben und entwickeln sich glaubhaft weiter. Niemand ist auserwählt oder kann alles auf Anhieb. Und die Geheimnisse der Festung bleiben wunderbar undurchschaubar und zeigen erst nach und nach ihre Tiefe. Besonders fantasievoll fand ich die verschiedenen Kreaturen, die es auf der guten wie bösen Seite gibt. Und so ganz nebenbei wird noch die normal alltägliche Benachteiligung von Mädchen gegenüber Jungs und die Unsinnigkeit der klassischen Rollenverteilung angesprochen. Das aber ohne aufdringlich mit dem Holzhammer zu arbeiten, sondern es fügt sich ganz natürlich in die Geschichte ein. Ein wunderbares Leseabenteuer zum Staunen und gebannt an den Seiten kleben. Teil 2 sollten direkt parat liegen.

[teageli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have come to terms with the fact that I am a teen with a middle-grade series as my favourite books. Will I be telling people when they ask? Probably not. Will I despise myself for that? Yes.

I wish this series had a fandom. It gets lonely here sometimes.

[Marjolein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leuk verhaal, al was de schrijfstijl niet helemaal mijn ding. Dat kan aan de vertaling liggen natuurlijk, of aan het feit dat ik het gewoon niet meer gewend ben om kinderboeken te lezen en dat eerlijk gezegd ook niet bepaald mijn favoriete genre is.

De personages waren leuk genoeg, het verhaal interessant genoeg maar bepaalde aspecten maken het ongeschikt voor onze winkel (heksen en vloeken etc, doet het meestal niet zo goed in de christelijke scene). Ik vond het zelf voornamelijk jammer dat de personages niet ouder waren, maar dat is natuurlijk het punt van het boek. Vond vooral Leo Duiter leuk, met name omdat er hoogstwaarschijnlijk een reden is waarom hij zich af en toe zo onmogelijk gedraagt.

Het is een leuk, vlot geschreven kinderboek, maar absoluut niet baanbrekend. De hoeveelheid verschillende namen is soms verwarrend, ik heb geen idee hoe het land er precies uitziet (een kaart zou leuk zijn) en het feministische aspect was een beetje te aanwezig. Ofja, de misogynistische opmerkingen waren er dus in overmaat om de onderdrukking van de meisjes te benadrukken. Had op mij een beetje een averechts effect. En dan ook de meisjes die er wel in zitten gaan elkaar pesten. Niet echt een empowering move, als je het mij vraagt. Maar oké.

Leuk genoeg voor drie sterren. Leuk genoeg om verder te lezen? Waarschijnlijk niet.

[tappkalina]

DNF at 29%.

This book doesn't deserve this cover.

RTC

[Anne (ReadEatGameRepeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to write most of my review in dutch because I read it in dutch and want to challenge myself to write my thoughts in the language I read (hope that makes sense) but to anyone who reads this and wants to know about the book: its such a fun story about such a badass little girl doing whatever she needs to to protect her brother. I thoroughly enjoyed it and honestly this is one for everyone who grew up reading Rangers Apprentice - but I would recomend it to any fan of middlegrade.

Ik heb dit boek perongeluk gevonden - ik was in een kleine boekenwinkel in het dorpje waar mijn ouders wonen, op mijn weg naar de kassa zag deze toevallig op een tafeltje liggen met een stikker er op "Voor fans van de Grijze Jager" en was gelijk geïnteresseerd. Ik wou hem eerst online in het Engels kopen (omdat het origineel een Engels boek is) maar dit was midden in de Covid crises en wou de locale boekenhandel ondersteunen - en joh wat ben ik blij dat ik hem toch gekocht had (want was het anders denk ik vergeten). Dit is eigenlijk bijna niets van wat ik initieel had verwacht. Ottilie (en al haar vrienden) zijn echt fantastische characters en ze voelen allemaal zo echt met hun eigen doelen en ideeen buiten het grotere verhaal van Ottilie. Ik vond ook dat het boek heel goed omging met de relaties tussen de verschillende characters en ook echt goed de frustratie die ottilie voelde door de sexisme in de wereld liet zien en ook hoe ottilie daar mee omging en dat het ook echt duidelijk bleef zeggen dat dat soort meningen eigenlijk gewoon bullshit zijn en er geen logise reden achter zit behalven dan bozen ouden mannen die zeggen dat iets zo is terwijl het niet zo is. De wereld is heel sterk opgebouwd en ik voelde me erin opgeslokt worden, de mysteries rond wat de drochten nou eigenlijk zijn, waarom de jongens worden ontvoerd en wat andere vragen die misschien meer spoilery zijn. Voor mij is dit boek een echte aanrader voor jong en oud!

[Norah Oldenziel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quaint middle-school fantasy book. It brought up some memories of me, back then, spending hours upon hours in the library. Now naturally the quality doesn't hold up to most of the fantasy books I read nowadays. But I must say that twas still a mighty fun read and worth a good 3,5 stars. I am, at the very least, interested where the story is going.

[Evelyn Evertsen-Romp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat is dat toch met kinderboeken schrijfsters uit Australië? Nevermoor en de Eindeling komen daar immers ook vandaan.

Ottilie is een waanzinnig spannend boek, is zat af en toe met één oog te lezen omdat ik eigenlijk niet allebei m'n ogen open durfde te doen.
Het is verrassend, tenzij je de achterflap hebt gelezen (die de eerste 100 pagina's samenvat. Grrr).
Het is feministisch, zonder dat overduidelijk te zijn. Ottilie stelt gewoon de juiste vragen, waardoor lezers met haar meedenken.

Dat laatste vind ik echt een reden om deze titel 5* te geven. Ottilie is geen superheld. Ze bezit alleen over meer gezond verstand dan de meeste mensen om haar heen. Ze durft zich dingen af te vragen én op zoek te gaan naar antwoorden en dat vond ik inspirerend.

Verder leest het verhaal als een trein, werkelijk waar, wat verslavend is Ottilie. Ik wacht met smart op deel 2.

[Waverly Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was so good it always left me on cliffhanger every single chapter which is a good quality for a book to have because if you want to know what happens next you have to read more which stops you from getting bored

This book is about a 12 year old girl whose brother gets kidnapped and she has to hide her identity to find him but once she finds him they decide they don't want to go back home

[Carola]

When two friends independently suggest you should read a book because it is that good. You put the book on your TBR list and hope you can start reading it soon.

[Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt first came onto my radar when a friend or family member of Rhiannon Williams came into my work and told me all about it. She pitched it as something that fans of the Nevermoor series would enjoy. As a huge fan of the series, I was instantly drawn into this one and picked it up a couple of days later.

I did start reading this as part of a read-a-thon a few months back. I read the first 50 pages and then put it down to read something else and then didn’t pick it up again until now. Honestly, there was nothing wrong with the book, I just wasn’t in the mood for a middle-grade fantasy at the time.

Picking it up the second time, I was completely enthralled by the world-building. I don’t think I’ve really read anything quite like this. I suppose you could make comparisons to the How to Train Your Dragon series, but I found this one more engaging. (At least in written form, I got say I adore the HTTYD movies). Anyway, this book is filled with all sorts of creatures that are really interesting to read about. Though, I have to admit Maestro definitely takes the cake. Also, there are some spider-like creatures in here that scared the absolute hell out of me. They only really show up once between pages 141-147, if you’re like me and get freaked out by spiders.

Other than that, I really loved the characters. Ottilie is a lot of fun to read about. I especially loved the bond between her and her brother, Gully. I always love seeing siblings in books, especially when they’re as loyal and supportive to one another as these two are. Their friends, Preddy and Scoot were also amazing—I really hope we get to see them grow more in the following books. There are a lot of other great sides characters that I hope we get to see more of in the rest of the series.

All up, this was a great first book. I really do think that fans of Nevermoor would enjoy it, and even people who enjoyed other middle-grade fantasy’s like Percy Jackson and dare I say it, Harry Potter.

[Lotte Van Der Paelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book!

This was a great start to a new middle-grade fantasy series. I really liked the feminism that was brought into it and how Ottilie was able to prove that she could hunt the creatures too, although everyone else thought girls wouldn't be able to.
I only wished we would have seen more of the guy who helped her get into the cage at the beggining (I forgot his name, oops). It seemed like he was going to be very important but in the end he was only in that one short part of the story.

I am definitely going to read the next part too!

[Anouk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 sterren

[Lara Van Hal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leuk boek met mysteries

[Great Escape Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Review...

Look no further if you are seeking a to tumble into a thrilling new world with a rollicking band of heroes (and heroines) who possess all the right ingredients of courage, loyalty and humour to battle the mysterious monsters that threaten the realm.

Ottilie and her beloved 11-year-old brother Gully know a thing or two about hardship and survival. They live in the damp caves of the Swamp Hollows and depend heavily on each other and their cleverness for survival. When Gully inexplicably disappears one morning Ottilie goes on an increasingly desperate search for him, following his tracks deep woods where she finds a strange halfling creature, Bob who aids her in her quest to find who has kidnapped him.

Her brother Gully is everything to Ottilie and when she realises that there is no way to quickly release him, she doesn’t hesitate to hack off her hair disguising herself as a boy. Smuggling herself into a prisoner train, she travels deep into the Narroway, a place that is the last bastion against the ‘dredretches’ – the terrifying creatures who threaten the kingdom, whom she soon discovers she will be training to learn how to fight.

Luckily for Ottilie she discovers she has a mean skill with a bow and arrow and as she struggles to hide that she is the only girl in the Keep both her (and her brother Gully) question why there is a gender divide between what boys and girls are capable of achieving.

The first in a 3-part trilogy, look no further Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt if you are seeking a cracking book to read that is in the tradition of Nevermore or Harry Potter.

Great for ages 9-10 plus.

Review by Nicole @ Great Escape Books

[Tamara Van dishoeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottilie en haar broertje Waldemar hebben altijd voor elkaar gezorgd en dan word haar broertje ontvoerd door de drochtenjagers en Ottilie gaat meteen achter hun aan om haar broertje te redden. maar de drochtenjagers ontvoeren alleen jongens en Ottilie doet alsof ze een jongen is om zo bij haar broertje te komen. maar ontsnappen lijkt moeilijker dan ze dacht en ze vinden het stiekem toch wel leuk om opgeleid te worden als jagers. het is een kinderboek maar wel een leuke. hij is spannend en zit vol met avonturen en Ottilie is best wel een stoere meid.

[Merinereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Einstieg fiel mir hier ein wenig schwer, am Ende konnte mich das Buch aber überzeugen. Gut finde ich, wie Ottilie in eine quasi von Männern dominierte Welt kommt und allen zeigt, dass sie als Mädchen alles genauso gut kann; und generell nicht einsieht, warum sie etwas nicht genau so gut können sollte wie ein Junge. Das ganze Versteckspiel am Anfang war nicht ganz so meins (da ich eigentlich die ganze Zeit nur darauf gewartet habe dass sie auffliegt), aber die Botschaft dahinter (lass dir nicht von anderen sagen was du kannst oder nicht, sondern zeige ihnen was in dir steckt) fand ich schön. Auch mochte ich an Ottilie, dass sie als Hauptfigur nicht viel besser oder besonderer ist als alle anderen Charaktere (keine "Auserwählte" oder durchgehend perfekte Superheldin), sondern ihre Heldenmomente einfach dadurch hat dass sie im Richtigen moment klug handelt und das tut was sie gut kann.

[Beth-louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll probably write a full review later but I was expecting such a strong feminist middle-grade novel and this wasn't exactly that.

** Mild Spoilers**

Whilst it did ask the question of why can't girls be equal to boys - nothing really happened to correct the misogynistic society. Whether that will come later I don't know but I really really hope so.

She questioned it so much to little avail which only irritated me.

She got punished so much for her actions when the males were still not accountable for theirs?!

The main plot point came into play because of a boy being misogynistic and then it was only solved when all the men then decided it was okay.

Not quite the feminist outlook I was hoping for.

Still a wonderfully crafted world with interesting aspects (but is in dire need of a map) - still trying to decide whether to read the next one.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ottilie Colter was such a fun read! Full of adventure, mystery and a rambunctious cast of characters, Ottilie Colter tells the story of one girl's fight to save her younger brother when he's kidnapped by a secret order of male monster hunters, tasked with saving the world before they turn 18.
Ottilie is my favourite kind of character, she anxious and scared and afraid of doing the wrong thing but when push comes to shove she'll be brave despite how scared she is. More than that this is a story that challenges fantasy tropes and makes readers ask questions, like why are men the only ones allowed to fight monsters? Why do women only belong in the kitchen or laundry?
The perfect read for fantasy lovers of all ages - I can't wait for book 2!!!

[Isa Rive · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neglected by their mother, siblings Ottilie and her younger brother are close. But when Gully is kidnapped, Ottilie must disguise herself as a boy to find him. They are taken to Fort Fiory in the Narroway, a secret border land where danger lurks. Terrifying monsters roam the surrounds only contained by a group of huntsmen or more accurately “huntsboys”. Unable to escape, they’re forced to join the training program. Ottilie struggles to hide her secret identity and answer her own worrying questions.
Part Harry Potter mixed with Hungergames this is a thrilling read. Can’t wait for the second. Recommended for 8-12yrs.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Such wonderful characters and I can't wait to revisit this world with the next two books in this series.

[Kate Mock Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent YA fantasy caper with a darker edge of very creepy monsters. Ott is an admirable young hero, and the slow unfolding of a surprisingly complex plot is hard to put down.

[Cheryl Meibos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was highly recommended to me by a fifth grade student. I liked the creative creatures and the strong female protagonist.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

💙💜💚🏹OTTILIE COLTER AND THE NARROWAY HUNT🏹💚💜💙
4.5 Stars
When Gully Ottilie's younger brother disappears, all she knows is that she was kidnapped by the Narroway Hunt. Ottilie disguises as a boy, and infiltrates the Narroway Hunt to find her brother. Set in a misogynistic society, with animals, fantasy, feminism and important lessons about the prejudices against females.

This book is perfect for fans for Harry Potter and Wilderlore. I read the synopsis and I have never seen a middle grade book where a girl has to pretend to be a boy-and it was really interesting to see her struggle with hiding her true self. Another thing I have never seen in middle grade, a very prominent theme about the divide between what your potential can be based on your gender. I was here for this, and I loved this. I really loved the topics it dealt with, that aren't taught and learned about enough. I loved Ottilie's character, she was really realistic and human. She didn't instantly pick up a weapon and seemingly her enemies, wielding the weapon easily. It took her a longer time to master it and even then she still had a lot to learn. She is brave but also scared in the inside. She is smart, and will fight for what she wants but not at the cost of people she loves. Her character was great, and so were the other characters like Gully, Ned, Preddy, and Scoot. And yes I am looking at you LEO, he is not likable at all but has a lot of room for growth.
I really liked the worldbuilding, we spent a lot of time in the Narroway Hunts base, I like the whole talk about enemies and a war between the Laklanders and the Uskler. Also the cool animals and creatures, and mention of witches and kings. The whole book was so easy to speed through, and the characters kept it lively. I loved Ottilie character and cannot wait for her next adventure! The anticipation of Ottilie being revealed as a girl, kept me at the edge of my seat truly a great adventure!
✅PLOT
⛔PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS

💙💜💚🏹CHARACTERS🏹💚💜💙
✅OTTILIE
✅GULLY
✅NED
✅PREDDY
✅SCOOT
🆗LEO

💙💜💚🏹CONCLUSION🏹💚💜💙
Happy new year! This was a great book to finish off 2021.

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aangezien ik in een bibliotheek werk, moet ik ook veel kinderboeken opruimen. En toen ik dit boek zag, was ik meteen nieuwsgierig. En nu ben ik heel blij dat ik hem heb opgepakt.

Omdat het een kinderboek is, had ik er niet heel veel van verwacht. Maar dit is een boek dat ik vroeger geweldig had gevonden, en nu ook weer. Waarom?

- De heldin is een heel stoer meisje, dat ook toegeeft dat ze bang is. Maar ze weigert toe te geven aan die angst. Ottilie (de hoofdpersoon) bewijst in dit boek dat je bang en gevoelig kan zijn, en ondertussen ook ontzettend stoer en moedig.

- Het is ontzettend feministisch. Ottilie moet doen alsof ze een jongen is om een jager te kunnen worden, omdat de mannen geloven dat meisjes "zwak" zijn. Maar Ottilie bewijst het tegendeel. En daarbij wordt in het hele verhaal meerdere keren aangewezen dat die vooroordelen tegen meisjes nergens op slaat.

- De fantasy aspecten zijn goed uitgewerkt. Sommige dingen kwamen mij wel bekend voor, maar ergens vond ik het toch een originele wereld. In dit boek jagen de jongens (en Ottilie) op drochten. Bijzondere, enge, vieze wezens die nergens goed voor lijken te zijn behalve mensen doden. Dan heb je ook monsters die aan de goede kant staan: de zweversluipers. Nou die vond ik echt geweldig. Grote katachtige monsters met vleugels. Ge.wel.dig.

- De verhaal is best goed uitgewerkt. Er zijn best wat gaten hier en daar, maar dat zijn gaten die de hoofdpersoon ook opvallen. Waardoor ik het idee krijg dat die gaten in de volgende boeken nog wel opgevuld gaan worden.


Nou dit was mijn review, verwacht niet bij elk boek dat ik lees een review want daar heb ik geen zin. Al met al is dit boek zeker een aanrader!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt has the honour of being the first middle-grade novel to win Hardie Grant Egmont’s Ampersand Prize. It is a high fantasy novel in the same vein as the popular Ranger’s Apprentice series and we believe that this series will also be very popular. The Brakkerswamp, home to the Colter family, is a dangerous place and Ottilie and her younger brother Gully have always cared for each other. When Gully is recruited, ie. kidnapped, by the swamp picker to join the band of the Narroway Hunters, a secret all-male force who protect the land’s inhabitants from deathly scavenging creatures Ottilie cannot rely on any adults to help her. She, therefore, takes on a disguise by cutting her hair, renaming herself Ott and infiltrating the group as a spy. As you can imagine, posing as a girl in an all boy squad brings about its own difficulties. Courageous and brave, Ottilie does everything she can to change their situation. Ottilie, Gully and their new friends are an impressive group of heroes and this is the start of a great new series.

Suitable for 8+ -fantasy, magical creatures, gender roles, fairness, friendship, loyalty.

[Jessica Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter begged me to read this book because she thought I would love it with the caveat that “it doesn’t get really good until book two.” She knows I love a strong female protagonist set in a fantasy novel so she was spot on with this recommendation.

I love the opening scene at a perfect set up for the decisions Ottilie decides to make. I love the first section with the interesting characters who sleep outside their door. The absentee mother, though, could have been more fleshed out. Bill is intriguing and I hope his place in the overall story is related in the later books. Otherwise his character will be an uncomfortable loose end.

However, the middle section, while Ottilie hides, is frustrating. The patriarchy, as always, is infuriating and I love that Ottilie questions the procedures, and pushes back against the rules. But it’s frustrating that she is in hiding her true self. Somehow the pacing suffers in this section too. The author brings you back in at the end though and now I can’t wait to read book two.

[Karen Dransfield]

The local library as an alphabet soup reading challenge and I picked this up as a W author. Glad I did. A fun first book in a series. Ottilie lives with her brother Gully in the Swamp Hallows which is a pretty bleak and low type of place. Their mum isn't well and they do the best they can. But when Gully goes missing Ottilie makes a dangerous discovery that a secret group are kidnapping boys... so she disguises herself as a boy and chases after them to bring back Gully... and finds more than she bargained for.
A thrilling adventure about a lead female character being brave in scary times to save her brother and finding out she likes being brave. I really enjoyed the story, finished this at 2am as I couldn't put it down until it was finished. Now to go and see if the library has the second book in the series.

[Vale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Miss Ottilie Colter was just a little bit over her head.

** SPOILERS**

As a big sister myself I could understand her reasoning for deciding to follow her younger brother into the scary unknown. With a drunkard for a mother, her brother Gully was really the only family she had. She was probably scared shitless every step of the way. Yet she tried on just so she could be with and rescue her brother. I did like the realism of how she not only knew how suspicious everything surrounding the Narroway Hunt but knew if she stayed she would have a purpose greater than herself. Did she stop questioning every strange occurrence she saw? No. Ott did however know that it was better to join and learn to fight these strange creatures to run away and never know how to defend herself- against human or monster. At any point, if the opportunity presented itself, Ott and her friends would run away because its still strange how the Narroway Hunt still is. When it was discovered that she was a girl all along I was holding my breath because the idea of death for Ott was literally insane to think. I did like how the author took that approach on making her take the role of a shovlie that way when the time to save Leo came Ottilie was in a position to do so. If she was a sulkie then it would have been to far fetched.

A fun and good read for people of all ages, highly recommend.

[Julia Pika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ottilie goes undercover as a boy to find her brother and protect him, only to find out that *everyone* needs protection from these mysterious monsters that the so-called Narrowway Hunt is tasked with fighting.

A very enjoyable middle-grade fantasy novel dealing with darker creatures of the night, not to mention, rampant sexism! Ha, but still, it handles the issues very beautifully and I was absorbed from page one. I will mention, it is a little bit slow in the beginning but I'd say by page 100 it really picks up.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of Morrigan Crow because it's similar in style, but it also reminds me of Hunger Games in a sense that they are fighting for survival on a daily basis and dealing with a broken and unjust system in the process. Highly recommend!