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6 March 2016

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (Yomna's Review)


Since this is a new release, I have chosen to make this review spoiler free!


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My rating: 4.5/5

One thing you don't know about this book is that it's shiny. Very shiny. Very beautiful. I kept on pausing reading the actual book and then just sitting for a few minutes and feeling the foil embossed parts on the book. You guys, my advice to you, do not read this book on ebook, it's too gorgeous. 

Okay, this might sound weird, but I usually never ever buy paperbacks or hardcovers of books I haven't read. The reason is that sometimes I buy books and they end up being horrible so I never read them and they just fill necessary space on my bookshelf. So usually, I only buy paperbacks (or hardcover) of books in a series I've already started or something I'm sure I will like. For example, I buy any Kiera Cass book blindly. 


But this book did not disappoint. At all. Took me a while to finish because I don't like bringing my physical copies of books to school because they get damaged and I hate that. Books are basically my babies and I take good care of them. 


In the beginning: This was one of those books you get into right away. I think I was bit thrown off when I started because I thought the book would be set in an age before guns, I didn't realize it was more modern than that, so I was a bit surprised. But instantly, I liked Amani's character and her strength enchanted me. 

Jin: I think Jin is very important not only as a love interest but only because he is male. You see, in this book, the people surrounding Amani are all sexist. Girls are ashamed to be, well, girls because since the day they were born there is open resentment at the fact that they were female. There was a part in the book where Amani felt sorry for one of her younger cousins because she hadn't realized yet that she should be ashamed to be born a girl. So, in this world where girls are hated and men are taught to only sexualize them, to demean them, it is important to have a good male character or else the whole book will be man hating. 

Now let me also say that Jin is a great love interest. He seems so cute and amazing! I would love to have him. He's an amazing character.

“Tell me that and we’ll go. Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that’s how you want your story to go and we’ll write it straight across the sand.” 


The world: I think this book had a well-built world. I really liked the Djinni and the Buraqi and I think they're such fascinating creatures. I think this is one of the first books I've read set solely in the desert, and it's really cool and new for me. By the way, if you want to see more about this book you should visit its website here. It's pretty cool and not spoilery for those of you who haven't read the book yet.


Human geography: So I learned this term in humanities class when I wasn't too busy reading in class. It basically means how the people that are in a certain territory act and behave. Basically, it's all about identity and how it affects geography. The people in this book are very sexist. It's horrible to be a girl in this world. But the thing is, it makes Amani so much more brave and inspiring and I'm happy to add her to my list of strong female protagonists.


Is it worth the read?: I think yes, it's a very enchanting book about the need to be free, love, rebellion, and generally, doing what's right no matter what.


“Being born doesn’t make a single soul important. But you were important when I met you, that girl who dressed as a boy, who taught herself to shoot true, who dreamed and saved and wanted so badly. That girl was someone who had made herself matter. She was someone I liked. What the hell has happened since you came here that she is so worthless to you? What’s happened that only my brother’s approval and some power you never needed before can make you important? That’s why I didn’t want to bring you into this revolution, Amani. Because I didn’t want to watch the Blue-Eyed Bandit get unmade by a prince without a kingdom.” 


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