Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Review

Common Sense Media says

Dynamic writing sets intense angel romance apart.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the publisher targets this book as young adult (12 and up), but it is really mature young adult fare: 14 and up, mostly due to sexual themes such as the loss of virginity (and regret of it) and a forbidden, intense relationship that includes sex (though it's not described in any detail). There are sad deaths, fighting with knives resulting in stab wounds, a beheading, and the description of a never-ending war between angels and chimaera with many dead. Readers get much food for thought on the power of hope and the cost of war.

  • Educational value2
    There are themes here of resurrection and what happens to a soul after death that can be researched from the point of view of various religious traditions -- which one(s) does this book follow? There's also angel lore here, from the plight of fallen angels to the role of warrior angels, another fascinating topic of study.
  • Positive messages3
    Karou's name means "hope," a central theme here, exploring why hope is better than magic or making wishes. War and what happens to longtime enemies is also explored, such as how the enemy can easily be demonized and misunderstood.
  • Positive role models3
    Karou often fights first, asks questions later, and her curiosity gets her in trouble, but she is fiercely loyal to her unconventional family. Akiva gives up love for vengefulness when he thinks all is lost, but makes a noble choice to be truthful when it will only cause him hurt.
  • Violence3
    Karou is attacked and attacks with knives and martial arts moves and once threatens a man with a gun; she is stabbed in a fight and slowly recovers. Descriptions of war dead and dying in world with angels and chimaera, plus that of a beheading. A man plummets to death off a tower. Karou is haunted by an image of trafficked girls with bloodied mouths who had their teeth taken. Akiva is taken from his mother at age 5 to be trained as a soldier, and he and his brother and sister have tattooed marks on their arms for each chimaera killed.
  • Sex3
    Male nakedness -- in the form of a disrobing for art students; Karou's ex-boyfriend poses to get a rise out of her and there's some discussion of his penis. Another creature straddles Karou naked in a fight. Mentions that 17-year-old Karou lost her virginity to her ex-boyfriend and her wish that she'd waited for someone better; her guardian also gives her a lecture about it. Two characters sneak away nightly for a love affair, but little is mentioned beyond rumpled clothes and kissing. Karou and Akiva kiss. Mention of seraphim visiting concubines -- different ones nightly -- who bear them soldiers. A monster licks Karou lasciviously.
  • Language2
    "Bastard" and "jackass" are the most frequent. Also, "bitch," "damn," "Goddamn," "a--hole," and "hussy."
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    A few mentions of students and others smoking, but not the main characters. Plus mentions of drunken dancing and passing out.
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What's the story?

Seventeen-year-old Karou is living in two very different words. In one she's at art school in Prague with her own apartment and the unwanted attentions of a gorgeous but shallow ex-boyfriend. But when she passes through a portal she's in a shop run by the chimaera monsters who raised her. The shop is filled with teeth of all kinds and the portal opens out to places around the world where Karou can "run errands" to get more teeth from some rather shady brokers who are paid in wishes. The purpose of the teeth is a mystery to Karou, as is where she really came from. Then she's cornered and stabbed near the portal in Marrakesh by a warrior seraphim named Akiva. And worse yet, the portals suddenly burn up, closing her link to her adopted family. She's determined to find a way back to them, but when Akiva finds her in Prague, her plans get sidetracked. Why are they so drawn to each other? The truth they discover is both beautiful and heart-wrenching.

Is it any good?

 

YA romantic fantasy seems to be the gateway for many inexperienced writers who often get by on the same formula: too-perfect otherworldly hunk courts average teen girl with lots of longing and intensity. Here we have the too-perfect-looking angel and the intensity, but the girl is far from average (she knows kung fu, for starters) and a total mystery. And there's layer upon layer of other mysteries besides. Each goes in a direction the reader often never expects.

And best of all for the world of romantic fantasy, the writing is actually really good. Finally. The author is a National Book Award finalist for her short story collection Lips Touch: Three Times, so it's not a surprise for her fans. Readers of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE are treated to descriptions of Prague that are almost as compelling as the unfolding story. The last page has a "... to be continued," so expect more refreshingly well-written romantic fantasy to come.

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about angels and their succeeding the vampire as the next heartthrob. What's similar about Akiva and say, Edward from Twilight? What's different?

  • Families can also talk about the creation story told from the angel's perspective and the chimaera's. How is prejudice woven into both? Can you think of well-known stories in our world that have clear prejudices?

  • How is this view of angels different from what religious traditions tell us? How is it the same?

This review was written by Carrie R. Wheadon

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This review was written by Carrie R. Wheadon
Topics:magic and fantasy
Author:Laini Taylor
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Romance
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:September 27, 2011
Number of pages:418
Hardcover price:$18.99
This review was written by Carrie R. Wheadon
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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