We’re very excited to be a part of the Flicker & Mist blog tour today! Â Before we get to our review how about we tell you a bit about the book!
Flicker and Mist by Mary G. Thompson (Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on January 3rd 2017
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy, General, Girls & Women, Prejudice & Racism, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 384
Romance, intrigue, and plenty of action are woven into a rich and suspenseful narrative in this powerful YA fantasy. The mixed-race heroine Myra is a Flickerkin and can flicker (become invisible) at will. She hasn’t cultivated or revealed this ability, since Flickerkin are persecuted as potential criminals and spies. When invisible people become tricksters and then murderers, Myra’s Flickerkin heritage becomes a deadly secret, putting her relationship with the leader’s son—and her own life—in jeopardy. Loyalties shift and difficult choices are made before Myra understands who she wants to be.
Erin’s Thoughts
Flicker and Mist was one of those books that as soon as I read the summary I found myself intrigued – this is the first book I have read by Mary G. Thompson but it definitely won’t be the last.
This story had an interesting premise and I found myself sympathizing with Myra as she is continually faced with some very tough situations. As a mixed-race, she isn’t really welcomed by those around her because while her father is a respected Plat, her mother is a Leftie and to some of those around her, that makes her less. Add to this the fact that she and her mother are hiding that they are Flickerkin (this means they can flicker in and out …or make themselves invisible) because if the Plats around them knew that they were more than just Lefties, they would be in a lot of trouble.
I liked Myra and she clearly struggled with who she was and her identity. She grew up in a life of privilege but with her mixed background she wasn’t always treated the same as other full blood Plats. As Myra continues to try to hide these things about herself, she also finds out who she can really trust. One of the things I enjoyed in this story was the relationship Myra had with her parents. Her mom and dad played a key role in the book and that isn’t always the case in YA books.
I loved Myra’s friendship with Porti and seeing them eventually come to realize that they didn’t need to keep secrets from each other was great. Of everyone in the whole book, I think Porti’s character was the most open-minded and her ability to pull Myra out of her bubble helped make Myra more engaging and not as isolated.
In that same vein, I liked Myra’s relationship with Caster. Despite who his father is, his actions and beliefs were supportive of Myra. With that said, when he did find out Myra’s secret he did act a bit standoffish but I didn’t blame him considering she wasn’t being completely upfront about herself. In the end he did realize she was the same person as before and I’m happy about that.
The other character I will mention is Nolan. He is someone that challenges Myra and forces her to face who she really is. There are things I liked about him but also things I didn’t like. He is a Flickerkin and isn’t afraid of it. He is also the one to show Myra what she is really capable of but he also pushes when he probably shouldn’t.
As for the world building in this story, I thought Thompson did a good job. There were pieces that were confusing to me but didn’t pull me out of the rest of the book. As I learned more about the division between the Plats and the Lefties as well as how the Flicker Men impacted these groups, I was able to understand the fear the Plats had for the Flickerkin. Of course, I would say here that prejudice that some of the Plats had for anyone who wasn’t pure Plat was frustrating and unfair.
Overall I liked this book. There was quite a bit of action in the end and it seemed to be left a bit open ended so I’m not sure if that means this will be a series or if that was done purposely. I wouldn’t say that this book was groundbreaking in terms of the topic but the writing is done well and the world and characters are something a bit different than other YA fantasies out there. If that is something that interests you, consider checking this one out.
About Mary G. Thompson
Mary G. Thompson was raised in Cottage Grove and Eugene, OR. She was a practicing attorney for more than seven years, including almost five years in the US Navy, and is now a law librarian in Washington, DC. She received her BA from Boston University, her JD from the University of Oregon, and her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School.
3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of FLICKER AND MIST – US ONLY
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