Mayatte's Catharsis by Jack E. Mohr

 I received an e-arc of Mayatte's Catharsis by Jack E Mohr in exchange for a honest review.

If anyone is looking for a quick YA Fantasy read then I would recommend this book. Like with most novellas it must be taken with a grain of salt and things to consider like if the author took a few more sentences to explain something would you be able to call it a novella anymore. 

I think my main issue with the novella is that the blurb I was given was that foreigners come and Naña the fmc in the story makes contact with them and they wind up finding resources on the island and try to take over the island. She feels bad because it was all her fault. It reminded me of Pocahontas which is what intrigues me about the book except it did not happen until the very end of the novella. Speaking of the ending it was very vague about what actually happened.

I think there was also an attempt at romance except Naña refused to get off her high horse to even think of the idea that love could be a part of Mayatte. And if it isn't then how do the people come into existence? I feel like there were more questions than answers in the novella. I am keeping in mind that this is a novella and is probably trying to set up for a bigger series, but on it's own I feel like it could have been longer and more fleshed out like expand on why her skin changes color, expand on their religion and the other islands, expand on the magic or whatever you want to call it that prevents people from seeing the native inhabitants and how Zeke lost his clothes because I must have missed that part.

It is told in third person with mostly being Naña's POV, but it will randomly switch to Zeke which took me out of the story because I always had to pause to figure out at what point we started getting his perspective.

The novella has a lot of potential and the characters are intriguing it's just the pacing is too fast like you blink and suddenly someone is dead or they are in a new location with no indication of how we got to that point. I think if the author slowed it down or made it a proper novel it could be an easy five stars.

As it is now though:

⭐️3.5

💧7.5