Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

This was an enjoyable read! The action and the well thought out characters kept my attention throughout. I would read more set in this world!

#AThreeLetterName #NetGalley

It's been some time since I've read such a sweet book and I appreciate so much having the differently-abled main characters point of view. A romance set in a new world where catamounts rule as predators. El, a 17-year-old young woman is robbed of her hearing by a fever and made to marry Samuel. At 22 years-old, Samuel was the promising young hunter of his tribe who leaves his village after a catamount mauling left him unable to hunt. Leaving his village to marry El, they struggle to find ways to overcome their feelings of the before and after to appreciate the strengths they each contribute. I look forward to reading more by Annie Lisenby.

A Three Letter Name is a combination exhilarating action with sweet romance in a seamless manner. The novel depicts the narrative of two persons who have been badly wounded by the outside world, but who, through their shared experiences, learn to love themselves and each other. 
The author's manner of writing was one of the things that impressed me about this book. It is thrilling and engrossing, bringing the reader into the tale from the first and holding their attention until the final page. The fast-paced and action-packed story is loaded with horrifying animals and life-or-death circumstances.

The characters of A Three Letter Name are engaging and complicated, and despite their imperfections, the reader cannot not but cheer for them. Their evolution throughout the story is skillfully managed, and they all have strong, easily comprehendible goals. The novel's romance is gentle and lovely. Overall, I would suggest A Three Letter Name to anybody who enjoys a fascinating fantasy tale with well-developed characters and a tender romance.

I absolutely loved this book!
It was a unique and entertaining read and I ended up really loving Els and Samuel!
I definitely highly recommend A Three Letter Name!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Els is a woman whose whole world once revolved around listening for the enemy. But having mostly lost her hearing, her world has been rocked. The same for her husband Samuel, who has his own disability. The two of them join together to take on the beasts that have harassed the village for years. The writing is fantastic. Would highly recommend!

I grabbed this one because of the cover and I was not disappointed at all. I loved this story! I kind of wished it was longer or a series. It kind of reminded me a little of The Village. And I would seriously love a movie or something of this one. It was just so good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this novel. I am rating this book based the stars due to lack of time to leave a full review. #NetGalley #AThree-LetterName

I like this one! It was unique, suspenseful and near the end it was really intense. I liked most of the characters, Samuel was very likeable (even though he winked a bit too much) and the relationship between him and Els was sweet. There were a couple of things that I had a hard time believing and connecting with. It was hard for me to understand why no one had managed to kill these beasts that had been stalking the village for years. I know the book mentioned someone had tried but it seemed a bit far fetched that all it took was a couple of teenagers to get the job done. And sometimes it seemed a little too easy and convenient. I was also hoping for an ending where we see that maybe the village traditions had changed but in the end, it seemed to stay the same. Other than those couple of things, this book really did grab my attention and I had a hard time putting it down. 3.5 stars

It’s 2022, and I’m tired of YA novels not defying the expectations of the genre. No more poor representations of diverse characters, thinly veiled misogyny, or offensive stereotypes. Debut author Annie Lisenby smashes these past expectations with her YA novel “A Three Letter Name.”

Set in worlds similar to M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid's Tale,” we follow Els–a partially deaf teenager forced to marry a stranger or be exiled from her village. All Els wants to do is protect her village from the catamounts (AKA mountain lions) that prowl the woods surrounding her home, but fate has other plans.

Samuel, her soon-to-be husband, fled from his village across the island to escape his father’s judgment after a horrific accident left him with a mangled foot. Before the newly married couple can adjust to their new life together, a catamount kills Els’s friend and sends villagers into a panic. Their only option for survival people is to hunt the big cats and put an end to their terror.

For a YA novel, the writing is deeply immersive and suspenseful–akin to some of the great novels of the genre like “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent.” Lisenby’s writing style made it difficult to put “A Three Letter Name” down and rarely dragged through Els and Samuel’s journey. Although this novel is YA fiction, Lisenby hints at the misogynistic, patriarchal society the book is set in but doesn’t fully confront these issues. Despite this minor gripe, the novel is a perfect entry point for young readers to discuss and challenge the fictional world’s sexist society.
Unlike many YA protagonists, Els and Samuel were complex characters that defied the usual expectations of the genre. Navigating their misogynistic and ableist society, our protagonists illuminated these issues with clarity.

Although I cannot, and will not, speak for the disability representation as an able-bodied person, Lisenby not using the “overcoming a disability” trope in her debut was a refreshing detail. Too often have the “overcome a disability” or “magical cure” tropes been used to push ableist commentary. Seeing this not used in a YA novel is a welcome change. Els and Samuel’s love story is also a slow burn–heaped in yearning glances, earned kindness, and heart-warming moments.

A thrilling and intriguing take on the man versus nature trope, “A Three Letter Name” is a thought-provoking take on an over-used trope with feminist musings on the patriarchy and ableism.

There are some books that are large and some that are small. This is a perfect small book, great for a rainy day when you want to cry but be happy. Much love for Els and Samuel <3.

A very interesting tale! I liked the characters and thought that they were well-done. I also liked the plot but I think the pacing needed more work, there were some parts that felt boring. I also really, really enjoyed the romance!! The way it was set up and how it was developed was great. All in all, a solid book and I'm looking forward to whatever else the author decides to release.

A story with well-rounded characters about the communication that strengthens a relationship? Sign me up! I enjoyed the adventure and the dynamic explored in this book, especially in what is more or less a debut novel.

This book is set in a deeply misogynistic society where women are named according to whom they're married to how many children they have. For example, our main character Els is born with only the letter E as her name, then got expanded to El when she took on her occupation of listener, and then again expanded to Els when she married Samuel. Futhermore, with every child Els would have, she would add another letter to her name.
The society itself gives off major Christian-cult vibes, although no religion is ever explicitly discussed. Women are secondary citizens, not just because of the whole naming-thing, but also in their occupations and their standings in the two villages. The setting is a confined island, perfect for cult-y shit. Men and boys have names like Matthew, Malcolm, Leo, Patrick, Aaron, or Anthony, all giving me intense flashbacks to my life in a small Mormon village (and not in a good way).

But this is not a book about religion. Instead, there's two major storylines, intertwined: Els and Samuel, both recently disabled, learning to live with their new disabilities and their marriage of convenience to each other. Secondly: Vicious beasts threaten the villages and the people living there. No one except Els and Samuel seems willing to hunt and kill the beasts.
Seems interesting, no? It totally did. The beasts are called "catamounts" and I totally imagined some fantastical beast, tall as a man and with vicious teeth and claws, and glowing eyes. Until, on a whim, I googled "catamount."
It's a goddamn cougar. A cougar. Like a big cat. Okay, they're dangerous, but you're telling me that two large groups of men, skilled in hunting, never, over multiple generations, managed to kill a population of fifteen-or-so mountain lions?

So yeah, that was my major problem with this book. Otherwise, it was lovely. The growing romance between Els and Samuel was sweet, albeit a bit rushed since the book was so short. The writing was precise and fluent at the same time, although it mostly shines during the fight scenes, the short sentences adding a sense of urgency and horror to the story. At the beginning though, it can feel kind of cold and detached, making it difficult to immerse oneself into the story.

The portrayal of Els' and Samuel's disabilies was very good. In the acknowledgements, the author states that she worked together with actual disabled people in making sure everything was as accurate as possible, and I very much appreciate that.

In the end, this was a good little book, a quick read that didn't demand too much of me intellectually, but I just can't get over the cult-y vibes. In German, we say "a burned child shies away from fire." Unfortunately, I'm attuned to Christian cults the way Els is attuned to a catamount's presence, and even at the tiniest hint of fire, I'd rather go the other way.

He rested his right hand on Els’s waist. With his fingers, he tapped the rhythm of his song. Els wasn’t paying attention to the words. The melody was sweet, and Samuel’s deep voice fluttered to her ears.
They swayed together to Samuel’s song. Els smiled at her husband, her heart feeling so light that it might escape from her chest and float away on the breeze. Samuel stumbled over his bad foot, and Els pulled him closer. She moved both of her arms to circle his waist and rested her head on his chest.
“You be my music and I’ll be your support.”
Samuel’s heart thumped steadily. As he continued his song, the vibrations of his voice rippled across his chest, tickling her cheek. The broken couple moved in their own rhythm, one that no one else in the world could match. A rhythm that reflected who they were. The deaf listener and the maimed hunter. Both rejected by the villagers. But together, they might be unstoppable.

_____________________

If you enjoyed The Quiet Place and Lost but would prefer a more remote, primitive, and dystopian setting interlaced with a love story for the ages and a tale of persevering in the face of disability and insurmountable odds then have I found the book for YOU!!

El is a young woman who has never wanted a three letter name. In her village on an island surrounded by sea, cliffs, and thick forests, each girl is given a one letter name at birth and a second letter when her role in the village is determined. The third letter is added when they are married, and a subsequent letter is added to their name for each child they have. Born E, she became El when she was designated a Listener; someone who takes post high above the village at night as a lookout, warning the villagers of night attacks from the vicious monsters that inhabit the island: the catamounts. After falling deathly ill, El recovers but as a result of her sickness she becomes deaf. No longer able to be a listener, El resigns herself to life as it is and rejects the notion of a husband and a three letter name…until her marriage is arranged to a man from a northern village who agrees to take her as his wife despite her hearing loss. Meeting Samuel the day of their wedding, El becomes Els and their life together begins. Samuel himself walks with the aid of crutches, having previously been a hunter and narrowly surviving his own catamount attack with a permanently deformed foot. Learning to live and communicate together, and getting to know each other is difficult enough, especially with Samuel being shunned for work in the village due to his handicap, but when the catamounts make an unprecedented attack on the village during the day, tragedy drives Els to seek revenge by vowing to rid the island of catamounts once and for all. Joined by Samuel and another villager they journey to Samuel’s village in the north in hopes of building a sizable hunting party. They’re met with even more opposition, as the village does not recognize women in any way and tragedy of their own has struck since Samuel’s departure, leaving his role in their village in the balance. The end result is a rag tag band of 6 hunters setting off into the forest to locate the catamount’s lair and exterminate them once and for all. But what they stand to realize is that the greatest enemy might not be the monsters lurking in the forest at all…the worst kind of monster may just be the person standing beside them.

This book was heavy, but SO good!! Be warned it is filled with brutal violence, bloody tragedy, and loss, but juxtaposed against it is a beautiful story of perseverance, strength, and determination. What truly makes this story shine, however, is its powerful essay in what love truly is and how love can extend far beyond words into the depths of one’s soul, putting itself above all other rational thought to care for another human being.

Els and Samuel’s story was so sweet and so well crafted. Watching them overcome their communication barrier, then watching them come to care for each other, and then seeing their spark growing into such a fearless, strong love for one another was absolutely beautiful and kept me holding my breath till the end praying that they got their happy ending, or as they referred to it their “after”.

The side characters and their own stories of love, loss, strength, and growth were just as poignant. Amli, Leo, Cricket, James, and Aaron absolutely stole my heart!! At times the general law of the land was a bit disturbing and archaic, especially toward women, but seeing as it was quite literally the way their society functioned reinforced the primitive survival needed to frame the story and the team’s mission overall.

In the end this book is definitely different, unique, and off the beaten path from your average trending novels but an excellent story and a stand out debut. I cannot wait to read more from this author and I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Parliament House, and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The title as well as the beautiful cover intrigued me from the start and I was not disappointed. The explanation for the title is given in the first chapter already, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone, because I think it's such a clever idea and something I have kept thinking about in the days reading the book.

The book starts with the main characters Els and Samuel getting married, though both have their own reasons for it. Both of them were interesting characters, and especially Els' motives were clear throughout the story. The romance between them was sweet and reminded me a little bit of Katniss and Peeta in THG series. (Though Samuel winked just a *tad* too much for me.)

I thought them both to be very mature despite the relatively young age they are, which makes sense given the description of the society they have been raised in.

The writing style flowed very well. Especially the description of the island was well-written and transported you into the setting instantly.

Personally I'd give the first half 5 stars and the second half 3.5 stars, mostly because there were many fight scenes. It makes sense from a story telling view to show their battle with the beasts and nature, but it dragged on just a bit.

Two individuals with their own struggles. Neither of them want this marriage, but as they learn more about each other, things changed. I love how Els and Samuel learned to fix themselves, to be more confident, and to find their purpose in one another. I get their self-doubts and glad to see their character grow throughout the book.

I also love the wild village setting and world building. Cricket annoyed me at first, but I also understand her reasons. I also love Amli and Leo, and James. My only little downside is uhmmm Samuel winked way too many times it irks me sometimes haha I get that he is handsome, he doesn't need to wink wink that often LOL but that aside, I love him and Els.

Overall it was a great read!

Els always knew that she wanted to be a Listener, that she wanted to dedicate herself to keeping her village safe from the catamounts. She certainly never wanted to marry. Until an illness took her hearing from her, took her vocation from her. Until the choice was marriage or banishment.

Samuel was raised to be a Hunter, to dedicate his life to protecting his village. He was going to marry the girl he loved and one day take over from his father as Chief Hunter. Until an accident took his foot from him. Until he could no longer hunt and the girl he loved walked away.

Both are considered damaged goods by the village. Both are haunted by the life they should have had. Both are struggling to adjust to the life that is left for them. Neither of them wanted this marriage, but together they may just be able to save the village after all.

The most striking thing about this book is the magnetic dynamic between two characters who have been forced together by circumstance, but quickly come to realise that they have more in common than they could have ever imagined. This creates a tension throughout which dips and rises in waves with the characters’ turbulent emotions.

The world it is set in is simplistic, with the main complexity stemming from the rich symbolism and well-established traditions. Each character interacts differently with these traditions, creating an immersive depth to the community. The monsters they fight are also simple. It is the history behind the catamounts and the rituals that have evolved around them which give them true shape and fear.

So much fantasy fiction is built to epic proportions that I kept expecting there to be a catch, something larger to overshadow the simplicity of men fighting beasts. However, it turns out that it was the simplicity of the novel that kept it so engaging. There were no twists and turns to confuse me, little world-building to be distracted by, and few subplots to get lost in. As I read, I could simply focus on the relationship between the two main characters and the quest that they were embarking on.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

This was definitely a quick and enjoyable read. I loved seeing the characters grow as individuals and as a couple. I was sucked into their stories and couldn’t wait to see how they came together. I liked Els and Samuel although they annoyed me at points. They were both so stubborn, caught up in their own disability that they could see the others pain and struggle. Also, Samuel winked way too much. It drove me crazy. I also like Aml; the other characters were more background noise to me.

This is a story about adventure, romance.

It has been compared in other reviews to Handmaids Tale and The Village which is accurate.

I think this book will definitely find its audience. While the writing style wasn't for me, I appreciate the overall story and think this book will do well.

The only thing about this book I didn't like was the title. I just don't think that it truly represents the theme of the book well. The story itself is interesting with echoes of Night-Shyamalans The Village . The romance (and I don't usually like romance) was delightful and very slow burn. Nothing more than hugs and a few kisses here . The action was exciting and no more gory than was necessary to the story. I was a little concerned about the misogynistic attitudes in the society but that's what makes it dystopian fiction. The female characters are almost all strong women. I will look out for more of this authors work.