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memyshelfsterling's review
3.0
Very nostalgic - I distinctly remember reading a couple of the novels in this series as a kid and loving them (notably Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, and Victoria). Going back and reading the full series from furthest back in history to most recent in history for nostalgic purposes.
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Maria
Cover Story: Starry, Starry Night
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: As You Know, Grandmother
Bonus Factors: Astronomy, STEM Girls, Spiritualism
Anti-Bonus Factor: Terrible Teacher
Relationship Status: Zodiac-Approved Soulmates
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Starry, Starry Night
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: As You Know, Grandmother
Bonus Factors: Astronomy, STEM Girls, Spiritualism
Anti-Bonus Factor: Terrible Teacher
Relationship Status: Zodiac-Approved Soulmates
Read the full book report here.
nicolebookish's review against another edition
3.0
I think this would have worked better in more standard narrative.
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd be a bit problematic.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd be a bit problematic.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
littleannotations's review
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rinkitaynezha's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
empressofeverything's review
3.0
I don't really remember reading this one more than once as a kid, and honestly I'm not surprised. This book was really dull, which really was disappointing. I don't know much about Korean history and this could've been an interesting introduction to it, but it really just...didn't go anywhere. Sondok is older than many of the other princesses in the series. I don't know if that really impacted the book at all.
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
This book, which is part of the popular Royal Diaries series, focuses on a young Korean woman who will one day inherit her father's kingdom, despite the fact that only males have ruled in the past. Visitors from neighboring countries look down upon her father for this decision and upon Sondok herself for her "inappropriate" interest in reading the skies. Sondok expresses her feelings to her deceased grandmother by writing messages and slipping them inside her grandmother's ancestral jar.
This book provides many interesting insights into Korean culture in the late 500s. Young readers will learn about the relationship between the Three Kingdoms of Korea, as well as Korea's relations with other nearby nations. They will see the way gender roles are enforced and challenged, and the way family dynamics determine the behavior of children in royal families. In the author's note, they will learn that Sondok was a real person, and that although some of her childhood details are the product of the author's imagination, she did go onto rule as the first female monarch of her kingdom and the second female ruler in all of East Asia. More than most of the other books I've read so far, this one is a history lesson unto itself.
There are some problems with the book. Though Sondok's way of keeping time is probably historically accurate, it's a little hard to follow the dates of her "diary" entries when you're used to modern Western calendars. Some subtle explanation early on in the story would have helped a lot. The entire diary concept is weak, too. It struck me as highly unlikely that a young woman with such respect for her grandmother would feel comfortable placing personal notes in her ancestral jar. Obviously, this entire series is devoted to diaries, so it was not necessarily a storytelling decision specific to this character and setting, but it does make parts of the story feel false and gimmicky. These issues aside, though, this book is really an excellent and enjoyable read, especially for science-minded girls seeking stories focused on their interests. Based on this book, I would say that the Royal Diaries is a much more valuable and well-written series than I would have guessed at first glance.
This book, which is part of the popular Royal Diaries series, focuses on a young Korean woman who will one day inherit her father's kingdom, despite the fact that only males have ruled in the past. Visitors from neighboring countries look down upon her father for this decision and upon Sondok herself for her "inappropriate" interest in reading the skies. Sondok expresses her feelings to her deceased grandmother by writing messages and slipping them inside her grandmother's ancestral jar.
This book provides many interesting insights into Korean culture in the late 500s. Young readers will learn about the relationship between the Three Kingdoms of Korea, as well as Korea's relations with other nearby nations. They will see the way gender roles are enforced and challenged, and the way family dynamics determine the behavior of children in royal families. In the author's note, they will learn that Sondok was a real person, and that although some of her childhood details are the product of the author's imagination, she did go onto rule as the first female monarch of her kingdom and the second female ruler in all of East Asia. More than most of the other books I've read so far, this one is a history lesson unto itself.
There are some problems with the book. Though Sondok's way of keeping time is probably historically accurate, it's a little hard to follow the dates of her "diary" entries when you're used to modern Western calendars. Some subtle explanation early on in the story would have helped a lot. The entire diary concept is weak, too. It struck me as highly unlikely that a young woman with such respect for her grandmother would feel comfortable placing personal notes in her ancestral jar. Obviously, this entire series is devoted to diaries, so it was not necessarily a storytelling decision specific to this character and setting, but it does make parts of the story feel false and gimmicky. These issues aside, though, this book is really an excellent and enjoyable read, especially for science-minded girls seeking stories focused on their interests. Based on this book, I would say that the Royal Diaries is a much more valuable and well-written series than I would have guessed at first glance.
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