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gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
The aftermath of the Crusades on the people left, and the hope that one girl who loved Jesus inspired in the people, gives a huge range of emotion and empathy.
itscati's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe it's that I don't read historical fiction often, or that I have several Julie Berry on my tbr shelf, but this was a delight.
meks17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
roseleaf24's review against another edition
3.0
I did not love this book. Part of that is that this is a character-driven book. I'm generally more of a plot-driven reader. There are two main characters, Dolssa and Botille, and Dolssa didn't grab me at all. Once I settled into the idea of it being Botille's story, I enjoyed it much more. Hers was a vibrant voice with a great deal to engage in and relate to. The plot picked up about halfway through, and it became a book I couldn't put down.
Another part of my inability to love this book is theological aspect. The book offers the polarity of the inquisitors and crusaders vs. the good people who just want to worship in their own way and believe that all belief is equal. I firmly believe that it is possible to believe that others are wrong without hating them or wanting to burn them at the stake, and that there is actual danger to false doctrine. I have seen despair and disbelief come out of churches formed around mysticism like Dolssa's, so I'm unwilling to pass the concern of the church off as solely wrong and ill-intended, though obviously the fear and war and death that sprang from their concern is extreme, reactionary, and to be condemned. I am very confused as to what the "good men" and "good women" believed, as the author's end notes don't adequately address what I am finding in other places, and I will need to do more research to satisfy my thoughts here.
Another part of my inability to love this book is theological aspect. The book offers the polarity of the inquisitors and crusaders vs. the good people who just want to worship in their own way and believe that all belief is equal. I firmly believe that it is possible to believe that others are wrong without hating them or wanting to burn them at the stake, and that there is actual danger to false doctrine. I have seen despair and disbelief come out of churches formed around mysticism like Dolssa's, so I'm unwilling to pass the concern of the church off as solely wrong and ill-intended, though obviously the fear and war and death that sprang from their concern is extreme, reactionary, and to be condemned. I am very confused as to what the "good men" and "good women" believed, as the author's end notes don't adequately address what I am finding in other places, and I will need to do more research to satisfy my thoughts here.
deweydecimalsisters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
christiana's review against another edition
4.0
I'm super surprised at how much I ended up liking this book. Very quiet and slower paced, but ultimately worthwhile. I see how this is a Printz honor: it's always seemed to me that they are books that require a little more effort to get into, but have a pretty good pay off (I think of Jellicoe Road int this respect). Dolssa and Botille's friendship reminded me of Verity and Maddie from Code Name Verity. All that being said, I think adults would like this book better than teens. Maybe students learning about the inquisitions and post holy war time would get value out of this, but this was a YA novel that felt more A than Y (even with teen main characters).
mary00's review against another edition
4.0
This is certainly a unique work of young adult historical fiction. It was refreshing to read a book set in a lesser known time period (in France during the bloody crusades of the 1200s). The setting and characters were richly drawn and I was impressed with the level of detail and authenticity.
I wish that I would have read a paper copy instead of listening to the audiobook. The audiobook narrators were wonderful, but I struggled to keep everyone straight for the first part of the book, which prevented me from really sinking into the story as I would have liked to. Because I am a visual learner, I believe the paper copy would have made it easier for me to connect with the characters and plot.
There were parts of this book that I loved, but overall I admired it more than loved it. I thought it was very skillfully written, and perhaps I could have loved it if I had read it in a different format. The further I got into the story, the more I felt invested. It just took me a while to get my bearings with the format and originality.
I wish that I would have read a paper copy instead of listening to the audiobook. The audiobook narrators were wonderful, but I struggled to keep everyone straight for the first part of the book, which prevented me from really sinking into the story as I would have liked to. Because I am a visual learner, I believe the paper copy would have made it easier for me to connect with the characters and plot.
There were parts of this book that I loved, but overall I admired it more than loved it. I thought it was very skillfully written, and perhaps I could have loved it if I had read it in a different format. The further I got into the story, the more I felt invested. It just took me a while to get my bearings with the format and originality.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Holy cow. Some other reviewer called this book a slow burn, and I agree with that. I didn't think I'd like this book (I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, I'm not a religious person at all, etc.) but everyone kept talking about it so I gave it a try. It took me a bit to get into it and I couldn't tell for the longest time if I liked it or not, but it kept me engaged enough to keep going. By the end, though, I was just a sobbing mess... upset not just for the characters (who apparently grew on me a great deal while I wasn't looking!) but also for everyone who lived during that time period. What a nightmare.
doritobabe's review against another edition
5.0
Hidden gem. Loved it. 4.5.
Later: Not sure why my star rating was missing, but updated to me 4.5/5. Thoroughly enjoyable YA/NA novel that doesn't centre around romance. The drama is historically relatable and so isn't too melodramatic in nature. This is a very good jumping off point for younger readers (or older, like me) to learn more about religious wars and traditional lifestyles.
Later: Not sure why my star rating was missing, but updated to me 4.5/5. Thoroughly enjoyable YA/NA novel that doesn't centre around romance. The drama is historically relatable and so isn't too melodramatic in nature. This is a very good jumping off point for younger readers (or older, like me) to learn more about religious wars and traditional lifestyles.