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tattedlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I was loaned this book on tape (yes, tape!) by a friend. She thought I might like the book. I listened to the first half of the first tape and thought, why am I still listening...??? I kept going and that was the last time I had that thought.
Caroline Cooney spins an amazing tale about ancient Greece and Troy. She starts when Anaxandra is a six year old hostage from a siege on her home island. She is taken to live with King Nicander to be a playmate for the Princess Callisto, a crippled girl near her age. Anaxandra survives when a band of pirates attack and kill Nicander and most of the residents of the island. She buries Nicander and as she is standing guard over his grave, a fleet of ships lead by Menelaus picks up Anaxandra. She survives by telling them she is the Princess Callisto.
Menelaus introduces her to his wife, Helen. Helen is part goddess, her father is Zeus and her mother was Lida. Helen sees through the disguise and knows that she is no princess. Anaxandra is sure the gods are punishing her for stealing another’s birthright. She becomes friends with Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen and takes care of Pleisthenes, their youngest son (just an infant).
When Paris of Troy arrives everything changes. Helen leaves Menelaus and plans to sail to Troy with Paris. When Hermione realizes that her mother is planning to run away she is furious and decides to kill her. She is stopped by her nurse and Anaxandra. Anaxandra is disguised as Hermione and leaves with Pleisthenes in order to save the life of Hermione. When she arrives it doesn’t take long for Helen to realize that she has been deceived. Anaxandra spends the rest of the book trying to make sure that Paris doesn’t kill Pleisthenes.
Cooney shows a great deal of attention to detail in this great book. She mixes fiction with history (and the writings of Homer and others) to create a delightful story. Themes of self-sufficiency, coming of age, family and identity abound. What starts off slowly grows into a beautifully woven tale of life in ancient times.
Caroline Cooney spins an amazing tale about ancient Greece and Troy. She starts when Anaxandra is a six year old hostage from a siege on her home island. She is taken to live with King Nicander to be a playmate for the Princess Callisto, a crippled girl near her age. Anaxandra survives when a band of pirates attack and kill Nicander and most of the residents of the island. She buries Nicander and as she is standing guard over his grave, a fleet of ships lead by Menelaus picks up Anaxandra. She survives by telling them she is the Princess Callisto.
Menelaus introduces her to his wife, Helen. Helen is part goddess, her father is Zeus and her mother was Lida. Helen sees through the disguise and knows that she is no princess. Anaxandra is sure the gods are punishing her for stealing another’s birthright. She becomes friends with Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen and takes care of Pleisthenes, their youngest son (just an infant).
When Paris of Troy arrives everything changes. Helen leaves Menelaus and plans to sail to Troy with Paris. When Hermione realizes that her mother is planning to run away she is furious and decides to kill her. She is stopped by her nurse and Anaxandra. Anaxandra is disguised as Hermione and leaves with Pleisthenes in order to save the life of Hermione. When she arrives it doesn’t take long for Helen to realize that she has been deceived. Anaxandra spends the rest of the book trying to make sure that Paris doesn’t kill Pleisthenes.
Cooney shows a great deal of attention to detail in this great book. She mixes fiction with history (and the writings of Homer and others) to create a delightful story. Themes of self-sufficiency, coming of age, family and identity abound. What starts off slowly grows into a beautifully woven tale of life in ancient times.
cassandrasharp314's review against another edition
5.0
i found this book in the lone star award section at the keller library today and remembered it instantly. i read it when i was twelve after coming across it in my middle school library. i started re-reading it today and its as good as i remember :)
amyjoy's review against another edition
5.0
God, I love stories about ancient Greece and Troy (especially Troy; [b:The Iliad|1371|The Iliad|Homer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388188509s/1371.jpg|3293141] is my favorite). This is a lovely look at the beginnings of the war from an outsider's perspective. Anaxandra is such a wonderful character, and I loved the language Cooney uses throughout. And the characterizations of all the famous figures are wonderful, and I really appreciated the way she showed how Helen could get under people's skin and beguile them. I always wondered why Priam wouldn't just give her the boot once the war began to drag on and on and on, but Cooney handles that really deftly and in a way that makes sense.
ETA: GUH, that cover. I love it so much; it's powerful and dynamic and interesting.
My one nitpick is a scene where a ship is going through a storm and someone calls on the god of the ocean to save them EXCEPT ancient Greek sailors hoped Poseidon would never know that they were sailing (he ain't called the Earthshaker for nothing) and would never call upon him to calm a storm. #ClassicsNerd
ETA: GUH, that cover. I love it so much; it's powerful and dynamic and interesting.
My one nitpick is a scene where a ship is going through a storm and someone calls on the god of the ocean to save them EXCEPT ancient Greek sailors hoped Poseidon would never know that they were sailing (he ain't called the Earthshaker for nothing) and would never call upon him to calm a storm. #ClassicsNerd
cjazzlee's review against another edition
4.0
Upon first reading years ago, I remember I found this a fascinating read, intended for young adults but enjoyable for adults, about Medusa, the Spartans, the battle of Troy. The heroine of the book is smart, intelligent and takes fierce control of her own fate. Love Cooney's handling of the themes of destiny, the power of choice and the reworking of Greek myth.
rabristow's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this book. The characters and the different way of viewing the famous characters of the Trojan war through young Anaxandra's eyes was fresh and interesting. I still can read it after ten years and still appreciate the story.
friendofhayley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
2.0
This story left me wanting. It was terribly slow to begin with, and then when it starts to pick up and get really exciting. It abruptly ends. The book seems to be building to some great punishment for the main character, but nothing happens to her. She ends up being sent to the island of the man she loves, but does she marry him or just get shipped back to Sparta? Don't know. The book ends with the order to send her to the island. Nothing really gets resolved. There was more place description than plot or character development.
dancarey_404's review against another edition
4.0
I'm no classicist, but I flatter myself that I know a bit more about ancient Greek history than the average Joe. But Cooney gave me a completely new perspective on the character of Helen, Paris and Menelaus. They became, for want of a better word, believable. As is so often the case, a wonderful book has been relegated to the YA shelves just because the protagonist is a young girl. Don't let that label keep you from reading this excellent tale. [Audiobook note: At first, I thought the narrator's voice was too deep for a young girl's. But once I got used to it, it did not impede my enjoyment. She does a first-rate narration.]