wanderonwards's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have complicated thoughts about this one. It started out strong, and I can appreciate what it was trying to do, but it didn't quite make it and it definitely needed content warnings.
evabeaver's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
alexabookish's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. i did really like the writing in this book, but the plot was where i had my issues. looking back, i feel like not very much happened at all. also the ending was the weirdest thing i’ve ever read. like what the heck? with that said, i did also predict that ending, but i didn’t think it would be correct because of how weird it was. (if you’ve read this i’m talking about “the three weapons”)
mnakka9's review against another edition
1.0
My first DNF book.
Men are bad, men are bad.
Yes, we know we are bad, that's why we started to shave our testi**es with Gillette!
Men are bad, men are bad.
Yes, we know we are bad, that's why we started to shave our testi**es with Gillette!
inkdrinker83's review against another edition
5.0
This book is about the violence underneath the fairy tales we've written to explain the violence in our lives. It is beautiful and horrifying and I'm going to be thinking about it for a very long time.
mandyist's review against another edition
3.0
Elana K. Arnold's Damsel is not the type of book I normally read, possibly because I normally read young adult fiction and I'm not exactly sure that Damsel actually counts as such. It's a reimagining of the classic dragon slayer and rescued damsel story, except in this case, Ama is not entirely convinced that this damsel malarkey is all for her and Prince Emory isn't exactly charming either.
In fact, he is quite the misogynist brute and despite having no memory of life before meeting Emory, Ama has a strong moral compass and a burgeoning sense of who she is and what she won't abide by.
With just a lynx kitten called Sorrow to keep her company, Ama must navigate life in the royal court and prepare herself for marriage with the prince. Which all sounds marvellously predictable except for the one factor Emory didn't count on, Ama's agency.
Damsel is a decidedly odd tale that I predict is going to prove very divisive. Some critics are loving it and it was named a 2019 Printz Honor Book. Despite being firmly marketed as a young adult novel, I'm not sure it's going to appeal to many readers in that demographic but I also suspect that many educators will favour it for its allegorical interpretation of feminism, misogyny, power and agency.
Mostly, Damsel has left me conflicted and it took me several weeks to agree on a star rating for the novel.
I tend to favour novels with a more poetic or lyrical writing style and Damsel has a very simplistic style. Regardless of this, I mostly enjoyed reading the book, looking forward to each reveal in the story, although I guessed the greatest reveal very early on in the book. I also appreciated the book for its cleverness and a rather more realistic representation of what life in a medieval fairy tale would be like for a teenager with more Millennial ideals and free will.
Under all of this lukewarm appreciation, I can't shake the impression of how strange the whole book is and so I give Damsel three out of five stars. There is such a wealth of superior young adult fiction in contention for Printz and other accolades and I couldn't in all fairness recommend this novel over any of them.
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In fact, he is quite the misogynist brute and despite having no memory of life before meeting Emory, Ama has a strong moral compass and a burgeoning sense of who she is and what she won't abide by.
With just a lynx kitten called Sorrow to keep her company, Ama must navigate life in the royal court and prepare herself for marriage with the prince. Which all sounds marvellously predictable except for the one factor Emory didn't count on, Ama's agency.
Damsel is a decidedly odd tale that I predict is going to prove very divisive. Some critics are loving it and it was named a 2019 Printz Honor Book. Despite being firmly marketed as a young adult novel, I'm not sure it's going to appeal to many readers in that demographic but I also suspect that many educators will favour it for its allegorical interpretation of feminism, misogyny, power and agency.
Mostly, Damsel has left me conflicted and it took me several weeks to agree on a star rating for the novel.
I tend to favour novels with a more poetic or lyrical writing style and Damsel has a very simplistic style. Regardless of this, I mostly enjoyed reading the book, looking forward to each reveal in the story, although I guessed the greatest reveal very early on in the book. I also appreciated the book for its cleverness and a rather more realistic representation of what life in a medieval fairy tale would be like for a teenager with more Millennial ideals and free will.
Under all of this lukewarm appreciation, I can't shake the impression of how strange the whole book is and so I give Damsel three out of five stars. There is such a wealth of superior young adult fiction in contention for Printz and other accolades and I couldn't in all fairness recommend this novel over any of them.
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internationalkris's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty cool story that upends fairy tale tropes. Symbolism and metaphor abounded. A gender roles and agency were the main themes.