Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Alanna: The First Adventure

I remember liking these books a lot as a kid, but this one didn't hit the spot as an adult. I might need to read the whole story (quartet). Or maybe it was Pierce's Protector of the Small or the Immortals series that I loved. I'll try a few more and see.

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yellowbilledmagpie's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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attackrat's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a great kids book. I remember liking it a lot in middle school, and I came back to it for the nostalgia. That being said the gender essentialism made me a little uncomfy and it’s not even a small part of the book. It’s Alanna’s entire internal monologue, that she’s not good enough because she’s a girl. I also found it very silly that adults in the book kept listening to and deferring to a tiny little 11 year old lmao but overall it’s a cute book and I do remember why I liked it so much. Her friendships with the boys make me so so happy.

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jessereadsthings's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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stormbringer52's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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strange_little_ranger's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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enya_ce's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A woman wrote this, and it shows.
I think the book does show some of the deeply ingrained self-doubt that Alanna has, in a way that most women can identify with.
Not only did she feel like she had to perform better than everyone else, and felt like it was her responsibility to prove women can do just as good as men, but there were also moments when she doubted her own skill, despite having proved herself several times, simply because she's been told repeatedly that a woman wouldn't be as good at it as a man.

Now, this does lead to some moments which really frustrated me, especially

all of the times she, whether because of her dislike/fear of magic, or her own feelings of worthlessness, refused to listen to Destiny and the calling of the gods.
It kind of felt like a stubborn child covering their ears and eyes every time there's a sign, but maybe that was the point. She is still a child, after all. Maybe she simply feared destiny.

Despite that, it was a light and enjoyable book, and I'll keep searching for copies of the rest of the saga.

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inferiorwit's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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