Reviews with content warning for Violence - A Girl Called Samson

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A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon

5 reviews

reading_ladies_blog's review against another edition

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

3.0

In reality, Elizabeth outlives Deborah and the General. They never marry. Deborah marries a farmer. Why change history? Why not just write a fiction story?

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cmklaft's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring 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? Yes

3.75

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readwithev's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I find Deborah (aka Rob) likable, however as she endured the trials of war, sees horrible things, kills men, experiences grief, etc. she never has a crisis of faith. She remains steadfast in her belief that their war is necessary for independence and continues courageously. I would have liked her more if she did have a moment of doubt, but rebounded. It would have given her a little more rigidity.

especially after Deborah shoots Phineis, I thought the grief would cause her support for the war to falter. Also, when John Paterson discovers that she’s a women, I think it would have been slightly more realistic if he lost respect for her and then learned to accept her for her bravery, sacrifice, and hard work. That those things didn’t take away from her being a woman, but made her better. He did not express much doubt about her and I think it’s less historically accurate. Also, Deborah’s only flaw is that she’s strong willed? No other flaws? She works tirelessly until she masters a skill, does everything as well as a man? All the Thomas boys were in love with her? Idk it seems like she was too perfect. I like characters with flaws. I would have liked for her to make a mistake in battle that wracked her with guilt, got a friend of hers hurt or killed, or got her into trouble. Terrytown her friends do die, but again it was an attack during the night that was no fault of her own. i think a mistake would also have helped her character develop, be humbled, and learn the art of war.

We’ve got a “she’s all that” trope going on. No one notices Deborah when she’s dressed as a boy, as if a coat and pants magically alter a person’s face 🤔 that part also felt unbelievable, but I guess it is still loosely based on the true story 🤷🏻‍♀️
I did appreciate Deborah’s gradual appreciation for being a woman and learning that she has strength there too.
The ending of the book wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste. John’s children magically learned to accept her and she was able to produce/tour as a one woman theatre/orator show? Idk about all there 🤔
However there were some great emotional scenes. Harmon used rich descriptive language for the landscape, the smell of camp, the sound of blood and canon fire, etc. I also enjoyed the emotion Harmon was able to convey in a few scenes.

For example when Sylvanus died, sitting on the hill with Jeremiah, the sky before they came under attack, the battle at Terrytown where she kills a man for the first time, the death of Phin, getting shot in the leg and surviving the dangerous journey back to camp, etc. All of these scenes were powerful and immersive.

The romance in the book is okay, but felt a bit unrealistic. They were nearly always surrounded by other troops or in a house crowded with other people. The likelihood they would not get caught is low. You’ll have to suspend your disbelief here.

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srivalli's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

3.0

3 Stars

One Liner: Mixed feelings; not her best work

Mid to late 1700s

Deborah Samson comes from a Puritan family in Plympton, Massachusetts. She is bound out as a servant when her father abandons the family to sail on the seas. Deborah grows into a strong and determined young girl who wants to fly high and achieve great things. The hardships she faced made her ready to face anything in life.

One day, she decides to become a boy and join the war as a soldier. The American Colonies have been fighting with the redcoats and the British army for freedom. What follows is her journey as a young soldier fighting for her country and the unexpected love she finds in the process.

The story comes in Deborah’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:

I read two books by the author and enjoyed them both (in fact, I loved the first one). Sadly, this book left me with mixed feelings.

The writing is beautiful where it should be and sharp when necessary. The war scenes are presented in a matter-of-fact tone with a subtle touch of emotions that suits the main character’s arc. The war and camping scenes have triggers (as they would).

Though the pacing is slow, the takes us through different stages of Deborah’s life and how she establishes herself as Rob. Her vulnerabilities, doubts, fear, yearning for something better, lack of ability to connect with most people around her, and borderline obsession with Elizabeth (because a young girl needs someone to call her own) come out very well.

The character does make some stupid decisions, reinforcing that she is far from flawless despite trying to be the best at everything she does. After all, she has no real guidance and is unaware of many things.

The other characters are also well-etched, be it General Patterson, Agrippa, Deborah’s mother (a minor character), or the Rev. I don’t know Washington enough, so can’t say much about his characterization.

However, my biggest issue is with the fictionized parts of the plot. I had a slight idea about an inserted love track (thanks to friends Marilyn and Ruchita). But I was disappointed when I read the author’s note.

I’m not a fan of tinkering with real people’s lives in fiction (when using their names for the characters). While I love the idea behind the love story, I can’t agree with how it’s done (yeah, I know it could have been worse). Why kill a real person years before their actual death and bring together two people who weren’t together? The note mentions Deborah married a person called Benjamin. So given her character, it would make sense that she married for love. Why not use the same but take creative liberties to weave a love story with angst and bring them together?

The last part of the book is probably the weakest. The lovers’ angst is well-done but stands out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the plot. I can’t help but wonder if the love track was even necessary (and if yes, couldn’t it have been handled better)? This comes from someone who loves love stories and romance books.

To summarize, A Girl Called Samson is a good introduction to a real-life soldier woman who defied the odds but is definitely fiction with uneven pacing. How you like it depends on your reading preferences. All said and done, the land belongs to the natives.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #AGirlCalledSamson

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eloisedoesread's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

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

4.5

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