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clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Violence
bookbrig's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
This book started out fine, and the premise of an unpretty princess who knows that all the princesses in stories ARE pretty was enough to keep me reading. And the more I read the more interesting and sad and wonderful the story got. But it didn't totally win me over until the ending. Violet won me over at the ending.
I think kids will enjoy the story and the adventure and the way fairy-tale elements get presented, but as an adult this book had an unexpected effect on me. Part of this story is about being a girl that people love (a smart girl, a funny girl, an adventurous girl) even as they acknowledge that she's not pretty or beautiful (and probably won't ever be). It's a story about what happens to a girl who thinks that when things go wrong it's because she doesn't look the way she's supposed to.
This might be a middle grade book, but this part of the story absolutely tore me apart. I couldn't help but compare Violet's story to contemporary girls confronted with a host of media telling them that if they lose that 10 pounds, dye their hair the right color, wear the right outfit, etc. etc. etc. their life will be perfect. The idea that your appearance will affect your happiness is so huge, and it's pushed so hard at girls. This book hit all the right notes for me on this issue. It explores stress, grieving, and growing and how appearance, and your perception of your own appearance, play into all those issues. Also, it's an adventure about dragons and gods and kingdoms.
It may start a little bit slow, but this book is absolutely worth the read.
I think kids will enjoy the story and the adventure and the way fairy-tale elements get presented, but as an adult this book had an unexpected effect on me. Part of this story is about being a girl that people love (a smart girl, a funny girl, an adventurous girl) even as they acknowledge that she's not pretty or beautiful (and probably won't ever be). It's a story about what happens to a girl who thinks that when things go wrong it's because she doesn't look the way she's supposed to.
This might be a middle grade book, but this part of the story absolutely tore me apart. I couldn't help but compare Violet's story to contemporary girls confronted with a host of media telling them that if they lose that 10 pounds, dye their hair the right color, wear the right outfit, etc. etc. etc. their life will be perfect. The idea that your appearance will affect your happiness is so huge, and it's pushed so hard at girls. This book hit all the right notes for me on this issue. It explores stress, grieving, and growing and how appearance, and your perception of your own appearance, play into all those issues. Also, it's an adventure about dragons and gods and kingdoms.
It may start a little bit slow, but this book is absolutely worth the read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming
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