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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Really good, fits in well with A New Hope and the Bloodline novel.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This book was a mixed bag for me. I'm not entirely sure I liked it being a Young Adult novel. [b:Leia, Princess of Alderaan|34860402|Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Star Wars)|Claudia Gray|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509816682s/34860402.jpg|56102984] settles into a typical YA format which is then essentially just coated with the Star Wars setting and characters. (Due to this, I would even say that if you have no/little prior knowledge of Star Wars, but like YA, this would be a fairly solid book to read.) Not that this was a bad thing altogether - I thought Leia's personality was very suitable for a YA protagonist.
Claudia Gray's writing did irritate me at times. There were many occasions where I felt like I was being told something that could have been shown. There were potential subtleties in character speech that were completely ruined for me, especially when the narration proceeded to tell me what I had already worked out. I also really did not care for the romance in this book. Leia would have been a much stronger character without it, and the romance was entirely unnecessary to the overall plot. Plus because it's set before the Original Trilogy when Leia is sixteen the love interest isn't Han. :(
I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Holdo from The Last Jedi which is one of the reasons I picked up this book. In the film she kind of felt like a random addition and so I really needed a bit more back story, which is what this book gives. I also loved the appearances from different Star Wars characters - Tarkin and Mon Mothma are quite heavily present in this novel, and there are small cameos from a whole host of characters, including C-3PO! Claudia Gray definitely came across as confident in her Star Wars knowledge and this really helped with me being able to visualise this book as part of the SW canon. I enjoyed this book enough to want to read Bloodline, Gray's other Star Wars novel about Leia.
Claudia Gray's writing did irritate me at times. There were many occasions where I felt like I was being told something that could have been shown. There were potential subtleties in character speech that were completely ruined for me, especially when the narration proceeded to tell me what I had already worked out. I also really did not care for the romance in this book. Leia would have been a much stronger character without it, and the romance was entirely unnecessary to the overall plot. Plus because it's set before the Original Trilogy when Leia is sixteen the love interest isn't Han. :(
I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Holdo from The Last Jedi which is one of the reasons I picked up this book. In the film she kind of felt like a random addition and so I really needed a bit more back story, which is what this book gives. I also loved the appearances from different Star Wars characters - Tarkin and Mon Mothma are quite heavily present in this novel, and there are small cameos from a whole host of characters, including C-3PO! Claudia Gray definitely came across as confident in her Star Wars knowledge and this really helped with me being able to visualise this book as part of the SW canon. I enjoyed this book enough to want to read Bloodline, Gray's other Star Wars novel about Leia.
I really loved Claudia Gray's Bloodline last year, the story I never knew I needed about Leia. I thought it was really smart and thoughtful, and when I saw she had another Leia book coming out this year, I was psyched. Slightly more disappointed to see, once I had it in my hands, that it was a YA book--modern YA tends to be hit or miss for me.
While this book had a tiny bit of romance--something I'm truly sick of in YA--it didn't seem excessive or irritating. The other YA elements of the book included feeling slighted by her parents and meeting new friends. The rest of the book was more rewarding, all Leia.
Gray is so good at capturing parts of Leia's personality that feel true. She's smart and determined and passionate. There's hints at parts of the future, but for the most part, this is all rooted in the present of sixteen-year-old Leia. She's driven by the desire to help people, to connect with her parents, and to prove herself a good future leader of Alderaan. Her personal wants and struggles are interspersed with growing Rebellion efforts that she becomes increasingly involved in.
The book as a whole wasn't as good as Bloodline, in my opinion, but it was still really good. It ended on a happy note with a little bit of a sad twist. I'm excited to see how it ties in to The Last Jedi! I hope Gray writes more books about Leia in the future because she just seems to have a really great grasp on the character.
While this book had a tiny bit of romance--something I'm truly sick of in YA--it didn't seem excessive or irritating. The other YA elements of the book included feeling slighted by her parents and meeting new friends. The rest of the book was more rewarding, all Leia.
Gray is so good at capturing parts of Leia's personality that feel true. She's smart and determined and passionate. There's hints at parts of the future, but for the most part, this is all rooted in the present of sixteen-year-old Leia. She's driven by the desire to help people, to connect with her parents, and to prove herself a good future leader of Alderaan. Her personal wants and struggles are interspersed with growing Rebellion efforts that she becomes increasingly involved in.
The book as a whole wasn't as good as Bloodline, in my opinion, but it was still really good. It ended on a happy note with a little bit of a sad twist. I'm excited to see how it ties in to The Last Jedi! I hope Gray writes more books about Leia in the future because she just seems to have a really great grasp on the character.
A good but not quite great star wars novel. While I found the plot fairly predictable it does a nice job of fleshing out Leia's earlier years. 3.75ish
Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Uncanny Valley
BFF Charm: Platinum
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Bonus Factors: Star Wars, Kickass Parents
Anti-Bonus Factor: Sense of Foreboding
Relationship Status: Member of the Rebellion
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Uncanny Valley
BFF Charm: Platinum
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Bonus Factors: Star Wars, Kickass Parents
Anti-Bonus Factor: Sense of Foreboding
Relationship Status: Member of the Rebellion
Read the full book report here.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes