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paigemushaw 's review for:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns
by Rae Carson
DID NOT FINISH
For the number of books I've had to put down lately, I'm starting to think I need a could-not-finish shelf, which is something that upsets me to no end. I absolutely hate not finishing books.
I got farther with this one than most of the others (which is the only reason I feel somewhat qualified to review it), just because there have been SO many others. I told myself, "I will not give up on this book." It became a mantra. Unfortunately, after about 250 pages of walking and eating and talking about food and running from people for no definitive reason (really, the book NEVER SAYS why the enemy is the enemy-- at least not in the first 250 pages-- and this is crucial information if you want me to be interested at all), I started reading ahead. This is an awful way to decide if you want to finish a book, but it really did the trick for me. I learned that the only character with a sense of humor dies, and Elisa still fawns over her arranged-marriage husband who hardly even looks at her UNTIL SHE LOSES WEIGHT (are you kidding me?!).
Elisa could have been an inspiring heroine for girls who can't always identify with the usual skinny, beautiful (or at least average) heroines of YA today. She's slightly below average in the looks department, from what I gather, and completely aware that she is fat. The thing is, her weight is such a defining factor of who she is that I felt like she got lost in herself. Her behavior sometimes struck me as that of a person with an eating disorder. You almost feel like a heroine can't be fat unless her fatness is her defining characteristic, which irks me so badly I wanted to yell at her YOU ARE NOT YOUR WEIGHT, ELISA.
Plot-wise, there's not much. Like I said, lots of walking. Occasional fighting. And the parts that are plot-juicy are also slightly confusing (who are these people? Are they attacking because they're the king's enemies or because they want the Godstone? Am I supposed to know the answers to these questions?) Mostly if you're looking for plot, I'd recommend just about anything but this.
Oh, and a personal peeve: I didn't realize this book was going to rely so heavily on religion. I'm not sure how the religious people feel about it (probably mixed feelings), but it kept me from being able to really enjoy the magical aspect.
2.5 stars because there is great writing and a valiant effort, but it just wasn't quite enough for me. Interested in reading more from this author though (after this series).
I got farther with this one than most of the others (which is the only reason I feel somewhat qualified to review it), just because there have been SO many others. I told myself, "I will not give up on this book." It became a mantra. Unfortunately, after about 250 pages of walking and eating and talking about food and running from people for no definitive reason (really, the book NEVER SAYS why the enemy is the enemy-- at least not in the first 250 pages-- and this is crucial information if you want me to be interested at all), I started reading ahead. This is an awful way to decide if you want to finish a book, but it really did the trick for me. I learned that the only character with a sense of humor dies, and Elisa still fawns over her arranged-marriage husband who hardly even looks at her UNTIL SHE LOSES WEIGHT (are you kidding me?!).
Elisa could have been an inspiring heroine for girls who can't always identify with the usual skinny, beautiful (or at least average) heroines of YA today. She's slightly below average in the looks department, from what I gather, and completely aware that she is fat. The thing is, her weight is such a defining factor of who she is that I felt like she got lost in herself. Her behavior sometimes struck me as that of a person with an eating disorder. You almost feel like a heroine can't be fat unless her fatness is her defining characteristic, which irks me so badly I wanted to yell at her YOU ARE NOT YOUR WEIGHT, ELISA.
Plot-wise, there's not much. Like I said, lots of walking. Occasional fighting. And the parts that are plot-juicy are also slightly confusing (who are these people? Are they attacking because they're the king's enemies or because they want the Godstone? Am I supposed to know the answers to these questions?) Mostly if you're looking for plot, I'd recommend just about anything but this.
Oh, and a personal peeve: I didn't realize this book was going to rely so heavily on religion. I'm not sure how the religious people feel about it (probably mixed feelings), but it kept me from being able to really enjoy the magical aspect.
2.5 stars because there is great writing and a valiant effort, but it just wasn't quite enough for me. Interested in reading more from this author though (after this series).