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A review by kassielovestoread
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm having a hard time putting together a worthy review of this book. Truly, it was a fantastic book and doesn't fall at all under the middle book syndrome. There's just so many things that I loved about the first book that the second takes under its wing and expands it. To name a few...
Vasya, first and forever foremost, is a badass -not to be fucked with- MC. Vasya is uniquely herself in a society that would rather see her confined or dead than allow her to live freely, bound to no man or church. Her journey is not one I'd ever forget and could easily re-read in the future. I also really, really love that her "ugliness" does not faze her. Nor can it be used against her to hurt her. It's a testament that while Vasya may not be conventionally attractive to her society's standards, she nevertheless stays a constant topic of conversation and borderline obsession amongst these people. I love that for her! Stay mad!
The twists and turns this plot took! Towards the ending of the book, the anxiety of everything falling apart was nearly going to eat me alive. Several times I had to take breaks and rant to my best friend about the story, LOL. What makes a book a great read for me is when I am so impacted and invested in the story that it feels like my heart will leap out of my chest if all does not end well.
Finally, I enjoyed the topics of religious hypocrisy and gender norms. I feel like these issues were discussed quite well in The Bear and the Nightingale, but they come to a dramatic apex in The Girl in the Tower. Overall, this book was an extremely entertaining and reflective read. I cannot WAIT to read the final book!
Vasya, first and forever foremost, is a badass -not to be fucked with- MC. Vasya is uniquely herself in a society that would rather see her confined or dead than allow her to live freely, bound to no man or church. Her journey is not one I'd ever forget and could easily re-read in the future. I also really, really love that her "ugliness" does not faze her. Nor can it be used against her to hurt her. It's a testament that while Vasya may not be conventionally attractive to her society's standards, she nevertheless stays a constant topic of conversation and borderline obsession amongst these people. I love that for her! Stay mad!
The twists and turns this plot took! Towards the ending of the book, the anxiety of everything falling apart was nearly going to eat me alive. Several times I had to take breaks and rant to my best friend about the story, LOL. What makes a book a great read for me is when I am so impacted and invested in the story that it feels like my heart will leap out of my chest if all does not end well.
Finally, I enjoyed the topics of religious hypocrisy and gender norms. I feel like these issues were discussed quite well in The Bear and the Nightingale, but they come to a dramatic apex in The Girl in the Tower. Overall, this book was an extremely entertaining and reflective read. I cannot WAIT to read the final book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death