A review by xandra_lyn
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was my favorite book when I was a teen, and so I decided to re-read it as an adult. 

I really liked it! I loved the wimsy and magic of the book, the mysteriousness of the other kingdom, and the myths/folklore of eastern Europe.

However, books made before the #meetoo movement often have problematic material. This one is relatively benign - Jena thinks she has mismanaged everything and heaps shame on herself, and Tati wastes away from true love. As an adult, I know that Jena didn't mismanage it - she was up against the rigid patriarchal structure of her time. But a kid wouldn't know that - and I wish someone in authority in the book had told Jena she'd done all she could and had done a good job. 

Unfortunately nothing salvages the ridiculous Tati story line. Which is a shame, because I really love tati and feel the author did an injustice to portray her like that.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings