A review by annashiv
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

4.0

I had a friend who was obsessed with this series, and I can certainly see why. Unfortunately, her enthusiasm and constant talking about it kind of spoiled the experience for me, which usually doesn't happen. I just couldn't seem to separate myself from her views of it, and so I enjoyed it less than I probably would have had I known nothing about it. Still, it was beautifully written. There are several good characters, and the plot is compelling. The ending was not enough to make me want to finish it which probably wasn't helped by my friends opinions and enthusiasms. Still, I'm glad I read it. It was certainly interesting, and I don't understand why it is so controversial. I have heard about the other controversial things in the later books as well, so I'm not ignorant to them. I just don't understand why a book is considered so dangerous to children's beliefs. I think it encourages a child to think for themselves more than that religion is bad. I think it is good for a child to learn to make their own decisions and conclusions. Any adult who thinks this will ruin religion for anyone must not think their faith is strong to hold up to words on a page. Books can be powerful, I agree with that, but the changes a book makes on a person are the changes they allow. Not everyone gets the same things out of any book and they only get what they are looking for in a way that is hard to explain. In any case, just let your child read the stupid book. It's good.