A review by mackenziencheez
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

4.0

I really did like this book. I like that the heroine is not depicted as skinny. I like the religion Carson creates. I like that this is a fantasy novel that is not set in your typical Western European culture. We begin with a chubby (fat?) Hispanic girl who feels unsure of herself, and I can totally relate to that. Well, not the Hispanic part, but the chubby, insecure parts. My problems: 1. Since she's overweight, her husband doesn't love her. 2. Elisa only becomes sure of herself once she loses weight. 3. She becomes even more sure of herself once she realizes that a handsome rebel has fallen in love with her, and it is unclear whether he fell in love before or after the weight loss.

Basically, I love that Carson begins her story with a heroine other young girls can relate to. We hardly ever see overweight girls in YA lit. But I want a chubby heroine who is sure of herself and able to hold a romantic relationship while still overweight.