Scan barcode
A review by thereadingrambler
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
5.0
Graceling is a wonderful and powerful debut novel, the first in a trilogy. The novel tackles issues off sex, gender, identity, good, and evil in ways that are an original take on old themes. There is much positive to say about this book, but also some negatives. But first, the good, and the good is very good. First, Katsa is a very powerful female character. She doesn’t need a man to make her life complete, she grapples with very real and heavy emotions, and her motives for things are more complex than many women are given credit for in much of fantasy literature. For me, the biggest question cats was asking herself was: What is a monster? Is she a monster because she kills or does she kill because she’s a monster? Do the actions or the intentions make the monster? And how can she reconcile her desire to do good and the fact that she always has to kill because she is owned by the king, a king who is no good at all.
These questions are very big things to be tackling, especially as a 16 year old girl, but she is forced to deal with them as the plot thickens. But the plot is where I have the most issue with this novel. While the characterization and the setting are wonderful, the plot doesn’t live up. The plot is fairly mediocre and is too small for the big characters of this novel. I care about things because I love Katsa so much, but the full emotional impact of the novel is lost on me because the stakes in the novel are not raised in a well-written way. I know that bad things are happening and bad things will happen if Katsa and Po do not succeed on their quest, but I don’t really understand how that will be relevant to me or the characters.
I thought that Katsa’s characterization was the best part of the book by far. She is a very accurate depiction of a teenage girl who is struggling with first rushes of sexual feelings and love, with trying to figure out what sort of adult she wants to be, and how everything will all fit together. What may seem like sudden character changes (like when she figures out her grace isn’t killing, but survival) to me some very accurate to the way teenagers have to deal with life. They will be very angsty and then all the sudden on day the problem they were so angsty about is gone and they are fine again and on to a different issue to be solved.
While Po and Katsa’s relationship seems very sudden and quick to adult readers, to the teenage audience this is intended for this would seem natural and reasonable. For teenagers everything is happening for the first time. All of their adult feelings and emotions and worries are brand new and they are trying to figure out how they work and how to control them. So teenagers rush into things. Thy experience things very deeply, with very high highs and very low lows. Their emotions are often selfish even as they try to figure out how to act selflessly. They are awkward and clumsy and unsure. And I think Cashore did a brilliant job of expressing that exact feeling. The awkward confidence of being an adolescent is something adult writers so very barely are able to accurate capture, but Cashore managed to pull it off.
I also want to applaud her for acknowledging the sexuality of teenagers. So many writers if they are writing about teenagers treat them like adults with no sexual desires or more complex emotions. Like large children. It is very narrowminded and unfortunate and doesn’t allow these characters to be as full as they could be.
Overall, this book is very excellent, but reflects the fact Cashore is a new writer and is still learning her craft, but I have very high hopes for her future and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
These questions are very big things to be tackling, especially as a 16 year old girl, but she is forced to deal with them as the plot thickens. But the plot is where I have the most issue with this novel. While the characterization and the setting are wonderful, the plot doesn’t live up. The plot is fairly mediocre and is too small for the big characters of this novel. I care about things because I love Katsa so much, but the full emotional impact of the novel is lost on me because the stakes in the novel are not raised in a well-written way. I know that bad things are happening and bad things will happen if Katsa and Po do not succeed on their quest, but I don’t really understand how that will be relevant to me or the characters.
I thought that Katsa’s characterization was the best part of the book by far. She is a very accurate depiction of a teenage girl who is struggling with first rushes of sexual feelings and love, with trying to figure out what sort of adult she wants to be, and how everything will all fit together. What may seem like sudden character changes (like when she figures out her grace isn’t killing, but survival) to me some very accurate to the way teenagers have to deal with life. They will be very angsty and then all the sudden on day the problem they were so angsty about is gone and they are fine again and on to a different issue to be solved.
While Po and Katsa’s relationship seems very sudden and quick to adult readers, to the teenage audience this is intended for this would seem natural and reasonable. For teenagers everything is happening for the first time. All of their adult feelings and emotions and worries are brand new and they are trying to figure out how they work and how to control them. So teenagers rush into things. Thy experience things very deeply, with very high highs and very low lows. Their emotions are often selfish even as they try to figure out how to act selflessly. They are awkward and clumsy and unsure. And I think Cashore did a brilliant job of expressing that exact feeling. The awkward confidence of being an adolescent is something adult writers so very barely are able to accurate capture, but Cashore managed to pull it off.
I also want to applaud her for acknowledging the sexuality of teenagers. So many writers if they are writing about teenagers treat them like adults with no sexual desires or more complex emotions. Like large children. It is very narrowminded and unfortunate and doesn’t allow these characters to be as full as they could be.
Overall, this book is very excellent, but reflects the fact Cashore is a new writer and is still learning her craft, but I have very high hopes for her future and look forward to reading the rest of the series.