A review by cemeterygay
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

It's a pretty good middle grade fantasy book. The world is incredibly rich and it's cool to explore it. There is a ton of implicit anti-native sentiment in this book, including a slur for the Inuit, some of which I know is challenged in later books but there is a lot more that is just not challenged. 

I think the initial pacing is a little bit too slow but quickly improves. There also is a surprising amount of gore in this book specifically related to animals that I did not expect. 

While not mind blowing, I think this book is a great set up for future books and handles discussion about religion well and in a way that is definitely understandable to its target audience while not being condescending in how its explained. It's definitely a good challenging fantasy book for a middle grade audience.
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