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halfelfschollar 's review for:
Uprooted
by Naomi Novik
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
When picking this book up for the second time, as the first time I picked it up I stoped half way, I came across many people complaining about the second half of this book. Having now finished it I feel I understand why. Much of the second half feels disjointed from the first. There was very little establishing done in the first half for what was to come in the second, making the reading experience feel poor. It's less that one half is better than the other and more that the book struggled to make me feel invested in the antagonist it presented.
The book also has a slight issue of an age difference. While not always a deal breaker, Agnieszka is 17 at the beginning of the story and it is unclear as too when her birthday is and if she turns 18 prior to her romantic relationship with The Dragon growing.
A final complaint is, again, the romance sub-plot. While I don not dislike Agnieszka and The Dragon, her interactions with her best friend Kasia feel entirely romantic. For much of the book (if not all of it) I felt that the two girls were in love with each other and in many ways make a better match than The Dragon does.
In the books defence, the character arcs for Agnieszka, The Dragon, and Kasia all felt whole and well thought out. They all ended in ways that were satisfying and spoke to who they were or who they wanted to be (if begrudgingly on the part of The Dragon). Agnieszka in particular has a very satisfying arc that is well established with her connection to Baba Jaga. She's also an incredibly loveable and strong lead.
The book also has a slight issue of an age difference. While not always a deal breaker, Agnieszka is 17 at the beginning of the story and it is unclear as too when her birthday is and if she turns 18 prior to her romantic relationship with The Dragon growing.
A final complaint is, again, the romance sub-plot. While I don not dislike Agnieszka and The Dragon, her interactions with her best friend Kasia feel entirely romantic. For much of the book (if not all of it) I felt that the two girls were in love with each other and in many ways make a better match than The Dragon does.
In the books defence, the character arcs for Agnieszka, The Dragon, and Kasia all felt whole and well thought out. They all ended in ways that were satisfying and spoke to who they were or who they wanted to be (if begrudgingly on the part of The Dragon). Agnieszka in particular has a very satisfying arc that is well established with her connection to Baba Jaga. She's also an incredibly loveable and strong lead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment