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A review by jessca
Thistle by Cathy Greco
3.0
Thistle is overall a fun read, best-suited for young teens or preteens. The trajectory of the story took me by surprise, as the majority of it takes place in or talking about a human factory rather than being focused on fairy life. I've seen some comments that the book should be longer, but I disagree with those; this is meant as a quick read and should only be written as one. It was a good length.
I was uncertain if this book is meant as just a fictional tale, or if its pointed references to human machines destroying the fairy land were intended as strikes against real humans' treatment of the earth. I mean, it very much seems like the latter, but I had gone into it not expecting any kind of lecture on human nature, so I was thrown off by that and couldn't quite come to terms with how to view it. Add in the main characters' views in the end, and the confusion left me more unsettled. I was trying to just enjoy a fun fairy story, but kept being drawn out of it by the encroaching real-world issues and trying to make sense of the narratives on offer. So this isn't a book for escapism or light fun; it's a soapbox wrapped in a covering of fairytale. Fortunately, the fairytale itself is entertaining.
The village in which Thistle grows up is interesting, and I would have liked to see more of it and have more of a feel for life there. The plot trots along at a good pace, though, carrying the characters beyond the menial life of the village, so it works that there wasn't a ton of time spent just enjoying the fairy life. The interplay of relationships was interesting, varying from close friendships to outward loathing, and there is good complexity that develops in how some of the characters relate to one another. Thatch was my favorite character.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book.
I was uncertain if this book is meant as just a fictional tale, or if its pointed references to human machines destroying the fairy land were intended as strikes against real humans' treatment of the earth. I mean, it very much seems like the latter, but I had gone into it not expecting any kind of lecture on human nature, so I was thrown off by that and couldn't quite come to terms with how to view it. Add in the main characters' views in the end, and the confusion left me more unsettled. I was trying to just enjoy a fun fairy story, but kept being drawn out of it by the encroaching real-world issues and trying to make sense of the narratives on offer. So this isn't a book for escapism or light fun; it's a soapbox wrapped in a covering of fairytale. Fortunately, the fairytale itself is entertaining.
The village in which Thistle grows up is interesting, and I would have liked to see more of it and have more of a feel for life there. The plot trots along at a good pace, though, carrying the characters beyond the menial life of the village, so it works that there wasn't a ton of time spent just enjoying the fairy life. The interplay of relationships was interesting, varying from close friendships to outward loathing, and there is good complexity that develops in how some of the characters relate to one another. Thatch was my favorite character.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book.