A review by hilareeads
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

What an explosive start to a series! Pullman didn't spoon feed us or treat us dumb as readers, but he also didn't make it so confusing on convoluted that it was easy to get lost. He threw us right into the story and allowed us to witness everything unfold in a way that was so magical. Lyra is such a wonderful character, one of the few small girl characters that is treated as someone who should be listened to and who's important not only to her circle but to the world; even in stories with only girls, they're oftentimes given small stories. But this is a wonderfully big one that shows us girls, even little girls, are a gift to the world. I like that Pullman also doesn't immediately get into his heavy religious analogies and metaphors just yet; obviously they're a big part of it, but it's not the focus really yet. We get to have a nice build to that, and we see more of the gravity of his message towards the end and just how far religion is willing to go to retain power. Let me tell you, I couldn't read it fast enough!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings