Her world is shifted significantly when she saves the life of a young girl, after a boat explodes off the coast. She changes both their destinies in this one instant. Diana must take this girl, Alia, to a spring in Greece (where Helen of Troy rests) to cleanse her of her warbringer heritage (when she reaches 17 her blood will incite world war). Diana does this to save her people, save this young girl so similar to herself, and to prove there is greatness inside of her, that she is more than her mother's daughter. The beginning of the book was slow, I found it very hard to place myself in the story. Even with all of the interesting background of the Amazons. Do not get me wrong, I love the idea of an Island of strong women who govern themselves; but, I was bored until Alia and Diana made their way off of it and to New York. I also found I could not connect with any of the characters, until I was introduced to Alia's best friend, Nim. Nim was fantastic, made everyone else seem more human, cut tension and filled the pages with laughter. She was by far my favourite character. I believe the problem with this novel is that Leigh Bardugo is such a master creator. She is so imaginative when it comes to fabricating worlds and characters; so, her taking on a well known, pre-crafted character felt wrong. She had to confine herself to a pre-existing history. I much prefer her own spin, her own tales. There were some amazing quotes in the novel, some genuine Bardugo gems that were beautiful, poignant and powerful. That is why I had a hard time rating the novel. By the end I was loving the mix of mythology and reality, the friction and the symmetry. But you cannot love a novel for a few amazing quotes and a fascinating and fast paced ending. I will say that I felt the truth behind the race, the young girls' voices, the idea that at some point every young girl must face losing her innocence (whether to cat calling, to body image, to perceptions of how we must act in a man's world). Bang on, Bardugo, bang on; innocence is so easily exchanged for repression, for fear, for responsibility, for guilt, for shame. This was a novel about strong women, those not afraid to fight for their beliefs, for truth, who were not afraid to lay down their lives for others. These moments of strength and truth were a win, and I do encourage young women to take those instances of learning from this book, even if the story otherwise fell flat most of the time. Book 48/50...2 to go.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Currently ReadingGraphic Novel
Feminist Essays
Archives
April 2024
|