Published: Oct 2008
Publisher: Harcourt
My Review:
I heard a lot of good things about Graceling and for the most part is was a good story but I was not completely taken by the characters. There were too many aspects of the story I did not like.
Katsa is a Graceling, a person with amazing powers of strength and survival. That much is very well written in the story. However, her character changed quite drastically for my taste from a cautious, easily angered killer/torturer to someone totally taken by a strange guy, who is also a graceling, she only just met.
Her relationships were intense. The only ones that felt real to me were her relationship with her uncle and cousin. Her uncle she hated, her cousin she loved. I did not get her relationship with Po. I get that she liked Po because he was cute and truly her equal when it came to fighting but I did not get the relevance of their relationship as lovers in the story, for me it did not serve a purpose to move the story along. In the end what got Po to push himself to survive after a failed attempt against King Leck was not the thought of Katsa but his enemy, Leck. Even the issue with the ring did not (in my opinion) did not require her becoming sexually intimate with Po. But, I got through the laborous love scenes in the forest and once that happened the story itself actually picked up and was really good.
Katsa reminded a little bit of Katniss in The Hunger Games in that she is a strong young woman coming into her own powers when she has to protect Bitterblue and Po but then she also at times reminded me of Tris in Insurgent very erratic and emotionally immature.
I did have my favorite characters and scenes though, I loved Bitterblue and Katsa's cousin, Raffin. And the scene where she learns how to call Po using her mind, PRICELESS! I laughed for days :D
While this was not my favorite book, if you liked The Hunger Games and Divergent/Insurgent, I think you will like Graceling
13 comments:
I picked this up at the library once because I'd also heard good things, but I never got around to reading it. Thanks for the review - I might go back and check it out.
I enjoyed Graceling, although I didn't like the ending. But I think Kristen Cashore writes well - stories that keep you turning pages - and I've read some of her others.
I'm so glad that I was not the only one a little disappointed with the ending of this story!
I definitely would have to say that I agree with you guys on the ending. It was a page turner but would have liked it if the story had ended a bit differently
This book has been staring at me from my shelves... I'm not a huge fan of dystopian so I don't know if I'll like it all that much. Thanks for your thoughts =]
i really liked this. The ending was disappointing i wanted more action and I would for their to be a book that continues Katniss's story.
I definitely wanted more from the ending too! There needs to be a sequel to it, that focuses on Katsa!
I can't help but making comparisons between Katniss (The Hunger Games, Tris (Divergent,) and Katsa (Graceling) too! So resourceful and able to rise above even the most horrible of circumstances.
While I thought the love triangle in The Hunger Games was lacking in depth, I found the love story Divergent and Graceling was so layered and well developed.
I would love to see Graceling as a movie! While reading about Katsa's trek through the snow and cold, I could see it all happening in my mind. Kristin Cashore provided enough information to set the scene and yet allowed the scene to play out in mind.
Everyone told me this book was wonderful but I wasn't that in to it -- I guess I'm just not a fantasy lover. I did like the first kiss and I did like the ending but not sure I will read Bitter Blue
Thanks for the review! I've been wondering for awhile if I should read this book.
One that has been on my wishlist for awhile now!
I actually have Graceling on the shelf behind me waiting to be read.
While reading your review, I was at first mentally pushing the book further down the pile thinking it might not be as good as I hoped ... but I *did* enjoy both The Hunger Games and Divergent, so... I'll still give Graceling a go (and I'll be on the lookout for the mind-calling part you mentioned LOL).
Thank you for your honest and thoughtful review.
~Lynne of tworeads.blogspot.com
Thank you for the review. It's a shame you didn't like it too much, but I don't think I will after reading your review, which is helpful for me so I don't bother.
I'm not a fan of Hunger Games/Divergent so I worry it will put me off haha
But thanks for the review anyway! Now I know.
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