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Monday, October 4, 2010

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Author: Kristin Cashore
Pages: 471
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Purchased
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Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change:

She never expects to become Po’s friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away.... A secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.
First off, I really enjoyed Graceling because it brought something fresh and new to the table. The concept of Graces was very interesting. Graces are special powers that some people are born with, hence the term “Graceling”. Gracelings can be identified by their eye color: the right and the left eye are two separate colors. Normally, Gracelings are not favored in society.

{The whole eye color thing was one of my favorite parts, because I actually do have that. Just in case anyone is wondering, it’s called heterochromia. I have partial heterochromia, which means that, while my eyes are brown, I actually have this massive glob of bright green in my left eye. Okay, back to the review.}

Katsa was a new kind of heroine. I’m really not used to brusque and aloof females in fantasy as the main girls, and Katsa was very… tomboyish. It wasn’t bad, just different. For instance, she’s completely and one hundred percent opposed marriage, like, she never ever in her entire life wants to get married. Even though she loves Po and wants to be with him, she refuses to marry him.

Speaking of Po……… LOVE HIM! He was so well fleshed out, and I really appreciated the slow build to his and Katsa’s relationship. They started out as friends, and then slowly blossomed into lovers. It was very nice, and led to some very romantic moments.

The plot was great, although a little drawn out at the end. But it wasn’t anything unmanageable. It was actually pretty suspenseful, and I found myself biting my nails sometimes as I read. Also, I really wasn’t expecting what happened to Po, but I guessed it a little before it was revealed. Still, it added depth and reality. Life isn’t all completely happy endings, and while this is fantasy, it certainly is not fairy tales.

I also enjoyed reading about Katsa’s friends, who were very well portrayed. I love side characters that actually mean something, and are not just there to fill space.

Overall, this book was an amazing read and more than worth the price. A definite recommendation. I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

P.S.
I'm also putting this book trailer, not because it will make you want to read the book, but because you will be laughing your arse off from the bad acting. Seriously, what's up with the girl's voice? She sounds like she's 10 years old...

4 comments:

  1. OMG! That trailer was hilarious! SO cheesy and the acting, like you said, was terrible! But I loved your review! I am defenitly going to read Graceling!

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  2. Great review! I don't know why I haven't read this yet.

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  3. I've heard wonderful things about this book which is why I went and grabbed it last week. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the review!

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  4. I loved this book, it really did a great job at tranfering me into there world. Po just took my breath away, and Katsa was just full of awesomeness. The pacing was great! Glad to see you enjoyed it!

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