The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
4 out of 5 stars
Out! Yay!
Summary from Goodreads: Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.
I desperately need to start off with Elisa. She is seriously the best example of character development I have ever seen. To begin, she is lazy and fat and spoiled and pampered. I'm serious! To quote Elisa, she is a "sausage bride." Anyways, throughout the book, she slims down, gets a backbone and becomes one of the strongest and smartest protagonists in the history of protagonists. So basically, even if you hate Elisa in the beginning (I did), you'll learn to like her by the end of the book.
Also, I have to say I was really intrigued by the setting. Or the settings. The settings in which the book take place in aren't always the nicest, but they are the most interesting. I loved how Rae didn't back down from scary and creepy settings. She wasn't afraid to make Elisa's world dangerous and ugly and certainly uninviting. I really admire that aspect in her writing. It makes the book believable.
Then there was the plot. I have to admit I was a little wary of the whole religion thing. I'm a Christian, so I thought I was going to be offended. But it wasn't that bad! I was not offended at all, so I guess all I have to say is keep an open mind.
Besides that, there were quite a few surprises and twists. I really enjoyed this plot. It was well-crafted and well-planned. Quite simply, it's worthy of my praise. Yes, it's that awesome!
I also love the author's ability to weave in lessons throughout the story. A lot of YA novels don't have a lesson or a theme. It's just a story. But this book has tons of lessons and things that really make you think. It's also really inspiring. I really, really like that. Not only is it a good story, but it also has good morals.
So here's to Rae Carson, her heartstopping novel, Goodreads and you adding it to your to-read list! Wait, you will add it right? You better! Or better yet, just read it now and you won't risk the wrath of me! Bwahahahahahaha! Hmmmmmmmm....... I think these evil cackles work better in the comfort of my own head.
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