I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns about a month ago or so and I found it very refreshing in some ways, a bit of a let down in others, but over all a great read. I openly cried in the first couple of chapters and I almost lost it again at the end.
First of all, this book passes the Bechdel test with flying colors. The main character, Elisa, has two handmaids who are 1. unique and 2. endearing. Also, there are other characters we meet along the way who are powerful women in their own right. Again, just like other books I’ve read, they have a delightful cast of characters both male and female.
I also love that Elisa does not start out… how to say this… in sync with modern notions of feminine beauty? That is to say, she’s overweight, and this is mentioned throughout the first couple of chapters in the book. Not only that, but as we progress to have love interests in the story, we see that this is referenced again. It was delightfully done in my opinion. I won’t get into my small disappointments with this sub-story for plot spoiler reasons. But, although this starts out strong, I am a bit put out with some of the ways things pan out.
Also, the conclusion is fantastic. Although a reader may suspect the outcome before it comes to fruition, it is no disappointment when it plays out exactly as was suspected. Again, this was a wonderful read. Rae Carson has a number of great titles under their belt.
C.W. Spalding 