Graceling

I read both Graceling and Fire, but I really think that Graceling was the better of the two.

I love all the characters. Katsa is an really great protagonist. She's so strong, independent and she hates being feminine, which I think is pretty great. I really like the survival Grace... sigh, I wish I had that Grace, it would be so cool, except for he reputation that she gets. I think its pretty funny how she is so good at fighting and working things out alert, and yet she has no clue about how love works.

I reckon that some people might find Katsa's anti-feminine thing and how she really has no plans of getting married or having children a little offensive or just weird, but I really liked it.

The book begins with Katsa, with her two companions, rescuing "Grandfather". Here we start getting a little taste of Katsa's extraordinary fighting skills. She successfully knocks out all of the guards, rescues Grandfather, and gets out of there without any catch. Almost. On the way out, she meets a mysterious Lienid stranger (Lienid is the where Grandfather comes from). He says he trusts her, but she is not so sure. She knocks him out anyway, because you can never be too sure.

But... back at her home, suddenly a mysterious stranger, a prince called Po, turns up. Katsa finally finds someone who's fighting skills rivals her own. And when she discovers that it is the same man she met on her first mission. Questions begin to arise in Katsa's mind. Why hasn't this man reported her? Why would someone kidnap Grandfather, an old man? How does it all connect? As Katsa begins to delve deeper into this mystery, she discovers things she would have never considered...

I won't tell you anymore, since I wouldn't want to spoil the book.

I finally got to this book, and I am so glad I did. Graceling is such an amazing book! I loved it even more than Fire.

One word for it: EPIC.

Katsa is an awesome character. She's fierce, strong, and independent. She also makes hilarious comments at really serious moments. And it's funny how she can be so alert to some things, but completely oblivious to others.

The treatment that Katsa and Fire face were really similar. They were both shunned by almost everyone, and they were very much hated (though no one dared to say it in their face).

The writing was wonderful, too. It flowed together smoothly, making the book more enjoyable.

Also, I expected this book to be really serious, since it's about a person with enhanced fighting skills who has to be her uncle's (the King) thug. But I laughed a lot while reading it. It was so funny! But that might have been just my weird sense of humor.

But if you have stuff against people who are anti-marriage or you're a feminist, you probably shouldn't read it because Katsa is anti-marriage and women get little to no right. And you're probably going to be offended by Katsa. Just saying (if you read some of the reviews from the people who disliked it, those were some of the main reasons why).

Anyways...

If you love action/fighting/romance, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!

--HWA SUN

Christopher Hsu
Mrs. Poulsen
English 10B
March 12, 2012
Graceling Book Review
The perfect blend between mystery, romance , and supernatural powers can be found in the novel Graceling by Kristen Cashore. The mind-blowing book’s plot revolves around a Graced fighter Katsa, as well as another Graced fighter, Po. Gracelings, they are called, for they possess a Grace, or a special prowess at something. Because of a mysterious kidnapping of a harmless old man in which motives are unknown, the two fighters from different countries unite to find the truth about the causes of this kidnapping. Along with mystery, their growing affection for each other contributes to a variety of character changes of traits throughout their journey. The conversations between people in this book are fairly realistic, incorporating real life human thought processes behind the words. As the book progresses and the two grow more and more affectionate about each other, one can sense the hints of love and playfulness in between the once plain mysterious conversations. The change of traits in characters makes it even more realistic and appealing to the reader. It makes it that much more compelling. The fact that the author gives hints and little foreshadows about what is going to happen allows the reader to want to keep on reading. Another effect of foreshadowing is that it gives the reader some space for imagination, it allows them to guess what is going to happen and compare it with the actual outcome of the book. As one reads, the puzzle begins to piece together which gives a fulfilling feeling when reading. Another factor providing appeal are the humorous details hidden in the dialogue which adds seasoning to the highly suspenseful and romantic conversations. No book would be perfect without a certain amount of humor in it. One interesting part about this book that separates it from the others is that it states something insignificant about a person, but turns out to be one of the most important characteristics of the character, thus adding even more character arc which makes them more real. One last thing that I loved was that the descriptions of scenery in this book really appeals to the senses, the author does a great job painting the picture in your mind. She uses precise descriptions to make the book three dimensional. Considering all of these aspects, I give this book five stars. Personally, I think this novel attended to all of my desires in a book. The magical ratio of romance, mystery, and the supernatural was what compelled me the most. I would recommend this to teenagers like me and people interested in this genre of novels.

Doesn't the plot sound absolutely kick-ass? Yeah, I agree. Unfortunately, the plotline overall failed to meet my expectations.

Let’s start with Katsa, though. Meet the protagonist: young, beautiful, powerful—and controlled by her cruel uncle, the king. The premise is just reaching to tug your heartstrings. And it does suck, the situation she is in, because she finds it difficult to stand up for her own self and be independent. That said, she is also one of the most clichéd characters I have ever read. Cashore tries too hard to make her unique, and in doing so, makes her completely ordinary for YA books these days. A girl who rebels against the norm, by not wanting to get married, not wanting children, hating dresses and makeup and hair, preferring practicality over beauty. Add in to that the fact that her Grace – her natural born talent – gives her the ability to kill, and you’ve got the typical, against-societal-expectations, bright, independent girl, whose main flaw, after the first third of the novel, is that she’s got a bit of a temper and that she doesn’t think she actually is all that.

Mary Sue, much?

Other than Katsa, the characters range from average to awesome. Unfortunately, two of my favorite characters, Oll, Katsa’s mentor, and Raffin, Katsa’s cousin, only show up in the first third of the novel before Katsa goes on a road trip, so to speak. Po is a great character, though, and of course, he’s in pretty much the entire book. He’s kind, but unlike a lot of the boys on YA shelves these days, he’s not a bipolar, mysterious young man whose only attraction is his sulkiness. At least, not for most of the book.

The plot was really just great, and intense. I was almost always at the edge of my seat, wanting to know what’s going to happen next… almost always. There happens to be this one stretch of pages that just goes on and on and on and on about how COLD it happens to be in this extraordinary leg of adventure of Katsa’s and it really just talks about how cold and how tired Katsa is for about twenty pages. Needless to say, it killed the suspense.

I also wasn’t a fan of the climax. After all of that traveling and worrying, the main antagonist is defeated in roughly 0.2 seconds. A little bit of a disappointment, as it sort of just happened, and it barely registered because of the lack of focus on it.

The ending was sad, but not heartbreaking. It was wrapped up cleanly and neatly, with no loose ends, so you can just stop and not read the prequel, or the sequel that is coming out later this year. It didn’t leave me any desire to read any more books by this author, unfortunately. Fortunately, I have the fortune of having friends, who highly recommended the prequel Cashore wrote to this book, Fire, which, believe it or not, I actually loved, especially compared to this bore of a book.

I was interested in this book at first because of the plot; sounds pretty good doesn't it?? But quite honestly I was a little disappointed in it. There was so much that could have been done with this book, but it fell short. I think maybe a good squeal could redeem the story, but the characters didn't come to life on the page like they should in a good book. I would recommend it if you were bored and just needed something new to read.

At first, I was quite reluctant to read this book, for I was prejudiced with the idea that it the story was similar to Incarceron, a book I didn't really quite get. You see, the idea of both books are quite similar, from my point of view, and so I expected Graceling to be as okay as Incarceron. But, silly me! It was nothing like it. This book left me wanting more of this author's writing. So, you see, there can be two similar stories, with too different authors, and one can be good as the other can be bad. It's all in the author.... and the reader'S taste.

I just couldn't get into this book. The characters didn't appeal to me and I found the story to be too slow to be interesting.

Reader reviewed by Cheezyfeet

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despise: the Grace of killing. 
Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa's life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid's father is kidnapped she investigates and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own? 
The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out - but little does she realise, when she takes is, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one eyed king...  - From the back of the book.

I read Graceling because it was recommended to me by a friend. It had always been on my 'To Buy' list, but every time I went book shopping, I picked it up, and put it back again. I don't know why that was, it just was. And, now, having read it, I'm very glad that said friend recommended it.
Katsa is a very strong female lead, in more ways than one. She's feisty, and she stands up for herself. She has a Grace for killing, and she hates it. She's being used by the king to do his dirty work, and she hates it. So, after being sent on a mission to force a lord to sell one of his daughters off for marriage, she refuses. She leaves him unharmed, and the king is furious. But Katsa has never felt better.
Cashore is an amazing writer. She describes things beautifully, so you get a very vivid picture in your head of what is happening, where and when, and the whole book just plays like a movie inside your head. The author also writes emotion extremely well, and all the characters emotions rub off on the reader, and you can't help but feel happy when they're happy, and angry when they are too.
Po, Katsa's love interest, is calming and charming. He calms down Katsa, therefore calming the reader, and, though Katsa can rescue herself physically, she still needs a man to rescue her emotionally, and Po is that man. He really helped Katsa to grow as a character, and by the end of the book, because of Po, I much preferred Katsa as a character. She was more relaxed and calm, and she was happy.
There is a lot that happens in this book. There is adventure, mystery, a little romance, betrayal, intrigue, and loads more, packed into 370 pages. It's fast paced, and you can't stop reading. You just get lost in the world of The Seven Kingdoms, and it's difficult to leave. There is so much culture connected to the world Katsa and Po live in, that it feels like a place you could actually visit, it feels so real.
I would definitely recommend Graceling, especially for people looking for something a little different. Unlike all the popular books going round at the moment, it doesn't have vampires, or werewolves, or fearies, or any other mythical creature that there may be out there. Graceling is unique, and will be loved by everyone, teens and adults alike.

Reader reviewed by jedi145

This book is amazing! The backstory of all the kingdoms was well thought out. The idea of the graces was interesting.  The characters were excellent and very rounded. The writing style was different but good. There were a few slow parts but over all the plot kept a good pace.  It was really nice to find a fantasy buried in all the vampire and other paranormal romances.  The romantic relationship took time to build and evolve which was nice, it wasn't an instant, destiny love.  It was nice to read something that took place in a different world away from the cliche of the hot new mysterious boy at school.  I have the companion/prequel, Fire, on my shelf , TBR and can't wait for Bitterblue. 

Reader reviewed by Ruthie

This book was so different, so new it was hard not to fall in love with it. At first when reading I wasn't expecting to like it. The style was different to what I was used to and the reading wasn't as flowy as my recent reads. However the more I read the better I liked it. The adventure started from the first page and ended on the last. There were unexpected additions to the overall plot (especially the ending) and this book left me wanting more. I'm determined to continue with the sister book Fire.