Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)

by Kristin Cashore

[ladygrey]

I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The title is great, the premise was interesting but never fully developed. Katsa was written more as a boy than an actual heroine. Which was disappointing because I wanted to see her wrestle with living at court and being a lady while being treated like a thug. The author never shows any side to her but the thug, never delving into the interesting places where that would clash with her femininity. There were so many complexities Katsa could have had, with her role in her uncle's court, her wrestling with her identity and how the things that happen along the way affect her. But the author never ventured into any of that territory. Ultimately, I found Katsa both unlikable and unbelievable.
Only when she was surrounded by the other characters (specifically Po and Raffin) was the story interesting.

The romance is well developed, but eventually flatlines and becomes uninteresting, descending into disappointment with the ending.

The worst part, I think, is that I would never recommend this book to anyone. I don't think an older audience would enjoy it. And I would never recommend it to a younger girl because I dislike so much of what the author is saying about relationships and love and being a strong woman while maintaining your femininity. which is what I thought the book was sort of going to be about.