Goose Chase

by Patrice Kindl

[nannah]

Ah, I haven't re-read this for at least ten years. But, ;___; I weep for another childhood favorite gone from five stars down to 3.5. That's not to say it's not a good book. It's just not . . . as wonderful as I remembered.

Alexandria the "Goose Girl", was a plain, poor girl before meeting an old woman who "blessed" her with looks to rival the dawn, and gifts that made her cry diamonds and shed gold dust whenever she combed her hair. Unfortunately, these blessings make her coveted by both her country's oafish Prince and the rival country's evil King. And land her trapped in a tower until she can choose which one to wed. If she has her way, though, Alexandria plans to escape with her geese and choose neither.

This retelling of the fairy tale (is it classified as a legit "fairy tale"?) "The Goose Girl" is fun and exciting, but lacks a depth I really want in books right now--even those based on fairy tales. But it does have a charm that I can understand I would have loved at a younger age.

The only thing I really disliked was that ugly = villain. Every unsavory character was definitely described being incredibly ugly by our society's standards. Women with body hair, women with """hideously large noses and chins""" (don't get me started on the racism and antisemitism that goes into why our society finds that "ugly"), huge warts, etc. It really made enjoying the novel more difficult.

But anyway, a fairly enjoyable book, especially for a younger audience.