Palace of Stone (Princess Academy, #2)

by Shannon Hale

[ladygrey]

I was hesitant whether I should put this on my young adult or middle grade shelf. But a part of the theme of this story is about Miri moving out of a isolated, uneducated childhood and learning not just about her world but about larger concepts like justice and ethics and intangible complexities. This process of discovery gives Miri the voice of a much younger character than she maybe is and therefore casts the entire story into the realm of a younger girl learning that the world is not as simple as it's seemed all her life.

[a:Shannon Hale|49177|Shannon Hale|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1299093233p2/49177.jpg] is great a placing metaphors into very straightforward writing, giving her story the combined sense of something very simple and yet evocative. Sometimes Miri and the other characters drove me a little crazy with their naivete but for the most part it was a pleasant book to read.

I liked the progression of the story; that it gradually extended beyond the initial small group of characters. I liked how well developed all the characters were because they're fun to know.

Mostly I liked that one small girl could grow and learn and stumble and affect so much change in her world and in the people around her.