THE GOOSE GIRL by Shannon Hale Novemer 5, 2006

What is there to say about this book except for WOW. I loved it. It took me a little while to really get into it because I had just finished "Prayers for the Assassin" and this was soooo different. But by the end, I realized it had a lot of the same elements: a great map, intrigue, conspiracy, violence, suspense, and romance. Truly, what more could you ask for? And, lo and behold, there is more because Shannon Hale is an exceptionally gifted author. She writes so beautifully. She took an old Grimm's fairy tale (one I had never heard) and transformed it into one of the best books I've ever read. I could scarcely put it down and was so sad when it ended. I can't wait to read the next two books in the series. In fact, I was surprised at how amazing her writing is after seeing her at the Book Festival. She was thoughtful, thought-provoking, and very funny, but I didn't really catch a full glimpse of her talent with words. I'd heard raves from my sister and niece but I still wasn't prepared for the beauty of her prose. Here's an example:
"The river birches were leafing brilliant--hundreds of thin, gold coins dangling from their arms. It was perfect, as though their green leave had been a falsehood all those months and just now the trees showed their realness, their pure autumnal yellowness. Ani felt a stirring, a hope, a winged thing waking up in her chest and brushing her heart with its feathers."
Isn't that just how you feel in the midst of a gorgeous autumn scene? And the magic of Ani is described so fantastically. Hale makes it almost ordinary because it is so believable. I'd love to see this book made into a movie just to see that final scene where Ani commands the winds. But a movie probably couldn't capture that moment as well as Hale's words. Just let me add my recommendation to that of other bloggers who have reviewed this book: You must read it!
Rating: 5+

8 Comments:
Alyson said...
This book is at the top of my Christmas Break reading list. I'm really excited to read it because everyone who has reviewed it has nothing but wonderful things to say about it.
SuziQoregon said...
Obviously I need to look for this one :-)
booklogged said...
The timing was perfect for a G book just after being to Hale's presentation at the SLC Book Festival. It's nice to hear that you enjoyed it.
Cassie said...
Hey I think the title should be "G Title" not "G Author" You know I'm always here to point out your mistakes. I'm excited to read this book too. Don't know when I will since book club seems to take up so much time and I don't read books very fast. by the way look for my review of my latest book soon.
Framed said...
Whew, thanks for pointing that out, Cassie. I'm reading the G Author right now. Alyson & SusieQ: You will love this book. It's a great story on top of the wonderful language. Very magical.Book, thanks to you and Katie for recommending this so highly.
Stephanie said...
Oh, another book to check out! Thanks for the review.Stephanie
Joy said...
If I remember correctly, Booklogged's review stated that this was a YA book. I'm telling you...we need to be searching those YA bookshelves more often; they obviously have some terrific books that we could be missing! I'm not big on Fairy Tales, but I'm going to look into this one.
Framed said...
Joy, I see this more as a book about growing within yourself than just a fairy tale. It's far and away the best YA book I've ever read.