#18 The Goose Girl

by Shannon Hale

I can’t believe I almost forgot to write a review about this book. I was so far behind on my reviews that I guess it just about slipped through the cracks. I read this book over Thanksgiving break at the very strong recommendation of my sister. In October, I attended the Salt Lake City book festival just to see Shannon Hale speak. She gave a wonderful presentation on reading for pleasure. Her goal is to write books that people can read for pleasure.

This book is excellently written and held my attention throughout. It is based on the Grimm’s fairy tale with more depth and more characters added from the author’s imagination. The book is categorized as young adult, but I personally think it is a book for all ages. I won’t go too much into detail about the story because I think everyone should read it and not be forewarned about any of the events; they are too fun to discover on your own. Towards the end of the book, there was a slightly cheesy portion that I wasn’t as pleased with, but it wasn’t bad, and all-in-all did not detract from the caliber of the book. This is a book that I will definitely read to my children (if I ever have children). Shannon did an excellent job on imagery, details, and producing a book that truly is pleasurable to read.

I’m also looking forward to Shannon’s new book, Austenland, released in May It is her first adult novel and is about a woman who is obsessed with Mr. Darcy (from Pride and Prejudice) as portrayed by Colin Firth. I have a feeling I will relate too well to this character.