Book Corner: Enna Burning
By: Shannon Hale
What kind of read is it?
A young adult fantasy/adventure book, aimed towards girls. It's the second book in The Books of Bayern after The Goose Girl. I first read The Goose Girl at Maggie's urging and loved it. Then I read Princess Academy and loved it. The books are all fun and easy to read, with well-crafted language and very creative plots. I never know how Hale's books will end - they are not predictable! A great break in between non-fiction books for me.
What insights did I gain from this book?
The most insightful part of the book is too difficult to explain here, but it has to do with discerning people who can deceitfully craft words and persuade.
What did the author do well?
Adventure! This book has some intense moments and plot twists.
What is lacking in writing style or story?
Not much. However, there was one section, about one third of the way in, where I got so annoyed with Enna. It was definitely a slow spot for me in the book. But it was well worth it to push through Enna's defiant and stubborn phase. And I suppose every character has some weakness.
What will I remember most about this book?
I hate to say this, but the cover is really beautiful, so I will remember that first.
But otherwise, I will think about the friendship between Enna and Isi and how they need each other. It's my favorite part of the book.
There are two more books of bayern. I have read River Secrets. It's not as good as Goose Girl or Enna Burning, but its quite a bit different because it is from a male perspective. Of course, if you love the characters of the other books, you will really enjoy it. And you inspired me, so I just downloaded Forest Born to my kindle. I'll let you know how it compares.
ReplyDeleteBut DEFINITELY check out Austenland by Hale. I resisted for a long time, because it sounded lame. I read it all in one sitting (1.5-2 hours), no breaks. It was great, and like you said, her stories take unexpected turns. You think you can predict them, and then you can't.