Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Girl of Fire and Thorns By Rae Carson

Reviewed by Christine S

Girl of Fire and Thorns Book Review

Imagine yourself as a 16 year old princess of the kingdom named Joya D’arena being married to a man you’ve never met. Not only that but find yourself chosen from god, holding a secret stone inside your body, destined to act in a heroic service. This is the life of the protagonist Elisa of The Girl Of Fire And Thorns by Rae Carson a long time ago in the lands of Joya D’arena, Great Desert, and Brisadulce. Elisa troubles to find her act, and finds herself useless, as she is larger in size than the average princess.

This book was amazing! The storyline seems to fit together like a puzzle. A large self-conscious princess, who  has been chosen by god, and  feels lost in her life, is the perfect mixture to fit it in the fact that this book seemed to go back more than 1,000 years, and was really easy to compare the life back then to now. Messages were written, and it took about a month to arrive at its destination, and sometimes it won’t make it at all! In present day, we can send messages online or over text, and make phone calls in seconds. This really made me think about the developments of technology over time.

The character Elisa partially reminded me of Cinderella. She has a older sister who was slim, beautiful and had the attention of many men. Cinderella had stepsisters who had all the glory, and lived life being well served. Elisa was always forgotten, and no one really cared for her even though she was a princess, just like no one cared for Cinderella even though she was gorgeous, and well rounded. Elisa just needs time, and a friend to help her reach out of her comfort zone, and be the heroic princess god wanted her to be!

Honorable Mentions

• Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers
• Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
• Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hanh