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noellegrace8's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I read this a long time ago in middle school, and I remember thinking even then that it deserved its Newberry Honor Award. Perhaps I'm biased, though, because this is basically a cold-weather & mild-fantasy version of Appalachian folklore/culture. I think that's why I love it - I'm from West Virginia and don't often see books that portray love for small-scale, simple life borne of tradition. This book is great at doing just that. It gives me nostalgia and a sense of home even though the setting and people are different enough from my own home.
Character-wise, I love me a lost, oblivious ENTP finding their strength and healing, and that's just what Miri is. She's a loveable character with plenty to offer her little side of the world (and maybe even beyond those borders). She's inspiring and works toward bettering herself always.
Plot-wise, how could a person not love this little story? It's one of those ones that seems to pull on traditional "princess"/monarchy rules but manages to make it completely fresh. It is a bit juvenile in some areas, but I can't dock anything off of its star rating for that, because it is clearly middle-grade fiction. It's *supposed* to have some silly dialogue, lack of proper interpersonal communication in relationships, cut-and-dry motivations and developments, and a 14-year-old kid who is somehow more intelligent than her village elders. Lol. Altogether, such a worthwhile read.
I don't factor audiobook performance into the overall star rating of a book, but I give this cast a general 3/5 ⭐ for their narration. Honestly, this sounded a lot like free LibriVox recordings. The performers were void of emotion, except when they were swinging the opposite way and had too much, cheesy emotion in their tones. And these supposedly teenage characters sounded like 8- to 12-year-olds. It was just... not good. Additionally, why did they keep saying pay-der instead of pete-er?? I never imagined that, just because it was spelled with a D instead of a T, it would be pronounced any differently...
Character-wise, I love me a lost, oblivious ENTP finding their strength and healing, and that's just what Miri is. She's a loveable character with plenty to offer her little side of the world (and maybe even beyond those borders). She's inspiring and works toward bettering herself always.
Plot-wise, how could a person not love this little story? It's one of those ones that seems to pull on traditional "princess"/monarchy rules but manages to make it completely fresh. It is a bit juvenile in some areas, but I can't dock anything off of its star rating for that, because it is clearly middle-grade fiction. It's *supposed* to have some silly dialogue, lack of proper interpersonal communication in relationships, cut-and-dry motivations and developments, and a 14-year-old kid who is somehow more intelligent than her village elders. Lol. Altogether, such a worthwhile read.
I don't factor audiobook performance into the overall star rating of a book, but I give this cast a general 3/5 ⭐ for their narration. Honestly, this sounded a lot like free LibriVox recordings. The performers were void of emotion, except when they were swinging the opposite way and had too much, cheesy emotion in their tones. And these supposedly teenage characters sounded like 8- to 12-year-olds. It was just... not good. Additionally, why did they keep saying pay-der instead of pete-er?? I never imagined that, just because it was spelled with a D instead of a T, it would be pronounced any differently...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Another book that's rather difficult to rate. Miri, the daughter of miners, attends the Princess Academy, where the Prince will chose his bride after the ball that ends the school year. There, she learns all about life beyond the mines, and uses that knowledge to improve her family and her community.
It's hard to rate because it doesn't end the way I expected it to end, and I'm not sure if I like how it ends.
It's hard to rate because it doesn't end the way I expected it to end, and I'm not sure if I like how it ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Confinement
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent
veronicachp's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This one turned out to be a surprise favorite! I read it when I was much younger, maybe 10 or 11, and remember not being able to get interested enough to finish it. This copy made its way to me a few years ago, and honestly was in my donate pile before I decided to give it one more shot. I'm so glad I did!
I found it very well written, and not bland in the way that a lot of books obviously aimed at children can be for adult readers. I was genuinely very invested, and on the edge of my seat at some parts. I think the main thing I loved about this book is how tangible Miri's growth is throughout the novel, you can really feel her growing up and developing as a character, and as an official twentysomething it brought back a surprising amount of nostalgia for my own early teens, my first crush, my first big social event, etc. Even characters who are only mentioned occasionally through the book feel like real, fully fleshed out people, and the worldbuilding and sense of community in the story are wonderful. Needless to say, this one's going back on my bookshelf, not to the donate pile.
I found it very well written, and not bland in the way that a lot of books obviously aimed at children can be for adult readers. I was genuinely very invested, and on the edge of my seat at some parts. I think the main thing I loved about this book is how tangible Miri's growth is throughout the novel, you can really feel her growing up and developing as a character, and as an official twentysomething it brought back a surprising amount of nostalgia for my own early teens, my first crush, my first big social event, etc. Even characters who are only mentioned occasionally through the book feel like real, fully fleshed out people, and the worldbuilding and sense of community in the story are wonderful. Needless to say, this one's going back on my bookshelf, not to the donate pile.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Kidnapping
erniedresser's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Kidnapping and Death of parent