Reviews

Catherine: The Great Journey, Russia, 1743 by Kristiana Gregory

karingforbooks's review

informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Definitely one of my least favorite royal diaries. Even for a 14 year old, there’s no substance like there is with others. And it focuses so much on her appearance and her mother’s abuse without recognizing the era or that it’s bad. Also it ended randomly and the headings were in a bad font and were largely meaningless as far as timing. I’m sure it’s fine but not something I’ll reread

bargainsleuth's review

2.0

Once again in a Royal Diaries book, the Epilogue and Life in Russia sections left out a lot of important information that would confuse the reader. It stated that after her husband became king, Catherine feared for her life. Which makes no sense to a reader who just saw the two get married in the fictionalized story. The author never explains WHY Catherine thought her life was in danger. She also didn't explain the coup very well. Just, all of a sudden, Catherine becomes Empress. I thought these books would be much more thorough than the Dear America series (the Royal Diaries are a spin off) because they are based on real people, but that hasn't been the case.

idratherliveinbooks's review

reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

jmckendry's review

3.0

I read one or two of these books as a child, and as I've begun to think about what I want my own future children to read, I remembered this book series.

I had never read this one before, and I had honestly forgotten how historically accurate these stories are. Entertaining, true, and perfect for young readers, I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel and I can't wait to read more from this series.

bergha1998's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

ladyofbooks's review

3.0

A quick simple read, filled with history and fascinating characters. Not bad but I wanted more.

jillka777's review

4.0

I loved these books as a kid! Revisiting as an adult with a wider knowledge of history brought more "darkness" to the picture for this one in particular. For example, knowing what kind of a ruler she was prior to reading did color some passages in this book for me. Still highly recommend for informative historical fiction for kids!

emmyrosem's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

anhistorianabouttown's review

emotional informative lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

emmarj's review

4.0

I've finished my nonsensical goal of reading all these books! Yay, me. Catherine is the last book of the series, ending it on a better note than many of the last installments. Bonus points for reading this right after the premiere of the HBO mini series about Catherine. The book is interesting but ends abruptly like most of the royal diaries. I would have liked to read more about what happened to Johanna, Catherine's mother, after she was sent back to Prussia, but otherwise I think the book is a good overview of Catherine's youth.