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sarahmariaq's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.25
carriepond's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Ironhead, or Once a Young Lady tells the story of Constance, aka "Stance," a teenage girl from Ghent who joins the Napoleonic War to escape a marriage she never wanted. Her younger brother, Pier, is put out by this decision because it means that Stance's husband will no longer support the family, including paying for him to go to school. He agrees to accompany a smuggler hired by Stance's husband to track her down and bring her back. The novel jumps between Stance's and Pier's perspectives, which thankfully evolve as the story unfolds.
This book started out pretty slow for me. I would say the first third felt like the story wasn't moving forward quickly, spending too much time on the setup. Once the story got momentum, however, I was sucked in and read the last hundred or so pages in one day. I honestly hated Pier's chapters at first, and loathed spending time in his brain, but after he had a few humbling experiences that changed for me. I went into this because I thought I would find the exploration on gender and gendered roles to be interesting, but I ended up finding the most compelling part to be Pier's evolving view of his sister. Also there were some pretty badass scenes involving Stance, including the one that explained the origin of her nickname. There are some pretty grisly scenes of war in here, especially considering it is a YA novel, so be warned.
Anyway, in summary, despite the pacing issues and some other nitpicks, I had a pretty good time reading this.
This book started out pretty slow for me. I would say the first third felt like the story wasn't moving forward quickly, spending too much time on the setup. Once the story got momentum, however, I was sucked in and read the last hundred or so pages in one day. I honestly hated Pier's chapters at first, and loathed spending time in his brain, but after he had a few humbling experiences that changed for me. I went into this because I thought I would find the exploration on gender and gendered roles to be interesting, but I ended up finding the most compelling part to be Pier's evolving view of his sister. Also there were some pretty badass scenes involving Stance, including the one that explained the origin of her nickname. There are some pretty grisly scenes of war in here, especially considering it is a YA novel, so be warned.
Anyway, in summary, despite the pacing issues and some other nitpicks, I had a pretty good time reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and War
Moderate: Physical abuse
glennjiles1's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
bookish_brenna's review
1.0
Hated it. Full of mansplaining. The author also isn't good at writing female characters. And, since the book goes back and forth between a sister and brother, this was very disappointing. I had high hopes for a book about a woman soldier fighting alongside Napoleon, but I had to trudge through this.
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
Stance is not your average maiden. Uncouth, brazen, and full of life, she actively rejects the role placed upon her in Napoleonic France and by her parents. But when her parents are in dire need of financial support, she's married off to her father's business partner--a man more than twice her age. To be fair, she thinks to herself, he is a wealthy man and she wants for nothing. Other girls from her village envy her. Too bad Stance doesn't want this life. She steals away in the middle of the night, and takes a neighbor's place in the army. There, she struggles with concealing her true identity...and struggles when she realizes her annoying little brother is on her tail to bring her back.
Though at first difficult to get into (I'm not normally one for historical fiction, but I do love me some Mulan and Joan of Arc narratives), this ended up being a fantastic read that I was absolutely enthralled with. From Stance's struggle with the standards placed upon her sex, to the horrors of war, to trying to understand her family, van Rijckeghem ensures a forceful and powerful understanding of Stance's predicaments that are sure to engage.
Though at first difficult to get into (I'm not normally one for historical fiction, but I do love me some Mulan and Joan of Arc narratives), this ended up being a fantastic read that I was absolutely enthralled with. From Stance's struggle with the standards placed upon her sex, to the horrors of war, to trying to understand her family, van Rijckeghem ensures a forceful and powerful understanding of Stance's predicaments that are sure to engage.
btaitano's review
1.0
Hated it. Full of mansplaining. The author also isn't good at writing female characters. And, since the book goes back and forth between a sister and brother, this was very disappointing. I had high hopes for a book about a woman soldier fighting alongside Napoleon, but I had to trudge through this.
kiriamarin's review
A light read about a bi woman who disguises herself like a man to join Napoleon army .Stance/Ironhead oor Constance is a sassy, rebel girl , her adventures,destiny and love life were fun to read .
oraclereadings's review
5.0
Why is it that I can always write reviews for books that I either didn't like or were just meh, but when it comes to writing reviews for books that I actually enjoyed my mind goes absolutely blank?
fritopie's review
emotional
slow-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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail