thepoetcatari's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
gjkennedy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
I forgot how dark the middle of this book gets. The beginning is way too slow and expository, but she really hits the ground running ~80 pages in and by the end she was writing a truly phenomenal book. I would love to see Shannon Hale write something as dark as she hints she can go, it would be quite spectacular. My one wish to make this book perfect was a less introductory intro, longer time spent developing the war, more intense action, and more Finn. Never enough Finn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: War, Pregnancy, and Violence
sonja_mj's review against another edition
3.0
The Goose Girl, the tale of Isi/Ani is one of my all time favourite young adult books! It was with great anticipation I picked up Enna Burning. I was not disappointed. Shannon Hale has a wondrous way of creating engaging tales and likeable characters, and this book explored the character of Enna engagingly. I particularly liked the inclusion of the Isi/Geric sub plot. However Enna Burning lacked the same fairy tale and magical qualities that the Goose Girl had. A worthy read, but nothing on the original!!
abbystewart's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite book of all time, strong complex female characters, everything you could want and more.
liralen's review against another edition
4.0
I burned through* this series in the course of a few days, but I think this one was my favourite. All four books in the series are memorable for their vivid, complex characters, but in this book -- Enna is flawed, and she's a much stronger heroine for it.
Each of the books has a broader theme** -- [b:The Goose Girl|179064|The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330728389s/179064.jpg|2715267] is about growing up and dealing with betrayal; [b:River Secrets|248470|River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362875702s/248470.jpg|240752] is about finding/building a place for yourself; [b:Forest Born|6407514|Forest Born (The Books of Bayern, #4)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312037111s/6407514.jpg|6158856] is about, oh, shame and grey areas. And Enna Burning is effectively about addiction, and good/bad decisions (and grey area again), and...and.
Enna wasn't always lovable, or even likable. She made some really bad decisions -- and she, and others, suffered for them -- and was blinded by her need to burn, among other things. But that's what makes her realistic, and more relatable. She doesn't leap in and solve everything. She causes damage before she (with help) manages to sort things out. She can't fix everything.
In short: Mad props to strong, flawed (female!) characters.
*Yes...that was intentional; sorry
**Or several. I could come up with more if I thought about it longer, and others will see different themes in them.
Each of the books has a broader theme** -- [b:The Goose Girl|179064|The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330728389s/179064.jpg|2715267] is about growing up and dealing with betrayal; [b:River Secrets|248470|River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362875702s/248470.jpg|240752] is about finding/building a place for yourself; [b:Forest Born|6407514|Forest Born (The Books of Bayern, #4)|Shannon Hale|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312037111s/6407514.jpg|6158856] is about, oh, shame and grey areas. And Enna Burning is effectively about addiction, and good/bad decisions (and grey area again), and...and.
Enna wasn't always lovable, or even likable. She made some really bad decisions -- and she, and others, suffered for them -- and was blinded by her need to burn, among other things. But that's what makes her realistic, and more relatable. She doesn't leap in and solve everything. She causes damage before she (with help) manages to sort things out. She can't fix everything.
In short: Mad props to strong, flawed (female!) characters.
*Yes...that was intentional; sorry
**Or several. I could come up with more if I thought about it longer, and others will see different themes in them.
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
4.0
This sequel to Hale's The Goose Girl is as satisfying and filled with great characters and a good story. Enna, though at times a little too perfect, is still a multi-faceted heroine with an interesting story to tell. Hale expands on her magical base by adding several new types of "speaking" and control of the elements. It's interesting to see how that plays out. I really liked discovering more about Izzy's best friend and the others we met in the first book. A very good follow up that is well written and thought out.
hillarya's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't get into this one as quickly as I did The Goose Girl. I still love Hale. I just couldn't quite connect with Enna. She was a pretty disconnected character. :) I will definitely keep reading the series though. I'm curious how Razo's character will play out.
lizzacco's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sophiecountsclouds's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
3.0