Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Source: Pasco County Library System
Publication Date: May 19, 2015
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon
Originally Read and Reviewed: May 18, 2016

Why did I choose to read this book?

I had never read any books by Naomi Novik before, and this one came highly recommended so I added it to my library holds and brought it home when it became available!

What is this book about?

This book takes place in a kingdom where magical people are highly valued and not feared. They are honored and their existence recorded in an official ledger. They each have special purposes and are afforded anything they need. If you enjoy reading about magic and underdogs and love and war and overcoming evil, this book has all this and more!

What is notable about this story?

I loved the idea of the corrupted wood and the heart trees and how the kingdoms went to war with each other with the wood at the center. The theme that if you become corrupted by fear, sadness, anger, and hatred it corrupts more than just your own mind, it can corrupt all you touch was very powerful;

Was anything not so great?

When our little village girl is discovered to be a witch she’s TOTALLY shocked (like, totally). But then she suddenly takes to it like she had always been working magic and shocks even her mentor, who has been alive and working magic for hundreds of years. A nobody becomes amazing talent overnight. Don’t we wish.

I am sick to death of the clumsy/dirty girl character. Oh she doesn’t like to wear dresses and be obedient so she must be weird. She comes home with ripped clothes and mud all over her shoes and everyone is disappointed. Better make yourself desirable kid, or you’ll never get a husband. We get the setup of a non-traditional woman becoming the most special of them all. Hooray?

Finally, and I say this keeping lots of other mystical YA in mind, I am tired of reading what is essentially statutory rape love stories. Man of over 100 years of age becomes seduced by 16 or 17 year old child. UGH. Ageless vampire fucks 15 year old girl. And don’t get me wrong, the writing is SUPER hot, but whenever I’m done reading it the realization that I basically just read about statutory rape/Stockholm syndrome hits me and I try to forget about it. This idea that girls must be paired up by the age of 18 to someone who is obviously so much older and wiser is a common trope in these fantasy YA novels, and this kind of plot device may be doing more harm than good.

What’s the verdict?

Four stars on Goodreads. It’s your typical fantasy YA novel but with impressively innovative world building. Naomi Novik has written better novels, but any of her novels are worth your time.

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