3.5 starsThis book was weird. It so boring at times yet somewhat enjoyable. The only reason I was able to enjoy this was because of that romance. Seriously, what the fuck happened, I'm still screaming.Here are some reasons why I liked this book:◇We don't have a skinny MC. I love how Elisa wasn't a skinny heroine and what she looks like shouldn't matter. She was smart, brave, thought and extremely fucking annoying at times and I loved it. ◇I loved how Humberto treated her. He fell in love with he...

DEAR EVERYBODY: YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!! Seriously, what Rae Carson does with this book is brilliant and extremely refreshing! Everything is so honest and genuine and I loved every moment of it.

Dude. You guys. Best YA high fantasy I’ve read in, well, a LONG time. And one of the few 5 star ratings my stingy ass has handed out so far this year.I did the old, “I’ll just read a couple of chapters before bed” nonsense and....yeah. Read it in one sitting. The writing was engrossing, the plot moved along at a decent pace, and the characters were all layered and grew/developed throughout the story. I also loved that the main character - although still a "chosen one" trope character - was not a...

Running in a 25k marathon.In 4.8 inch heels.In the rain.With an STD.While hungover.And getting passed by a 93-year-old man,Who’s wearing a very form-fitting polyester purple-leopard-print body suit.Would have been better than this book.

This was one of those books I have a hard time rating, simply because some elements were very well done, and others very poorly done.The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the story of Elisa, princess to the country of Oravalle and bearer of the Godstone, a jewel implanted in her navel that signifies she is marked by god as one who will do a Service. Elisa has no idea what her Service will be, and can't imagine herself ever being useful to her country. She is merely the overweight, shy younger daughter

I don't know.I liked some parts of it, but it was weird/draggy/& preachy in parts, too. Guess I'll settle on 3 stars?First off, the whole stone in the belly button thing was sort of strange...& eventually (when she tried to dig it out) off-putting for me.I just...ewwww.Now, supposedly, she was given the stone by God to help her do something special, but the records of the previous Stone Bearers seemed sketchy at best. Some of them accomplished something, some of them died young, and most of them...

I LOVED THIS BOOK! So freaking epic! Elisa is just one of those characters you fall in love with.

"God's will. How many times have I heard someone declare their understanding of this thing I find so indefinable?"Sometimes it's fascinating how authors can synthesize their own books in just one sentence strategically hidden in the books themselves. Hats off. •One of the main complaints readers usually have when it comes to this book is the main character. In all honesty, Elisa may be difficult to stand, especially because, especially at the beginning, her way of thinking is strictly linked to

If you caught even just a couple of my updates I think it would've been plainly obvious that I didn't enjoy this book. It's disappointing, really, because I think Carson was attempting to create a heroine that many girls could relate to. Elisa is overweight, unsure of herself, overshadowed by her prettier and skinnier sister, and chosen for something she's not sure she's worthy of. It sounds like the beginning of a compelling story, but ultimately Elisa only proves her worthiness by changing eve...

Oh, my goodness.A heroine who actually thinks for herself?A heroine who doesn't get swayed by hot men?A heroine who overcomes her fears realistically and courageously?A heroine who is perfect in her imperfections?A heroine who is flawed yet so real?A FANTASY STORY WHERE THE ROMANCE IS ACTUALLY NOT CENTRAL???Ooh. La. Freaking. La.To say that I enjoyed this book is an understatement.It's been a while since I finished a book in one sitting. Seriously, recently, it takes me 3-5 days max to finish a

1.5 stars. All in all incredibly underwhelming and somewhat both idiotic and infuriating. Trust me, I would love to tell you that my distaste only revolves around personal matters - as a strong case of "it's not the book but me", let's say - but in all honesty, I really don't think that and the problems I had with The Girl of Fire and Thorns were way too numerous to be left ignored. "You must not lose faith, child. No matter what. Do not doubt God or his choosing of you. He knows infinitely mo...

I recommend this for fans of Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, and my own high fantasy. This is a transformation story that teens and adults can believe in. Never condescending.

2.5 starsMy ARC has the old version of the cover and it is super pretty, the blue tones of it are gorgeous:I am glad the publishers changed it though. At the very least this book will be spared accusations of whitewashing and weightwashing. The heroine of this novel - Princess Elisa of Orovalle - describes herself as "dark," "brown" and also as "a big, bloated sausage" and "pig." Clearly, the cover doesn't quite match these adjectives.Now onto the novel itself. 16-year old princess Elisa has a g...

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING.This book has a very strong female character.And guess what??SHE IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FEMALE CHARACTERS.Probably one of the first maybe only books that have a girl who isn't that skinny, and perfect little 'ordinary' girl.No, this book has a wonderful girl who loves sweets AND WILL ACTUALLY EAT THEM DAILY BECUZ SHE LOVES THEM, NOT BECUZ SHE WANTS TO BECOME A SKELETON.So to all u peoples out there........... u is beautiful So screw body image, eat all the cake

“And God raised up for Himself a champion. Yea, once in every four generations He raised him up to bear His mark.” What better way to take a break from stupid reality things like essays and demanding classes than a YA fantasy book about war, prophecy, an unlikely heroine and mouth-watering food? Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleasantly surprised! “Lucero-Elisa. Heavenly light, chosen of God. His words suffocate me as surely as his embrace. All my life, I've been reminded that I am

DNF at 50% "I understand why it is better to die from my service than never complete it at all. Far, far better. Homer and Damian never profited from their acts of heroism; everyone who followed did. In the same way, I may never reap the benefits of mine, should I complete it. But that doesn't matter, because God placing his stone in my belly was never about me." I firmly believe a new genre should be carved out just for The Girl of Fire and Thorns: Religious Fantasy. Lord, is it preachy—just

Truly honorable death, the only honorable death, is one that enables life. I enjoyed reading this book but not in the way I expected. The characters were very realistic and the concept of the Godstone was very unique. The story moves at a good pace and I look forward to seeing where Rae Carson takes this story. This book, in my opinion, had enough potential to be left as a standalone but there are 2 more books and I am genuinely interested in seeing how our protagonist grows into the position

Reread time with Jessica*chanting* please hold up, please hold up. please hold up. I loved this series the first time through. So lets do it all again. I'm really hoping it is just as good.Whew and it did hold up well. I'm going to stick with my 4 star rating and since I knew some of the bigger plot points I was able to focus in a little more on a certain Captain of the Guard. Hector, you are amazing.Original Review I will preface that I was a little worried about this book when I started. It se...

I feel torn about The Girl of Fire and Thorns.On the one hand, there's not much room to accuse this book of being slow - the action is constant, zipping along from a bloody battle, to a lusty encounter (PG-13, of course), to another dramatic reveal, to a kidnapping. Elisa's life spins off in a crazy new direction that starts with her marriage to a King of a nearby country in chapter one, and the pacing never slows down after that.Elisa is a 16-year-old princess and was born the bearer of a Godst...

10/12/17Help, I feel… nothing.You know when you can’t say you hated or loved a book because you can't even remember what went on? That's how I feel right now. I don’t remember half the characters much less the plot because I was so bored and I’ve only finished it just a few hrs ago. 🤦‍♀️Pray you don't feel the dread of indifference, my friends because a lack of any emotion towards a book is far worse than hating it. At least then you still feel… something.However, all’s not doom and gloom becaus...