The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern) by Shannon Hale Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Goose Girl (Books of Bayern)
Book Review: A princess tale with more grit and less syrup
Summary: 5 Stars
The Goose Girl is a fantastic book. It fulfills the princess fantasy, but with so much humanity that it is relatable. The main character, Princess Ani, talks to swans (and later, geese), horses, and sparrows, but she struggles with her feelings of inadequacy and a sense of isolation. She finds 'herself' on a journey to a neighboring kingdom, having been stripped of her rightful title and betrothed to a prince she has never seen. She is betrayed by her only human friend, and loses her equine partner.
Alone, she must rely on her own resources to survive. A little at a time, she finds herself opening up to the common people who surround her, and she finds her inner strength and courage.
When you read this story, you can almost feel the bruises from the geese pecking at your knees, taste the morning eggs and bacon, and feel the wind at your neck. Her ability to talk to animals and the elements is told so well that you do not have to suspend belief to enjoy the story; Shannon Hale does the work for you. She does not tell a story of anthropomorphic animals helping a desperate princess - she tells a story of a girl who finds her strength in the world around her.
Book Review: A real treasure to read!
Summary: 5 Stars
Shannon Hale has proven to be a real creative, original and compelling writer. I was taken in by her storytelling, and completely sold by the characters! The Goose Girl is promising to be my favorite book of 2008. I couldn't put it down and when I finished it, I definitely wished there was more!Book Review: A true treasure!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a fifteen year old high school student and i am thouroughly in love with this book. I enjoy many different types of books, but this book stood out to me from the moment i first read it. My mother got me this book and i put off reading it for a while. But eventually I picked it up and finished it that day. I was absolutely captivated and unable to put it down. I have re-read it many times and i am still in awe of how beautiful the story and Shannon Hale's writing is. I will cherish this book for many years and will continue to re-read it. I love Shannon Hale and her book The Goose Girl!Book Review: A very enjoyable fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read The Goose Girl and the sequel, Enna Burning.
I was not familiar with the Brothers Grimm fairy tale on which The Goose Girl is based. After reading the book, I read the original fairy tale, which is posted on Shannon Hales's website, and I have to say she has improved on the original story immensely.
The characters are engaging and the plot is unpredictable (except in the general way that you know the heroine will find victory in the end.) It's sold as a young adult fantasy, but it works for not-so-young adults, too.
Once you finish this book, pick up Enna Burning. It's a bit darker in tone, but still a great read.
Book Review: A wonderful genre-blending mix of fantasy, romance, magic and adventure for YA readers
Summary: 5 Stars
When I put Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl on my "to-read" list, I thought it was just a retelling of a classic fairy tale. It surprised me, though -- The Goose Girl is actually the first in the Books of Bayern series, a timeless story that is as much fantasy as it is a period tale.
The Goose Girl is an adaptation of the Grimm story by the same name. The crown princess of a peaceful kingdom is bartered into an arranged marriage as part of a political treaty with a neighboring land. Princess Ani is not your typical princess -- she's more interested in spending time by the swan pond or in the stables than on social calls with other court ladies. She can talk to the swans, and hear the thoughts of her stallion, Falada. She can even communicate with the wind. But those gifts aren't enough to save her from mutinous guards and a false lady-in-waiting intent at stealing her crown. Soon she's lost in a strange land, working as a Goose Girl, and hiding from her former countrymen that she hopes think she is dead.
This is a great story -- fantasy meets love story, meets medieval adventure, meets tried-and-true classic fairy tale. Ani (or Isi, or the Goose Girl, or the Yellow Girl -- she wears lots of hats in the course of the book) is a great heroine, and I can't wait to pick up the thread of her adventures in the next Book of Bayern, Enna Burning.