REVIEW: ‘The Goose Girl’ goes good
“The Goose Girl” by Shannon Hale follows princess Anidori-Kiladra Taliana Isilee of Kildenree in her adventure of discovering a new land, new friends and enemies.
Anidori, or Ani for short, is born the crown princess of Kildenree, and is close to her aunt, the sister of the queen. Her aunt tells her all sorts of stories, and through them tells Ani about the ability to speak with animals – a gift Ani possesses – and the ability to “people speak” and speak with nature. Ani is even able to communicate with her horse Falada.
After her father dies, she finds out she is to be taken to a new land where she will marry the oldest prince there to form a political union and create peace between the lands. As she leaves her country, she is escorted by guards who all volunteered to go with her, as well as her lady-in-waiting, Selia.
Along the way, half of the guards are loyal to Selia, who has had a plan to take Ani’s place for a while, turn on those who are loyal to Ani and Kildenree. They begin a massacre, leaving Ani to run for her life.
As Ani runs, she comes across a little house in the forest where she meets Gilsa and Finn, a mother and son who work hard for what they have. They help her by taking her into the city on market day, where Ani is able to meet with the king. Though she had planned to tell the king what had happened in the forest, she quickly realized it was not a good idea. Instead, she managed to get a job tending the king’s geese in order to stay close to the palace to learn news. While there, she meets Enna, Razo, Conrad and several other workers who she ends up becoming good friends with. A few times, however, her friends need to help protect her as Selia and her followers are out to silence Ani for good.
Hale’s writing is extremely poetic. She creates amazing imagery throughout the entire book so you can easily visualize what the characters are going through and what they see. While the book is based off a fairy tale by the Grimm brothers, she creates a world many people have not imagined before.
You get attached to the characters, wanting to learn more about them and their background. While you don’t necessarily feel their emotions strongly, you may find yourself cheering them on or groaning as the story goes on. The story flows perfectly. Every event fits from one to the next and makes you wonder what happens next.
The wording is consistent the entire time and adds to the story, putting you in a faraway land, back in the olden days. Even the different ways the characters speak – from the dignified and formal way the royals speak to the partial slang those from the forest speak – all adds to the story.
The book is a fantasy and is good for readers who enjoyed books such as “Princess of the Midnight Ball” or “Twilight”.
It is a pretty easy read, but is enjoyable for all ages. It is the first book in a series, but is also good to read as a standalone book, as the next books are told from different points of views – “Enna Burning” is clearly told by Enna, “River Secrets” by Razo and “Forest Born” by Razo’s little sister.
Those who wish to be swept away in a book full of adventure and magic, “The Goose Girl” is a fantastic choice.
Oh, and did I mention there’s some romance too?