British Accents

Does anyone else read books about castles and royalty with a British accent? Well, I don't read them out loud. But I do it in my mind. My out loud British accent isn't so convincing. But the one in my head is quite excellent, actually.

Okay, so if I'm being honest, I read a lot of books in my head with a British accent. Most especially Harry Potter. Because it is infinitely better with a British accent. Everyone knows I love HP and wish I could be J.K. Rowling. And so reading her characters in the original British dialect that they were meant to be enjoyed in...well, of course that's just the icing on the cake.

Speaking of British accents, and castles and such, I give you my review of The Goose Girl. Most of you have probably already read this. I think I might be the last of any of my friends to pick this book up. Which of course, has me thinking of all the books I sort of shunned in the past, only to find that they were quite delightful, once given a fair chance. HP, Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre...I don't really know why. I suppose with Shannon Hale, I was worried that it would be too light and fluffy or underdeveloped, especially as the characters go. Because if I can say one thing about YA literature that often bothers me it is this. The characters are too flat. I don't feel compelled by them. Not so with The Goose Girl. It was delightful.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


All new stories are just old stories, waiting to be retold. And I do enjoy it when an author takes an old tale, one say from the Brother's Grimm, and fleshes it out for a new audience. And that is The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale.



Young Princess Ani, a shy and reluctant royal of the Kildenree Court, finds herself thrust into the world when her mother the Queen decides that while Ani is the crown princess, it would be better to make nice with a somewhat trigger happy neighboring kingdom, Bayern, to keep the dogs of war at bay. Ani, so the Queen decides, must marry the Bayern Prince; thus, Ani is sent out on a journey that will take her to more than just the palace of her new kingdom. When her traitorous young lady-in-waiting, Selia, schemes to steal her name and her place as rightful bride to the prince, Ani is forced to forsake her identity and hide from those who would kill her before word gets to the King of Bayern that the princess from Kildenree is not who she says she is.



Books like this are why I enjoy young adult literature so much. Good story telling. Likable, flawed characters. A satisfying conflict with a happy resolution. Hale is quickly becoming a fave. Her books are reminiscent of another favorite author, Robin McKinley. Since I love a good retelling of an old tale, this book was right up my ally. In fact, I'm not sure why I've been so reluctant to read Shannon Hale sooner. My apologies to all of you who've been giving me the green light. I should have listened a little sooner!



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