Graceling lacks Grace
For this month's Book Club we read Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. It’s the story of Katsa, and her coming of age and becoming her own person, breaking free of outside controlling influences.
As a quick, light read, I enjoyed the book; not immensely, but enough that I might recommend it to someone in an airport. The story was good, the character development was interesting, but author's agenda was a little too blatant and in places felt contrived. I didn't like her method of shoving "all men are chauvinists and will try and keep women in their place" down my throat, especially when her main male character exhibited none of those qualities. Nor did I particularly like her message of "sex with no commitment is fine" call me old fashioned, but I don't think teenagers need to be hearing that. If she had stuck to the standard of teen fantasy, where the main characters go off into the woods for a quick tumble, and left it at that, I would have passed it by without a thought. Instead she engages in a lengthy discussion of Katsa's thoughts on the matter, in the end surmising that sex without commitment is the way to proceed, that all men are controlling, and that commitment is overrated. What on earth are we trying to teach teenagers today?
I know it's the trend in teen literature to show strong female characters overcoming the odds and winning through in the end, which I think is a great message. There are many fantasy series out there that do exactly that, and in such a way that the strong female characters are supported by strong male characters, and without the need for male bashing. Not all men are out there to subjugate women, and we shouldn't be teaching women that they are.
As an adult, I would read this again as light reading, but I wouldn't recommend it for teens.
