Book Review | The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
By Mrs S • May 31st, 2008 • Category: 5 stars, 50 book challenge, Book Binge, Challenges, Grapevine, Reviews, Spring Reading Thing, Young Adult
The Goose Girl - Buy this Book [US]
Rating
5 stars - a fabulous fairytale
Description
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kilendree spent the first years of her life listening to her aunt’s incredible stories, and learning the language of the birds. Little knowing how valuable her aunt’s strange knowledge would prove to be when she grew older. From the Grimm’s fairy tale of the princess who became a goose girl before she could become a queen, Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must understand her own incredible talents before she can overcome those who wish her harm.
Why did you decide to read this book?
I discovered The Goose Girl thanks to a few fellow book bloggers who gave it rave reviews - I was lucky enough to track it down on Read it Swap it. I decided to read it now so that I can enter it into Nymeth’s Fairytale Carnival.
The Book Review
The book opens with the birth of Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, the first Crown Princess of Kilendree. In the early chapters we learn of her relationship with her aunt who tells stories of babes being born with the first word of language on their tongues and teaches Ani to talk the language of birds.
Just after her sixteenth birthday Ani learns that she has been betrothed to the Prince of Bayern and she sets out on a three month journey through the pine forests and Bayern Mountains to meet her future husband.
It is during this journey that Ani’s fate takes a turn for the worse and she finds herself in Bayern not as a Queen but as a Goose Girl.
Hale has woven a magical fairytale, with believable characters and such spell-binding descriptions that there were times I would look up from the book and be surprised to find that I wasn’t standing on a cobbled street surrounded by geese!
I’ve been thinking recently that I’d really like to find a *comfortable book*, one that I will re-read over and over and pick up when I need a book that will make me smile - and I think I’ve finally found it!
Have you reviewed this book?
If you have reviewed this book on your site please fill in the boxes below to link me up to your review - don’t forget to link to the specific post to make it easy to find:
If you enjoyed this post why not subscribe here to have future posts delivered directly to your inbox or subscribe here to get them in your feed reader.
Recent posts
Mrs S is is a lover of books! These are my thoughts on the books I've read. Have a different view? Leave me a comment below :)
Email this author | All posts by Mrs S
I heard about this book from all of the book reviews online as well. I liked it pretty well. It was a nice, quick read.
Kim Ls last blog post..Royalty Rules Challenge Wrap Up
Great review! Are you going to submit this post to the next Bookworms Carnival? It sounds very appropriate.
Alessandras last blog post..Book Binge list
Yep I read it just for the carnival
I’m glad you enjoyed this one so much
And thanks again for the submission!
Nymeths last blog post.."The Ice Queen" by Alice Hoffman
I really love Shannon Hale!
Beckys last blog post..Celebrate the Author: June Links & A Meme
Isn’t it wonderful when you find a book that sends you out of reality like that? They are so few and far between. Like you, I look for comfort books that I can refer back to when I’m needing an escape
Oh, I love, love, love this book! Also enjoyed reading Enna Burning!
Hi Mrs. S! I remember commenting here last night but I think it got uh, swallowed
I think I mentioned that this is my kind of tale - from future-Queen to Goose Girl! Will be adding this to my wishlist 
Lightheadeds last blog post..Rescue Me
Hey everyone - Lightheaded mentioned that her comment seems to have disappeared - I was migrating my site from one host to another last night so if anyone made a comment in the half hour it took to transfer over then your comment might have fallen down the crack! The site is staying put now so comment away
Ok…so you are yet another person who’s read this book and loved it. I guess I’m going to have to read it
Thanks for the review!
I hadn’t heard of this but I will have to add it to my ever growing list:)
tracys last blog post..The Marriage of True Minds by Stephen Evans
I haven’t read this yet! But I really really want to. Tragically, my public library doesn’t carry it (I’m in Australia).
Rebecca Reids last blog post..Personal History by Katharine Graham + Why I Love a Great Biography
wonderful review, I have this on my TBR, I cant wait to get started on it
bookworms last blog post..sunday salon 6.22
I loved this book too. It is on my to-be-reread-occasionally shelf, too! :o) I’m a new reader of yours, and I love your site. I’ve added you to my reader so I can check in regularly. Thanks for posting!
Jessicas last blog post..Weekly Geeks #9