The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Review
This book was really hyped. And I've read a couple of Black's other books and really enjoyed them. But this book... wasn't my favorite.
First, the a couple things I did like. The setting was really interesting. Black created a world of Faerie that mingles with our world. The world of faerie is beautiful and grand but also dark and dangerous. It sits at the edge of the mortal world, and often normal humans wander in and become slaves to the control of the faeries. The book has lush prose and kept me engaged. I liked the political plot that was going down. I wish there had been more of that than some of the other stuff. The characters were... meh. All those things alone would have made me rate it 3/3.5 stars, a story that was just good. But a couple big things just really ruined the book as a whole for me.
I didn't feel any connection to the characters... Probably because they were all horrible. Except Vivi. Jude, the main character, is messed up to begin with, since her parents were murdered right in front of her and then she was kidnapped and raised by her parents' murderer. And while raised as faerie gentry, or noble-class, she is ruthlessly bullied by her faerie peers in the story, especially Prince Cardan. And when I say bullied, I mean she's choked, almost drowned, told she's worth less than dirt, etc. After putting up with it for years, she decides that she's going to fight back and be just as bad as they are. I mean, I like that she stands up to the bullies... But not that she decides to be "bad". Also, SHE HAD A WAY TO ESCAPE THE ENTIRE TIME. At any point she could have gone back to the mortal world from which she was kidnapped and yet she stays because faerie is now her "home". I also hated how Jude's twin sister turned against her and chose a stupid faerie boy over her TWIN. And this is one of the faerie boys that also bullied them and manipulated them!
I think the worst thing about the book was Prince Cardan. As I said, he totally bullies Jude... But we come to find out it's because he's kind of obsessed with her. And Cardan isn't *that* bad because he never tried to *actually* kill her and he's been abused too. At one point Jude and Cardan share a kiss and we're told how electrifying etc. it is. And then because Jude needs him for all the political turmoil going on, I feel like these bad deeds are set aside or explained away. And I HATE this. It romanticizes abuse. I worry that some teen girl who is dating a guy that treats her like crap will read this and think that somehow her situation is romantic. "Oh he treats me bad but that's because he's misunderstood, but he really loves me!" I understand the "bad boy" trope, but I've seen it done right and this wasn't it. It really bothered me. So despite the few things I liked about it, I just really couldn't like this book.
I know I'm in a small minority--a lot of people really enjoyed this book! Perhaps the things that bothered me don't bother other people. But for me, it wasn't a book I enjoyed.
Rating
I initially gave this book 3 stars, but I'm lowering it to 2.5 stars.
Details
Genre: Fantasy, YA.
Langauge: Mild.
Sex: None.
Violence: Lots of horrible bullying, and also some bloody flighting.
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Review
This book was really hyped. And I've read a couple of Black's other books and really enjoyed them. But this book... wasn't my favorite.
First, the a couple things I did like. The setting was really interesting. Black created a world of Faerie that mingles with our world. The world of faerie is beautiful and grand but also dark and dangerous. It sits at the edge of the mortal world, and often normal humans wander in and become slaves to the control of the faeries. The book has lush prose and kept me engaged. I liked the political plot that was going down. I wish there had been more of that than some of the other stuff. The characters were... meh. All those things alone would have made me rate it 3/3.5 stars, a story that was just good. But a couple big things just really ruined the book as a whole for me.
I didn't feel any connection to the characters... Probably because they were all horrible. Except Vivi. Jude, the main character, is messed up to begin with, since her parents were murdered right in front of her and then she was kidnapped and raised by her parents' murderer. And while raised as faerie gentry, or noble-class, she is ruthlessly bullied by her faerie peers in the story, especially Prince Cardan. And when I say bullied, I mean she's choked, almost drowned, told she's worth less than dirt, etc. After putting up with it for years, she decides that she's going to fight back and be just as bad as they are. I mean, I like that she stands up to the bullies... But not that she decides to be "bad". Also, SHE HAD A WAY TO ESCAPE THE ENTIRE TIME. At any point she could have gone back to the mortal world from which she was kidnapped and yet she stays because faerie is now her "home". I also hated how Jude's twin sister turned against her and chose a stupid faerie boy over her TWIN. And this is one of the faerie boys that also bullied them and manipulated them!
I think the worst thing about the book was Prince Cardan. As I said, he totally bullies Jude... But we come to find out it's because he's kind of obsessed with her. And Cardan isn't *that* bad because he never tried to *actually* kill her and he's been abused too. At one point Jude and Cardan share a kiss and we're told how electrifying etc. it is. And then because Jude needs him for all the political turmoil going on, I feel like these bad deeds are set aside or explained away. And I HATE this. It romanticizes abuse. I worry that some teen girl who is dating a guy that treats her like crap will read this and think that somehow her situation is romantic. "Oh he treats me bad but that's because he's misunderstood, but he really loves me!" I understand the "bad boy" trope, but I've seen it done right and this wasn't it. It really bothered me. So despite the few things I liked about it, I just really couldn't like this book.
I know I'm in a small minority--a lot of people really enjoyed this book! Perhaps the things that bothered me don't bother other people. But for me, it wasn't a book I enjoyed.
Rating
I initially gave this book 3 stars, but I'm lowering it to 2.5 stars.
Details
Genre: Fantasy, YA.
Langauge: Mild.
Sex: None.
Violence: Lots of horrible bullying, and also some bloody flighting.
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