Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.”
The Basics
Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Published: 2015
Publisher: Del Rey — Random House
Pages: 435
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, High fantasy, Young adult, Young adult fantasy, Romance, Fantasy romance
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Book Synopsis
Agnieszka is a Dragon-born girl. Every ten years, the local wizard known as the Dragon selects a 17-year-old girl from the valley to come live with him in his tower for a decade. As for what the women do during those ten years under his roof, no one truly knows, but since the Dragon is the only person able to keep the evil Wood from expanding any further, the valley residents never deny his request. Agnieszka is now 17, but she is not afraid of the upcoming selection. Everyone in the valley expects that Kasia, Agnieska’s beautiful and accomplished friend, will be the girl the Dragon choses, but when he comes, it is Agnieska, not Kasia, that he picks.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A standalone fantasy novel with a bewitching story that is sure to please all readers, even those not well versed with the fantasy genre.
If you have not read Uprooted, stop reading this review, and go get yourself a copy of it. Seriously, it is that good. Upon finishing it, I went through what I like to call book mourning. I was so sad to be done with the book that for about a day, I could not bring myself to pick up another book.
So, what makes Uprooted such an enjoyable read? Honestly, almost everything about it. To begin with, its plot is highly imaginative and engrossing. The story reels you in from the very first line and retains your interest throughout its entirety. From magic to monsters to an evil forest, this book has all the necessary ingredients for a riveting fantasy. It even has a touch of romance, and the love story is quite sweet and endearing.
Then, there are the characters, who breathe life into the story. The protagonist, Agnieszka, is relatable, funny, and grows over the course of the book. She is also a force to be reckoned with, who charts her own destiny and bucks tradition along the way. The secondary characters are equally laudable. From the renowned and powerful wizard, the Dragon, to Agnieszka’s loyal and fearless friend, Kasia, to misguided Prince Marek, they are all well developed and together, create a diverse mix of personalities and wills. This, in turn, is what allows for complexity and conflict within the story.
Perhaps the most interesting character of all, however, is not even a person but rather an entity: the Wood. The Wood is the central villain in this story, and I, for one, love the idea of a place rather than a person being the focal point of evil. It is such an original concept, and it works. The Wood is terror incarnate.
While we are on the topic of places, I have to take a moment to note how impressed I am by the world building in this book. For a standalone novel of under 500 pages, it is able to create a fairly expansive world. We travel from small villages to a capital city to castles and the Wood – for a not-so-hefty novel, we travel around quite a bit.
With regards to the writing itself, it is masterful. Novik’s writing is engaging and easy to understand. Descriptions strike that balance of painting a clear picture without becoming overly long. Moreover, the use of a first-person narrative creates an immersive reading experience, in which you can easily imagine yourself in Agnieszka’s shoes experiencing everything firsthand.
Lastly, I just have to note how much I love the ending. It is such a satisfying conclusion; each character is given a proper ending to their story. I was unabashedly sporting a doofy smile as I read the final page.
The not so good
My one critique is that some of the flashback scenes are a bit confusing, as it is not always obvious that the narrative has shifted from present day to a recollection of the past. There were a few scenes that I had to reread, as I had not registered the shift in time.
Overall
Uprooted is a delightful, enchanting read. If you love fantasy, read it. If you do not typically gravitate toward fantasy, you should still read it.
Have you read Uprooted? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below!
