I was meaning to do a book review on this book. Well, seeing that finals week (for me) is drawing to a close (with just ONE MORE TEST), I had some time to think about this book. This is Girl In A Cage.
Written by Jane Yolen, it's a historical fiction that has bravery, suffering, and redemption. Personally, I fell in love with this book, even though I found the conflict appalling. So, I'll go ahead and give you the premise.
The story follows a girl named Marjorie Bruce, who recently became a princess after her father Robert the Bruce became king of Scotland. However, the evil King Longshanks of England despises the Scotland royals and has the princess kidnapped and thrown into a wooden cage, where people can mock her like an animal, the weather can overwhelm her, and the English king himself can taunt her. She manages to befriend a monk for a short while, but longs to be free. The novel would keep switching from present to past and back again; in other words, flashbacks, which work effectively for the plot. So, despite her suffering and imprisonment, she still stands up for her father like a true princess would.
So what do I think of the book? I think it's a keeper.
I know the story can be sad at times, but that's only to signal that there's hope at the end, which is always a good sign.
The characters are decent, especially the main character, because we get insight on her feelings, hopes, and fears. Marjorie is very complex, because she wants to represent her country and father, but she also wants to be treated like a person and not be ridiculed. She overcomes ridicule, overwhelming weather, suffering, and loneliness throughout the story, which makes her a hero and a pretty good role model.
The plot was also alright. Again, the flashbacks were effective, because they didn't confuse the readers.
The pacing of the story was just right. It gave the reader time to digest what was going on, and it didn't rush anything.
A historical fiction like this definitely deserves reading.
Whatsoever Critic
Source: Girl In A Cage
Courtesy: Jane Yolen; Penguin Group, Inc.
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