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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Odette
by Jessica Duchen
(I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
I'm so glad I picked up this book when I did; after a string of 2-star reads I was starting to feel guilty and burnt out. But the writing is fantastic, elegantly descriptive without being lurid, and the characters are nuanced. A lot of important social themes come up naturally, from pursuing your passions to xenophobia to philanthropy to moral dilemmas; a lot of it is well-trodden ground, but the topics are still extremely relevant and the tone isn't preachy. There's also much more emphasis on friendships than on romance, even while keeping the male-centered conditions of Odette's curse at the forefront of the plot.
Possibly my favorite thing about this story is the way it's been adapted: beyond simply retelling the fairy tale with a contemporary backdrop, Duchen has actually incorporated modern concerns and attitudes (leasing terms, bureaucratic paperwork/police concerns, the nature of interpersonal relationships, etc.), making the narrative unique and memorable. The ending was a little bit abrupt, but I think it works well with the tone and setup.
And the characters are terrific too. Mitzi is a complex protagonist, balancing Good Samaritan impulses with her own financial struggles, pursuing her career while trying to keep sight of her personal interests, worrying about her actor-hopeful little brother; she's easy to relate to and sympathize with. On the other hand, Odette displays the typical sheltered-princess-discovers-reality culture shock: she's innocent and wide-eyed and optimistic in a way that charms everyone around her, but this card is played sparingly enough that it's not grating — just enough to demonstrate how it influences her understanding of the world and her interactions with others. (There's potential "othering"/exoticism issues with her poor English, but in addition to being Russian she's a hundred-plus-year-old princess, so I wasn't bothered by it, but others may feel differently.) You can't help but want to protect her, just as Mitzi does, and to feel her longing for freedom warring with her love of flying.
I'm so glad I picked up this book when I did; after a string of 2-star reads I was starting to feel guilty and burnt out. But the writing is fantastic, elegantly descriptive without being lurid, and the characters are nuanced. A lot of important social themes come up naturally, from pursuing your passions to xenophobia to philanthropy to moral dilemmas; a lot of it is well-trodden ground, but the topics are still extremely relevant and the tone isn't preachy. There's also much more emphasis on friendships than on romance, even while keeping the male-centered conditions of Odette's curse at the forefront of the plot.
Possibly my favorite thing about this story is the way it's been adapted: beyond simply retelling the fairy tale with a contemporary backdrop, Duchen has actually incorporated modern concerns and attitudes (leasing terms, bureaucratic paperwork/police concerns, the nature of interpersonal relationships, etc.), making the narrative unique and memorable. The ending was a little bit abrupt, but I think it works well with the tone and setup.
And the characters are terrific too. Mitzi is a complex protagonist, balancing Good Samaritan impulses with her own financial struggles, pursuing her career while trying to keep sight of her personal interests, worrying about her actor-hopeful little brother; she's easy to relate to and sympathize with. On the other hand, Odette displays the typical sheltered-princess-discovers-reality culture shock: she's innocent and wide-eyed and optimistic in a way that charms everyone around her, but this card is played sparingly enough that it's not grating — just enough to demonstrate how it influences her understanding of the world and her interactions with others. (There's potential "othering"/exoticism issues with her poor English, but in addition to being Russian she's a hundred-plus-year-old princess, so I wasn't bothered by it, but others may feel differently.) You can't help but want to protect her, just as Mitzi does, and to feel her longing for freedom warring with her love of flying.