thecandlelightlibrary's Reviews (1.25k)

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 

Braiding Sweetgrass is one of those books that I recommend to everyone: I first read it in 2021 and it’s stayed in my mind ever since. For me, it was that exceptional of a read. So it should come as no shock to anyone that I was thrilled to learn there was a young adult adaptation in the works. 

 

This YA version of Braiding Sweetgrass was everything I look for in a young reader’s adaptation: presenting the ideas of the original in an engaging and teen-accessible way while preserving the feeling of the original and offering something new. I don’t have both copies to compare chapter-by-chapter, but the YA version seems to stay fairly true to the original. Of course, not everything can be included, but there are a couple of original essays new to this version. Two of my favorite new additions for the YA adaptation are the incredible illustrations and questions throughout that encourage action and further self-reflection. 

 

Overall, this is an excellent young reader’s adaptation of one of my favorite reads. I will definitely be adding a copy to my library. Thank you again to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to review an ARC. 

I had so much trouble with the first two chapters and have no desire to continue reading this. The main character seems to be mis-aged (he reads like he should be 11 or 12, not 15) and the writing style just seems overly simplified for the target audience. I've heard Allende's adult works are fantastic, so I will probably give one of those a shot and not read her YA works.