THE LOWDOWN:
“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”
Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.
When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.
But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her–magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.
After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Aislynn’s hands were bleeding. Her dress was stained with dirt and muck, her hair unraveling with each heaving breath. The scent of dampness, of mud and sweat, filled her nose. She was alone in the cold, dark garden, with a ruined dress and bloodied palms.
—ARC paperback edition
SNAPSHOT:
Told in third person, this is the first in THE FOUR SISTERS series, a world where only the womenfolk are . Here we have the story of timid Princess Aislynn–only she’s not a princess anymore, but a fairy godmother in training.
The action has an odd sense of detachment, perhaps explainable by the various ways in which women are kept down and suppressed from their full potential: at the princess school, magic and emotions are dulled; and fairy godmothers have their loving heart removed.
There is an interesting concept that never quite hits the respect it should deserve. It could very easily have been a strong statement against shaming women for their sexuality, as when Aislynn or other princesses have a magical outburst, they are shamed for it and sent away to learn how to control themselves. Which, considering how important it is that a princess be pure and fit for marriage as only men can be Kings, this had potential as an allegory for LGBT youth.
Instead, strong emotions in the girls are seen as shameful and wicked. Most of the female characters are have a little bit going for them but mostly when it serves for them to interact with our protagonist. The main villain–who seems to be the only female with goals beyond marry a man who will protect her from her own dangerous heart–is an Evil Queen who barely contributes to the plot.
Many of the plots, characters, and reasons behind the world are left unanswered by the end. Readers who are caught up in the fast paced and easy-to-read tale will hopefully find those answers in the sequels; while others may drop out because of lack of strong emotions for Aislynn’s plights.
Appropriate for ages 14+. Some intense situations. Bullying, rape-culture and emotional and psychological abuse. Includes but does not deal with sexism, self-harm, purity-culture (aka rape-culture) and lack of female agency.
Readers should be encouraged to think about how Aislynn’s world has affected her self-image, and try to see if there are any corollaries in their own lives where they have let society dictate their worth and who they can be.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
- Enjoy stories set in self-aware fairy tale worlds
- Have ever wondered how it might be if every active part of your emotions and wants, and those of your whole gender, was considered to be dangerous and inherently evil
THE ESSENTIALS:
YA Fantasy
Hardcover & Ebook, 384 pages
Published October 7th 2014 by Greenwillow (ISBN 0062274554)
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062274557/stray
(Review copy provided by Booki Vivat at HarperCollins.)
Purchase Stray (Four Sisters)
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