Graceling Book

Graceling by Kristin Cashore follows in a burgeoning market for strong female characters.

Katsa is much like Katniss from The Hunger Games in her naive perception of the world, her coldness and tendency towards pragmatic practicality. She is similar to Xhex from the Black Dagger Brotherhood in her disgust of all things "feminine".

The story is well written, with engaging, fun characters. Katsa is fun to read about. The plot may be a little predictable at times but it did throw me a curve ball toward the end.

The romance is lovely between Katsa and Po.

I take exception though, to the message that this book sends. It is the same message I am reading over and over again in current literature.

From Bella Swan who looks down on girls who like shopping, to Xhex who must be wrestled into a dress and who sees all signs of emotion as feminine weakness and now Katsa who refuses to marry or have children and who despises dresses and long hair.

Message to authors: It is not nice dresses and pretty hair and an ability to be weepy on occasion that is the cause for the many inequality issues that women face. Putting a woman in pants does not change how the world perceives her. It doesn't suddenly make her stronger and better than the woman in the dress who likes jewelery!

Your character does not suddenly become the beacon of the feminist movement because she doesn't like dresses. So sick of reading about "strong, independent female characters" who don't like dresses and spend most of the novel putting down almost every other female character as weak and pathetic.