Guest Review: Graceling (Kristin Cashore)

My lovely cousin Jessica is guest reviewing today for me. She and I share a love for YA books so I hope you enjoy her review!

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (October 1, 2008)
Hardcover: 471 pages

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme, and in her case horrifying, skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace — or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. (Source)

Review
GRACELING, by Kristin Cashore, follows the adventures of Katsa who is a Graceling. One of the rare people in the Seven Kingdoms gifted with a specific ability. Katsa is Graced with killing. She is also the niece to a King of the Seven Kingdoms, and is but a pawn to him. She does his bidding, and always gets the job done- until she meets Prince Po, who is also a Graceling, Graced with Combat skills. She never expects to find friendship in this rare Prince and she certainly doesn’t expect to find that her Grace may not be what she thought.

I was not sure about the book when I bought it, but everyone said it was a great read, and was it ever! Katsa is a heroin whose path you do not want to cross! Cashore writes Katsa to be fierce and fearless, a woman with no weakness. She is put in harsh situations when she must make hard choices. She is wild and learns about her humanity and its value; she is constantly in battle, sometimes with herself and sometimes with the world.

Enter Prince Po, a gentle Prince with a secret identity, his Grace. He brings out the kindness that is stored away deep down inside of Katsa, I found myself yelling at the book ‘Get together already!’

I loved the in depth action, the shy and timid Romance between Katsa and Prince Po, and most of all the self reflection that Katsa goes through. It shows me that no matter who you are, even if you have totally awesome powers (Grace), that there is always something new to learn about yourself even if it's not what you wanted to learn, it's important.

Kristin Cashore doesn’t miss anything in this Novel full of romance and action. Once I started I could not finish. I had to know how it ended and when it finally did I was begging for me. I can not wait to read her next Graceling Novel.