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Marylegs (44 KP) rated West of the Moon in Books

Aug 14, 2019

West of the Moon is a lovely tale of two sisters who, after their father travels to America from their homeland of Norway, end up in the care of their Aunt. Whist living with their Aunt the two sisters get separated when the Aunt sells the eldest sister, Astri, to the local goat herder. As we soon find out he is as cruel if not crueler than the greedy Aunt. The story basically revolves around Astri saving herself, the spinning girl who is also being held by the goat herder, then rescuing her younger sister Greta and embarking on a journey to America to find their father.

Whilst I can see why many people are enjoying this book, and I will point out that I read an ARC proof so there may still be slight changes to be made, I just wasnt fond of the writing style for the most part. This was such a small book compared to what I normally read but I just didnt feel drawn to read it. Additionally, Astri, the main character uses folk tales and myths to deal with the situations around her and as a coping mechanism. Which I just found long winded and at times confusing. I would have preferred a childlike musing of the situations much like in [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076] by Emma Donoghue, than a child using stories to describe how she feels.

This just wasnt for me personally and I understand it is aimed at younger readers but I dont honestly think it would have been my thing even when I was younger. The last section of the book was much better as the folk tale inclusion was minimal and I finally felt like I got to understand Astris real feelings about everything that had and was happening to her. I wish it had all been written like this.