Feeling Blue

"If you see a tree as blue, then make it blue."-- Paul Gauguin

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
A good friend of mine who is in the publishing biz gifted me with a hard cover copy of Bitterblue. I don't know about you, but I absolutely love arriving home to find, on my stoop, plain cardboard boxes filled with worlds of wonder—books. 

Let's be honest here. I have eagerly looked forward to reading the third installment in Kristin Cashore's, Seven Kingdoms Series. Graceling and Fire, the first two novels in the series, are on my top twenty-five list of favorite Young Adult novels. I read devoured the first chapter of Bitterblue in the Spring as soon as it was available via digital format prior to the book release. I had an immense sense of satisfaction that Cashore wrote a sequel to Graceling. Bitterblue did not disappoint.

The main character, Bitterblue, showed the most growth and change out of the three female protagonist in the series. As a reader it was easy to experience the emotional pains of Bitterblue due to the thoughtful writing of the author. I often thought that I just wanted to be Bitterblue's BFF and help push her to the next level in the growing up process. The relationships in this novel were so well-rounded and so real.

One of the Seven Kingdoms.

What I love most about the book is the world building. Cashore is so detailed in the way she describes Leck's maze, the three bridges, and the people and culture in Bitterblue's kingdom. I found the overall sense of morbidity and loss that the kingdom experiences, due to the former King Leck's reign, to be a central character in the novel. This feeling acts as an antagonist to Bitterblue and provides an engaging, and at times gut-wrenching, conflict. Cashore also has such a knack for writing strong, admirable female characters. Most notable, aside from Bitterblue and Katsa, are Helda and Madlen who serve as matriarchal figures to the young, naïve Bitterblue. Each woman in the novel is shown to be compassionate, flawed, fiercely devoted, and deeply independent. This perspective on women is the most valuable reward of reading this series.

I have no doubt that the world of the Seven Kingdoms will stay with me for a long time and I will revisit this world often.

Orlando Bloom would make the perfect Po.

Three reasons this novel (and the series) should be on your reading list:

• Amazing and unforgettable female characters that go through intense and difficult experiences. 
• Po! He is officially my all-time favorite male character in Young Adult novels. Edward, Jacob, Peeta, and Gale have nothing on Po. 
• Cashore's ability to show the fragility, as well as the strength of the human spirit.

Let's Rate It!

The Cover:  A shimmering mirage in the Sahara of books. You will understand the beautiful and intricate keys featured on the cover by the end of the book.


Page Turner Worthiness Factor:  I demand a sequel. Ok, I know that Bitterblue is the sequel, but I would really love to see another novel come from the Seven Kingdoms. Actually, since there are seven kingdoms, I think there should be a novel set in each one of the kingdoms.

Coming to a Theater Near You:  Only if J.J. Abrams Peter Jackson directs it. No offense J.J.A., but PJ's mystical and imaginative LOTR directing ability is perfectly suited for this series.


Better than a bowl of ice cream:  Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond! You should partake of a bowl while you are reading this fantastic novel. You will need the extra carbs to stay up until four a.m. to finish the novel. (Note to self:  Start reading earlier in the day.)


Memorable Lines:
On Bitterblue:  She saw herself, tiny, fallen, crying and broken on the bridge. She could feel every person in the castle, every person in the city. She could hold every one of them in her arms; comfort every one. She was enormous, and electric with feeling, and wise. She reached down to the tiny person on the bridge and embraced the girl's broken heart. (End of Chapter 42).