Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

I have read a lot of C. S. Lewis’ works, but this one is by far my favorite. Till We Have Faces is not only a vastly meaningful retelling of the ancient legend of Cupid and Psyche but also a brilliant allegory for the way of God and the atonement of Christ. I am a better person for reading this novel.

Language: 9.5/10 (Swears only once).
Sex: 9/10 (Accurate depictions of morality in a tasteful manner).
Violence and gore: 8/10 (Blood referenced or gore included not detailed or extensive).

Plot: 8/10 (Moving and allegorical, Till We Have Faces takes the tragic myth of Psyche and frames it in a light that reveals truths about God and divinity that only a master of storytelling could pull off. And Lewis pulls it off).
Characters: 8/10 (Orual is a deeply, deeply relatable character, and rightly so. And, for the person Psyche is meant to symbolize, Lewis has captured her character beautifully).
Writing style: 8/10 (This story is told through a first-person perspective but with enough of a distance that the story is captured without the narrator’s thoughts bleeding into one’s own, and I think that was perfect for this story, just different to read).

Genre: Young adult literature, mythological fiction, religious fiction
Potential triggers: Animal sacrifice, abuse, suicidal and homicidal ideation, death of loved ones, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to anyone 13+, although the symbolism could be difficult for younger audiences to recognize.