Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

This novel pleasantly surprised me. I wasn’t hooked by it until about 250 pages in because the beginning is pretty slow, but at the end, I couldn’t put the book down! 

Language: 9/10 (Mild / rare swearing).
Sex: 9/10 (Rare / occasional mentions of sex).
Violence and gore: 7/10 (Not detailed or extensive).

Plot: 8/10 (A coming of age story that takes a stance on familial relationships that you don’t often see in literature).
Characters: 6.5/10 (The characters’ actions were relatable and meaningful. However, despite this book taking place in a time akin to the 14-1500s, the characters’ dialogue seemed to reflect characters with ages closer to 30 than their 14-year-old maturity levels should suggest).
Writing style: 7/10 (I would say the book is well-written, but the inconsistency between a youthful character’s dialogue and his age really drives my rating on Stroud’s writing style down).

Genre: Young adult literature, fantasy
Potential triggers: Isolation, bullying, loss of loved ones, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to anyone 10+.