Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I really enjoyed so many things about this book, beginning with the pacing of this book, a slow meandering through the disastrous consequences befalling Feyre for killing a faerie. Feyre is a compelling character. She drew me in with her haunting voice already replete with despair from the beginning. But she is a survivor, and survive she does. And the supporting cast of characters, Tamlin, Lucien, Rhysand, are deliciously complex with a villain worthy of the title. This story reminds me so much of the Beauty and the Beast tale, which I'm a sucker for.

However, I am less thrilled with the graphic and explicit sex scenes, few though they are. I know, I know: many find them titillating. I find them tedious and unnecessary. I'm of the opinion that less is more: I'd rather leave such intimacies to the participants than to be a voyeur. And disappointingly, this seems to be a trend in the YA genre, one that I'm not a fan of to be honest. I realize that "adult" is explicit in the YA moniker, but I'm finding I can recommend fewer and fewer books to my teen students (who are NOT adults yet) despite them being drawn to the topics and writers who produce these books. Admittedly, I'm old-school and lean toward the modest. Is there no place for we who favor modesty anymore?

I am hooked, though. I will and look forward to reading the next two books in the series.