Kathryn Reads KidLit

Perhaps one of the problems with having an unsympathetic main character is that sometimes the reader just does not like them, does not root for them, does not care if they overcome the situations they have put themselves in. While I was rooting for Astrid in the beginning when she was in the clutches of the Goatman, soon after, I was just waiting for her to stumble, somewhat hoping her sister and the mysterious, quiet stranger would take the reins in the story. Certainly, Preus is a masterful writer and I enjoyed the mixture of folktale and history, but I could not love a book that I had to force myself to finish because I so disliked the main character. Grades 6+ Read June 2014