Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Goodness. I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you haven't read the Graceling series, run don't walk to your nearest well, are there even bookstores anymore? That's a sad sad. To Amazon then, I'll wait. Bitterblue is the who knows what in the series of Graced friends. It's number three, but I'm not sure if it's the final. One thing I love about Kristin Cashore's books is that she finishes them. I know, NOVEL. But in the day and age of, everything must be a series, I find myself extremely bugged by books that don't end. Just hang. I just finished Marie Lu's "Legend," and it was fantastic, but it was as if she just got tired of writing and so she stopped. Makes for a longer second and third book? I don't know, but I don't like it. I think it's lazy and rude. (perhaps momma needs a few more real people friends?)

Anyway, back to Bitterblue and its awesome. The writing is witty and sharp, and the characters very likable. (or should i say "my friends"--which of course they're likable, they're my friends.) Graceling is just a punch in the gut YES. Fire? Meh. Did she have an editor for this book? Did they read it? I don't know. Meh. Bitterblue rivals Graceling.

If you are looking for great books for your younguns to read, would I recommend them? Well... It's different for everyone. I'd have no problem with my girls someday reading the first two, but might hold off a bit on Bitterblue. The end, oh the end. It's so... adult. And horrible.  (The end itself is not adult and horrible, but rather the unveiling of past events and the ultimate consequences for beloved friends characters, is very mature.) So I'd definitely preview the last one before letting the kids have a go. And honestly, it opens the door for some interesting albeit hard conversations about the evils and political mechanisms of the world. But, it's a matter of timing and personal discretion.

This was one of those books where I finished the book sad because I wanted to be able to read it again for the first time.

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