OVERALL

8/10

VERDICT

A slow fantasy that can be enjoyed again and again.

Or be skipped.

Depends on what you’re looking for, really.

BASICALLY

The Goose Girl is a retelling of the German fairy tale of the same name.

Ani can talk to birds – not exactly a useful skill when you’re a princess with a stern mother who expects you to become a perfect diplomat.

On her way to the kingdom of Bayern to meet her future husband and fulfil a political marriage, Ani’s maid and half of her guard betray her. She is forced to continue the journey herself, live among Bayern’s people as a goose girl and find a way to bring the truth to the king of Bayern.

SO…

There are three important things to keep in mind about this book:

One: It is slow, EXTREMELY slow. Like Ani, you will spend a lot of time exploring this world of talking geese and horses. A big part of the book is also about Ani’s relationships with her co-workers – the other milk girls, horse boys, etc.

Two: There aren’t a lot of fantasy elements to the story except for Ani’s unique ability to talk to birds. So if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed magic story, The Goose Girl is not it.

Three: Ani is not the “girl-boss” you see in fantasies nowadays; in fact, she’s a complete doormat in the beginning. Her journey focuses on her gradual understanding towards the working people whom she has a the duty to serve and protect.

Ani’s development is subtly done through her everyday interactions with the other characters. There no big feminism… men-smashing moment (or whatever “strong” means these days); instead, you get girl-empowerment sprinkled on the story here and there.

Now let’s get to some other notable things about The Goose Girl.

The little romance between Ani and er… Sir Guard is one of the most wholesome and healthy relationship you’ve every seen. Partly because it takes up about 10% of the story and doesn’t drag.

The villains of this book? Yes, they’re scary enough.

BOTTOM LINE

The Goose Girl is pretty much a hit-or-miss. It’s something to be savored slowly rather than a page-turner. The things mentioned above can be either both bad or good depending on your expectations.

Did I mention that this book is SLOW?