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jgurniak's review against another edition
2.0
This was unfortunately dull. As other reviews have pointed out, nothing happens. I'm glad these books motivate me to research the historical figure they are based on, otherwise this would have been worse.
srishtidear's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
meaganmart's review against another edition
2.0
This was one of the few Royal Diary books that I did not read as a child. I've been trying to track it down for years because it aligns very closely with my adult interests and it is one of the very few children's books that I have ever seen written about pre-Colombian Mesoamerica. I honestly was more excited to read this than I've been about many of the new releases I've reviewed this year!
My disappointment with this book was all the more crushing for the hype I had surrounded it with. Lady of Palenque has virtually no plot. While I understand that the historical record for specific characters is virtually nonexistent besides perhaps knowing their approximate birth and death dates, if/when they married, and if/when they produced children, I was hoping that the author would provide a window into the culture and the daily life of the Maya during this time. This, unfortunately, did not happen. We got glimpses of cultural events with no context or suppositions about why they might have happened, we got no explanation of the Maya social hierarchy, the Lady of Palenque owned slaves but no discussion about their status, how they became slaves, or what purposes they served was given. Important cultural rituals like bloodletting were mentioned in passing but, again, without the context to explain their importance.
Ultimately I walked away from this book with a long list of questions to Google and no added understanding of the Mayan culture.
My disappointment with this book was all the more crushing for the hype I had surrounded it with. Lady of Palenque has virtually no plot. While I understand that the historical record for specific characters is virtually nonexistent besides perhaps knowing their approximate birth and death dates, if/when they married, and if/when they produced children, I was hoping that the author would provide a window into the culture and the daily life of the Maya during this time. This, unfortunately, did not happen. We got glimpses of cultural events with no context or suppositions about why they might have happened, we got no explanation of the Maya social hierarchy, the Lady of Palenque owned slaves but no discussion about their status, how they became slaves, or what purposes they served was given. Important cultural rituals like bloodletting were mentioned in passing but, again, without the context to explain their importance.
Ultimately I walked away from this book with a long list of questions to Google and no added understanding of the Mayan culture.
marlfox24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
magnetarmadda's review against another edition
3.0
Truthfully, I think this book would’ve been much better served by being written by someone of Meso-American decent, because—from what I understand about the region, and I may be wrong—a lot of their histories are oral traditions, and scholars rarely count oral histories as noteworthy or valid. I feel like there would be much to be gained in the Lady of Palenque’s story if more of her modern descendants’ words could be here. That said, I do feel like the author worked hard on her research to be as accurate as possible, even if characters needed to be invented to flesh out the story
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
2.0
What I Liked
Few children's novels I've found that are written about the Mayan culture, so I was intrigued and excited to see this addition to this series. I appreciate that this largely unknown culture can be explored by young readers.
What I Didn't Like
Lady of Palenque is slow and dense. As an adult reader, I had trouble getting through each paragraph and often had to re-read paragraphs or even turn back pages to try to remember characters or even what is happening. The plot-line is almost incomprehensible (or maybe doesn't exist), there is no depth to the characters, and the protagonist really has little to no character arc herself.
Few children's novels I've found that are written about the Mayan culture, so I was intrigued and excited to see this addition to this series. I appreciate that this largely unknown culture can be explored by young readers.
What I Didn't Like
Lady of Palenque is slow and dense. As an adult reader, I had trouble getting through each paragraph and often had to re-read paragraphs or even turn back pages to try to remember characters or even what is happening. The plot-line is almost incomprehensible (or maybe doesn't exist), there is no depth to the characters, and the protagonist really has little to no character arc herself.
amandatastic's review against another edition
1.0
I felt like I had to slog through this book. Definitely the worst Royal Diaries book I've read.
bergha1998's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t remember this one a lot, I read it as a teenager. But I do remember it wasn’t my favorite of the series. Although learning more about the culture was interesting.
beammey's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know what it was about this book, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I would have liked. It was still a good book, I still learned a lot about Mesoamerica, I just couldn't connect with the main character. I can see where this would appeal to kids of the right age group though. 3.75 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it.
witchofthemountains's review against another edition
5.0
This book was standard Royal Diaries fare, but I loved it all the same. I love the way the author incorporates historical information, like the names of Mesoamerican deities, into the story without it seeming forced or like a lecture. This series has always been and will hopefully continue to be a window into the girls of the past, taking inspiration from global sources.
Without shying away from menstruation, the possibility of soon being a mother, and the other realities a young woman in 749 C.E. would have faced, this book is another one that I would strongly recommend young people read.
Without shying away from menstruation, the possibility of soon being a mother, and the other realities a young woman in 749 C.E. would have faced, this book is another one that I would strongly recommend young people read.