Scan barcode
trin's review against another edition
2.0
Not for me. General vibe is cold and stiff, there's a great deal of period-typical -- by which I mean the 1970s, when this was written -- fatphobia, and despite points for "heroine rescues the hero" there's a lot of paternalistic "I'll take care of that for you, little lady" to the conclusion of the romance.
Also, I was bored.
Also, I was bored.
kellysavagebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
astraia_sun's review
5.0
I bought this book when I was ten years old, and I've probably read it twenty times in the past sixteen years. It's without a doubt one of my favorite books I have EVER read. Even though it's YA, it's still very readable for adults. Kate, a character who shares my name, is stubborn, intelligent, and is also pretty compassionate if you look under the layers. She takes the blame for her sister's impulsive act (even though she really had little choice). I loved the scenes between Kate and Christopher, and I'm pretty sure this book (and Star Wars) instilled my enjoyment of the "bickery romance".
I love how the good characters aren't all necessarily pure and wonderful, and the bad characters aren't straight up evil. They're all nuanced, a lot more than I realized when I was ten years old but I certainly appreciated it nonetheless. I will never get sick of reading this book, and my old copy definitely shows some love, as it's nearly falling apart. I definitely recommend this for all ages, and both boys and girls.
Yes, this book makes me gush. Partially out of nostalgia and partially because I do believe it really is that good.
I love how the good characters aren't all necessarily pure and wonderful, and the bad characters aren't straight up evil. They're all nuanced, a lot more than I realized when I was ten years old but I certainly appreciated it nonetheless. I will never get sick of reading this book, and my old copy definitely shows some love, as it's nearly falling apart. I definitely recommend this for all ages, and both boys and girls.
Yes, this book makes me gush. Partially out of nostalgia and partially because I do believe it really is that good.
shareen17's review
3.0
A unique story about a young woman sent away by Queen Mary to live as a prisoner in an isolated castle in northern England. She finds the people there still believe in fairies. Despite her initial disbelief, she soon finds herself in the position of needing to rescue herself and others from their land.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure how I missed this book as a child. It was initially published in 1973, but this edition was Scholastic in 1991, and I would have loved it then. I really enjoyed this story. It is set in the time of Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth, but the majority of the activity takes place in the land of the People of the Hill. They are Fairy Folk, but their magic is just within the realm of normal enough that this all feels so actually possible.
czarina_misha's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kellbells's review against another edition
5.0
so heartbroken that Elizabeth Marie Pope only wrote two novels.
doritobabe's review
4.0
Wow, this book is not at ALL what I expected. To be honest, I don't know what I expected as this was a very random reddit suggestion -- suggested based off an excerpt detailing what love "is"-- and I think I went into this 100% thinking: "A YA historical fiction? YES PLEASE!"
The Perilous Gard is the tale of Kate, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth, being exiled to a lone castle at the edge of the English/Scottish border. This story takes place during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, right before Queen Elizabeth ascends the thrown in 1558. During her exile, Kate meets the occupants of the Perious Gard: a group of people who are affected by the lore and pagan traditions of the place. This includes, the stoic and stubborn Christopher: brother to the current ruling lord of the PG. The story is driven by the kidnapping of Christopher's niece by "Fairy Folk" and the attempt at her rescue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story because it was action-packed, historically informative, and not over saturated by a blooming romance. Furthermore, Kate is a very practical, relate-able character, and Pope allows all the loose ends to be tied up nicely.
The Perilous Gard is the tale of Kate, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth, being exiled to a lone castle at the edge of the English/Scottish border. This story takes place during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, right before Queen Elizabeth ascends the thrown in 1558. During her exile, Kate meets the occupants of the Perious Gard: a group of people who are affected by the lore and pagan traditions of the place. This includes, the stoic and stubborn Christopher: brother to the current ruling lord of the PG. The story is driven by the kidnapping of Christopher's niece by "Fairy Folk" and the attempt at her rescue.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story because it was action-packed, historically informative, and not over saturated by a blooming romance. Furthermore, Kate is a very practical, relate-able character, and Pope allows all the loose ends to be tied up nicely.