SNAPSHOT :
Stray by Elissa Sussman
Told in third person , this is the first in THE FOUR SISTERS series . Here we have the story of timid Princess Aislynn--only she ’ s not a princess anymore , but a fairy godmother in training .
The action has an odd sense of detachment , perhaps explainable by the various ways in which women are kept down and suppressed from their full potential : at the princess school , magic and emotions are dulled ; and fairy godmothers have their loving heart removed .
There is an interesting concept that never quite hits the respect it should deserve . It could very easily have been a strong statement against shaming women for their sexuality , as when Aislynn or other
Aislynn ’ s hands were bleeding . Her dress was stained with dirt and muck , her hair unraveling with each heaving breath .
— Paperback ARC edition
princesses have a magical outburst , they are shamed for it and sent away to learn how to control themselves . Which , considering how important it is that a princess be pure and fit for marriage as only men can be Kings , this had potential as an allegory for LGBT youth .
Instead , strong emotions in the girls are seen as shameful and wicked . Most of the female characters are have a little bit going for them but mostly when it serves for them to interact with our protagonist . The main villain--who seems to be the only female with goals beyond marry a man who will protect her from her own dangerous heart--is an Evil Queen who barely contributes to the plot .
Many of the plots , characters , and reasons behind the world are left unanswered by the end . Readers who are caught up in the fast paced and easy-to-read tale will hopefully find those answers in the sequels ; while others may drop out because of lack of strong emotions for Aislynn ’ s plights .
Appropriate for ages 14 +. Some intense situations . Bullying , rape-culture and emotional and psychological abuse . Includes but does not deal with sexism , self-harm , purity-culture ( aka rape-culture ) and lack of female agency .
Readers should be encouraged to think about how Aislynn ’ s world has affected her self-image , and try to see if there are any corollaries in their own lives where they have let society dictate their worth and who they can be .
INTERVIEW WITH A YA AUTHOR FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE
Robert C . O ’ Brien overcame his demons and became a renowned contributor to National Geographic Magazine , until glaucoma rendered him unable to continue as a journalist . Instead , he turned to writing children ’ s stories , and won the Newbery Medal in 1972 for his novel Mrs . Frisby and the Rats of NIMH .
Young Adult Mag : What inspired you to write a story about rats ?
Robert C . O ’ Brien : Mice and rats . I traveled all over the world during my time with National Geographic , and one thing that every place I visited had in common was the presence of rats . Rats are everywhere . They ’ re almost like the humans of the animal world , in that they occupy all of the same areas as we do .
YA : And that ’ s sort of what The Rats of NIMH is about , correct ?
RO : Correct . The story is about a group of rats who have become literate and technologically advanced after having been experimented upon by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health , who are enlisted to help a widowed field mouse move her family ’ s home before it is run over by a farmer ’ s plough .
YA : It sounds like there are some very current themes in your novel , which was written in the early 1970s .
RO : Yes , I ’ ve noticed that much of today ’ s literature for younger readers revolves around utopia and dystopia , technology running rampant , humans meddling with nature , etc .
YA : And how exactly are those themes included in your novel ?
RO : The rats plan to leave their home on the property of humans and create their own , perfect society . This , of course , causes conflict , because there will never be a consensus about what will make life perfect . And , of course , we see the themes of humans using technology they can ’ t control with the presence of rats who have become self aware and are thinking independently .
YA : What do you think of the 1982 animated film adaptation of your work , The Secret of NIMH ?
RO : I think it ’ s overall very well done , but the film adds a supernatural element that is not part of my original story .
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