Damsel Hardcover – October 2, 2018

4.5*TW: molestation, sexual abuse, beastiealityI want to first start off by saying that I really enjoyed this book! It was so truly feminist and I valued all the points it made during the degradation of our main character. It felt like I was constantly infuriated by how our main character was treated, but I shared that infuriated state with our main character and I felt that solidified the bond I had with her. All this being said, why is this book classified as YA?!?!?!?!?This book has a very sleeping beauty type fairy tale feel to it. It started out with prince Emory who climbs a mountain to get to the castle and once he is on top of this castle, urinated all over it as to "mark his territory". Also right within the first few chapters they talk about how his father died of a madness that he contracted from sleeping around. Essentially his father died of syphilis, but was not explicitly named in the book. Many erections were alluded to throughout, but also were not explicitly recognized. We were, however, given enough detail to make inferences. These were all used as tools to make statements that showed how objectified women are.Ama was the saved princess who knew nothing of her origin before her time asleep in the tower with a dragon. She was kind of just trying to figure everything out and she was constantly made out to be helpless as Prince Emory was always reminding her that he saved her. Emory started off as an okay character but he continued to lose stock as the book progressed.At one point Ama accidentally burned her hand and Emory was more worried about his damaged property (aka. her damaged flesh) then he was about her. He consistently showed he thought of her as his prize and not a person. I hated him so much and spent most of this book mad at him.I saw so much of general female troubles with men through all of Ama's experiences that made her easy to relate to. She was a strong female that I found myself actively rooting for.What makes this less of a YA novel is not just the highly sexualized content scattered throughout this book, but I don't know that a younger person would appreciate the pacing of the story itself. Much of the story is in the subtext and very little rests on the surface, which makes the overall pacing quite slow. But it is a quick read with short chapter.I am also happy to report the ending was perfect and i was happy to see the strength and independence Ama showed made it through to the very end.

This review and others can be found at the review blog Literary Weaponry~This book and the review below feature strong abuse themes~When this book was first announced, I admit, I had little interest in it. It got shoved onto the back burner of my TBR and not thought of again. Then, lo and behold, the early reviews started coming in. Words like “dark” and “disturbing” were thrown around in those reviews like confetti. Many people, it seemed, even chose to DNF the book because of triggering content. Well, I am not one to say no to a disturbing book so I placed my preorder and cracked it open the day it was delivered.The first few chapters, I admit, were a little mellow but I could feel a great deal of foreshadowing of the story that was to come. Hints were dropped, many not so subtly, about the big TA-DA that would be the story’s conclusion. However, only in hindsight did I put those clues together. My husband would be the first to tell you that I do not take hints well and that certainly proved true while reading this book.An overshadowing theme of the plot involves abuse. Mentally, emotionally, and sexually. Our rescued Damsel, Ama, is informed that she is to be little more than a meek decoration meant for later breeding. While Ama internally fights against this, she feels pressured to obey the king who supposedly rescued her. She had no past, no family, and lives in a world where women are little more than doormats. While her fiery soul tells her that the way she is treated is not right, she feels helpless to do anything about it. To go out into the world alone without the protection of the castle would likely, and quickly, lead to her death and she knows it.A large part of why Ama feels so helpless are the mental games that the king plays with her. He chooses his words carefully to make everything sound belittling, and like he is doing Ama a kindness instead of chipping away at any confidence or sense of self that she possessed. He is in fact engaging in mental and emotional abuse to manipulate Ama, who is his future queen, into doing exactly what he wants her to and nothing else. Making her feel beholden to him.Now, this book is fairly short at 320 pages so I feel like if I ramble on too long here I will give something major away. I will say that the end of this book is oh so satisfying. I quite literally cackled with glee and I think that you will, too.

This is the type of story that has the right intentions but is still so so so weird. The entire book is written in a way to be an extended metaphor. And the message was successfully delivered. It had this truly fairy tale type of storytelling. The world build is half-baked, but that is the intention.I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and was downright unnerving at some parts. I understand why some dislike it though. It’s not subtle in any way.

Une réécriture féministe du mythe des princesses. Ce livre vous mettra mal a l'aise et c'est fait exprès.Tout pour me plaire.

I loved this new take on the old story of dragons, a damsel, and a prince who comes to rescue her. It was interesting to read what the damsel feels after her rescue – and the confusion that she experiences. The damsel (named Ama by the prince) slowly comes to an awakening and a realisation of who she is and what she wants to be in the future that has been decided for her by Emory, the man who brought her to his castle.While reading this novel, my heart was definitely captured by Ama. In her, I could see the representation of women in society – women who are expected to fall in with the men who are in their lives. She questions the role that has been given to her – as do so many women in modern society today. Ama’s character has been written with sensitivity, and with the understanding that a woman slowly comes to a realisation of who she is. The novel may be bringing to the fore the woman’s experience, but it is subtly done within the framework of a story in which the man is seen to be the one who rescues the woman.I enjoyed this novel for so much more than just for the story. I loved the gentle reference to a woman’s strength and her acceptance of it.

Thoroughly enjoyable read. Guess Ed the twist mid book but really enjoyed how it unfolded. Beautifully written and engaging throughout.

Was für ein grausames, hässliches und zugleich faszinierendes Märchenbuch "Damsel" doch ist. In dem Buch geht es um Prinz Emory, Ama (die Jungfrau in Nöten) und um einen Drachen der erlegt werden muss. Prinz Emory besiegt den Drachen und nimmt Ama mit auf seine Burg wo sie an seiner Seite regieren soll. Davor muss Ama jedoch erstmal mit dem Burgleben vertraut werden, denn sie hat keine Erinnerung an ihr Leben vor ihrer Rettung durch den Prinzen, und so lernt man als Leser durch Ama's Augen das Leben auf dem Hofe kennen. Wer jetzt denkt, dass dies eine liebliche Märchengeschichte ist, der liegt absolut falsch. "Damsel" ist ein Buch welches depressiv, grausam, brutal, feministisch und absolut vernichtend ist. Beim lesen hat man ständig bedenken, was auf der nächsten Seite wohl passieren mag, den wer sich einmal in die Geschichte hineingelesen hat, wird merken, dass nichts rosig und lieblich ist. Jede freundliche Geste von einer Figur wird auf der nächsten Seite zunichte gemacht. Die Welt in "Damsel" ist erdrückend und faszinierend zugleich, die Charaktere habe ich interessant gefunden, zugleich aber auch gemisbilligt. Einzig und alleine mit der Hauptprotagonistin Ama kann sich der Leser anfreunden, und durch sie erleidet man Schmerz, emotional und auch körperlich. Prinz Emory der kein Prince Charming ist, wird mit jedem drittel des Buches grausamer, die Queen Mutter ist nicht viel besser als ihr Sohn, und ständig wird einem bewusst gemacht, was für eine schreckliche Welt dieser Ort ist, in dem man sich gerade befindet. Vergewaltigung, Missbrauch emotional und körperlich, Tierquälerei, Suizid und Selbstverletzung sind Themen die in diesem Buch zu genüge vorkommen und trotzdem ist der Roman auf seine ganz eigene Art und Weise interessant und faszinierend zugleich. Wer mit diesen Themen als Leser umgehend kann und wer dunkle Fantasygeschichten mag, der wird nicht Drumherum kommen "Damsel" zu lesen, es ist nicht voll gepackt mit Action und Spannung, sondern mit Emotionen die den Leser nachdenklich werden lässt und einen ein reines Gefühlschaos beschert. "Damsel" macht einen wütend und traurig zugleich, jedoch sind diese Gefühle, welche, die mich noch länger an das Buch denken werden lassen. Am Ende des Buches kam eine Wendung die ich als Leser nicht habe kommen sehen und die mich überrascht hat, und ich kann diejenigen beruhigen, die vielleicht Sorge haben, dass das Ende grausam ausgehen wird, ein kleiner Hoffnungsschimmer in dieser düsteren Welt: Das Ende ist zufriedenstellend!

I can't give a true rating as this was a DNF for me but I had to call it quits only 16 pages in. The writing style was not for me and I found some of the metaphors/descriptions disgusting.