Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine MarshMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis:
Fate—is it written in the stars from the moment we are born, or is it a bendable thing that we can shape with our own hands? Jepp of Astraveld needs to know.
He left his countryside home on the empty promise of a stranger, only to become a captive in the strange, luxurious prison that is Coudenberg Palace, the royal court of the Spanish infanta. Nobody warned Jepp that, as a court dwarf, daily injustices would become his seemingly unshakeable fate. If the humiliations were his alone, perhaps he could endure them, but it breaks Jepp's heart to see his friend Lia suffer. After Jepp and Lia perform a daring escape from the palace, Jepp is imprisoned again, alone in a cage. Now, spirited across Europe by a kidnapper in a horse-drawn carriage, Jepp is unsure where his unfortunate stars may lead him. Before Jepp can become the master of his own destiny, he will need to prove himself to a brilliant and eccentric new master—a man devoted to uncovering the secrets of the stars—earn the love of a girl brave and true, and unearth the long-buried secrets of his parentage. He will find that beneath the breathtaking cruelty of the world is something else: the persistence of human kindness.
Masterfully written, grippingly paced, and inspired by real historical characters, Jepp, Who Defied the Stars is an awe-inspiring story of triumph in the face of unimaginable odds.
My Review:
This was an interesting read. I choose this book for two reasons, because it met the requirements for a book challenge (must have both a D and a J in the title) and it was readily available from the library. I didn't read the synopsis, nor any previous reviews, and I didn't pay attention to it's average rating. I came into this story completely blind (so to speak).
This was your run of the mill coming of age and adventures (or misadventures) of a young boy, who happens to also be a dwarf back in the turn of the 16th century. He leaves home in search of a better future full of knowledge and fortune, but soon realizes life isn't always fair.
Through a series of events that early on seem unfair, but later tell a whole new story, Jepp learns who he is, who he was, and who he is going to be. Through smarts and cunning, he shapes his own future, the future he could have only dreamed of.
I liked Jepp's character enough. He was so naive at first, and I found myself "face-palming" many times throughout, but he did show growth. He learned the ways of the world, and it shaped him. I suppose this is what is called good character growth. Nicely done Katherine Marsh!
Read from December 07 to 10, 2015
Top 5 Genres*: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Fantasy
*According to Goodreads
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★★★★★ - I absolutely loved it
★★★★ - Good book and would recommend
★★★ - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
★★ - Not good, but was able to finish it
★ - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)
View all my reviews
