The Wicked and the Just

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, historical-fiction, arc, 2012, coverly-love

I'm so sorry that this review has taken me forever and a day to write, I truly hate it when real life swoops in and drops a bunch of university essays on my head and also a dash of relationship drama... but, alas, it happens. It took me about two weeks to read this book and that doesn't in any way reflect on the quality of it - it's just that spare time and I haven't seen much of each other recently. I actually enjoyed The Wicked and the Just immensely.

On the surface this seemed an awful lot li...more

I'm so sorry that this review has taken me forever and a day to write, I truly hate it when real life swoops in and drops a bunch of university essays on my head and also a dash of relationship drama... but, alas, it happens. It took me about two weeks to read this book and that doesn't in any way reflect on the quality of it - it's just that spare time and I haven't seen much of each other recently. I actually enjoyed The Wicked and the Just immensely.

On the surface this seemed an awful lot like Code Name Verity, they are both historical fiction, both have two very different female protagonists that learn to assist each other when hard times come along. But I liked the style and the characters of this one much better. Plus the time it was set in fascinated me - what on earth do I know about 13th century Wales? Nothing. Forgive me, but the second world war is a more overdone topic. We got to see the nastiness, the bitchiness that extended across classes and the opposing cultures of the English and Welsh in this book. But the author is careful not to take sides with either protagonist or with the Welsh or English. I liked this a lot, she appreciated almost everyone's viewpoint and, because of this, so did I.

Cecily is a spoilt English brat who is snarky, bitchy, snotty and hilarious. I couldn't help but like her and stay on her side despite the stupid and immature things she constantly does. Make no mistake, she's not a particularly nice person, but nice novels rarely hold my attention anyway. I was interested in this selfish girl in a world she couldn't and wouldn't understand, I wanted to see how she developed as the story progressed.

Gwenhwyfar is nothing like Cecily, each day is a struggle to survive and on top of that she has to deal with that brat who fancies herself as lady of the manor. Both girls live very different lives but they begin to interweave and come together and sometimes they even find that they both share common interests - like getting rid of the local molester.

The writing style of this book was just spot on for my tastes. For a book that is mostly not plot-driven, it managed to keep me entertained with both girls' vibrant personalities, the unfortunate realities of living in such a time, and the way it showed how two girls of similar age who came into contact with one another every day could find themselves in very different positions in life. I have no idea how historically accurate this book was, whether the descriptions of Welsh towns and their workings was completely fictional or not, but I do know I really enjoyed most things about it. I think I would have awarded five stars had it been just a bit more action-packed, dramatic, grittier earlier on as well as towards the end. It is still a great read.
(less)

29 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read my review here...

http://badassbookreviews.com/arc-revi...

or below...

What an interesting book. Seriously! I don't know if it was the alternating POV between Gwinny and Cecily, the violence and poverty, or the setting that kept me reading but I'm sure glad I did.

The Characters ARE the Story

You have two young women, living two different lives, but in the same place. It's a very simple story but it is surrounded by prejudices, violence, poverty, abuse, privilege and power.

Cecily is a spoiled an...more

16 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aaw-yeah, favorites, 2012-favorites

Going in blind on this one really did pay off. The sometimes self-deceiving, spoiled brat of a daughter that was Cecily could be in turns exasperating, annoying then fascinating. Because really how could she even claim to have had played no part in what was going on (specifically, in what her Gwinny had suffered)? She was exasperating and annoying in how stuck she was in feeling entitled to so many things. Yet, fascinating too because when the moment called for it, she did open her eyes. And suc...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2012 Telemachus rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves language, history, and beautiful explorations of the human condition

Recommended to Telemachus by: It called to me from the bookshelf...

Normally I enjoy writing reviews, but it's bittersweet this time, because I'm not ready to close THE WICKED AND THE JUST, not eager to intone its requiem.

Beautiful from beginning to end, the tale grows in seasons, winning the reader with new tenor at each turn--jocose, playful, biting, disquieting, unexpected, tearful. Coats writes with a style and diction that will lose some, I'm sure, but only to more greatly win over others who cherish TH White, Defoe, and the like. There is an aesthetic qual...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2012 Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Noelle by: Jo

4.5 stars
When I saw that Netgalley described this book as a combination between Catherine, Called Birdy and Braveheart, I promptly elbowed everyone out of the way to get to a computer and press "request". I'm so glad I did.

It's true, I have a soft spot for medieval smartasses and Cecily, one of the protagonists, indeed reminds me of Birdy with her acerbic wit and sometimes spiteful sense of humor. Over-dramatic and spoiled, Cecily is sure her life is over once her father moves the family to Wal...more 4.5 stars
When I saw that Netgalley described this book as a combination between Catherine, Called Birdy and Braveheart, I promptly elbowed everyone out of the way to get to a computer and press "request". I'm so glad I did.

It's true, I have a soft spot for medieval smartasses and Cecily, one of the protagonists, indeed reminds me of Birdy with her acerbic wit and sometimes spiteful sense of humor. Over-dramatic and spoiled, Cecily is sure her life is over once her father moves the family to Wales---either she'll die of boredom or be murdered by the "savage" Welshmen.

Gwenhwyfar (Gwinny), Cecily's new Welsh servant, once aspired to be the lady of the very house Cecily is moving into but has now been relegated to second class citizen status under English rule. Underfed and overtaxed, Gwinny and her family are impoverished and struggling to survive.

This beautifully well-researched novel takes place during a volatile time. Tensions between the native population and the occupying forces are building to a dangerous intensity and the two protagonists are smack dab in the middle of it.

This also struck me as a story about different kinds of rage--Cecily and Gwinny are both driven by it. Cecily has the anger of entitlement. To her, social slights and indignities are akin to actual persecution. Meanwhile Gwinny has the rage of loss and suffering and feels the injustice of the oppressed. She is starving and under constant threat of violence to her and her loved ones.

Both girls are keen on justice. But they are working on entirely different measurement scales.

The story is told from both girls' point of views and both voices are extremely charismatic. The first three quarters of the book heavily focus on Cecily's voice and I thought the point of view emphasis was genius, especially when it flipped at the end. It was an extremely clever choice by the author in that it drew the reader to empathize with Cecily when it wasn't always so easy. By spending more time with her, Cecily's daily trials and tribulations and bratty yet hilarious behavior drew you into her character and made you eager for her to grow past her ignorant cruelty. When she made any headway toward understanding, the reader leapt at the chance that this could all work out! She's going to learn her lesson! Kumbaya will be sung by all!

When Cecily and the reader realize that her small steps toward enlightenment are merely drops in the ocean of the gulf between the two protagonists' worlds, the shock is viciously effective. Lessons are learned, but in ways I never expected and the last quarter of the book is a whirlwind of consequences.

"Justice for those who deserve it." The titular wicked and just aren't mutually exclusive and the result is a story captivating from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

Review originally appeared at Young Adult Anonymous
I received an ARC of this book via the publishers on Netgalley.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, historical-fiction, hf-england, netgalley-arc, great-titles, arc, coverlove, 2012-reviews, 2012-reads, read-need-to-buy, i-love-you-for-your-words

The final fifty pages of this book had me contradictorily unwilling to finish and anxious for resolution to several characters I was invested in. The Wicked and the Just is a very character-driven novel, but thankfully, both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar are both more than capable of bearing the weight of this 350 page novel. Though this is in the mid-300's, this reads both easily and quickly due to the complimentary and contrasting natures of both main character's narratives. Full review to follow but...more

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, vine, ya, historical-fiction

If you are crazy for the past, The Wicked And The Just by J. Anderson Coats will set your history senses tingling. Taking place in medieval Wales, The Wicked And The Just is a magnificent read about two girls – one a stranger in a strange land, the other is a refugee in her own country after her family loses everything after the English take over Wales.

Read the rest of my review here

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

the wicked and the just. everybody knows the issues between scotland and england, but do you know about how the welsh were treated? especially in 13th century wales? arc (advanced review copy clubreviewers liked this books and thought it was interesting. a list of meanings or explanations of different words and concepts would be nice to help the reader. find this book at vpl http://vpl.bibliocommons.com/item/sho... hey i also liked it because i am part welsh and rarely do you ever get to read ab...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Hallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 48-hour-book-challenge, historical-fiction, ya

From LJ write-up. I am really running out of steam. Not reading steam, but sitting at the computer and saying anything about the reading steam. Though this wasn't an easy read, either. Somehow or other I'd got the impression that this was historical fantasy, and once I got over that, I still had the idea it was more -- lighthearted. Not fluff, but not quite the tragic, bloody, slice of history I should have known it would be. Caernarfon, Wales, 1293, that setting.

The book is told in alternating...more From LJ write-up. I am really running out of steam. Not reading steam, but sitting at the computer and saying anything about the reading steam. Though this wasn't an easy read, either. Somehow or other I'd got the impression that this was historical fantasy, and once I got over that, I still had the idea it was more -- lighthearted. Not fluff, but not quite the tragic, bloody, slice of history I should have known it would be. Caernarfon, Wales, 1293, that setting.

The book is told in alternating POVs, with the vast majority of the narrative going to Cecily, especially at the beginning of the book. There's a quote on the front cover from Karen Cushman, and in the beginning Cecily's voice sounded *very* like Birdy, which is always a good thing, although that set it up for being a less tragic story. (Also, Coats doesn't have the sure touch with maintaining "period language" that Cushman has. It's not usually too bad, but there are definite missteps.) But it soon becomes clear just how different from Birdy Cecily is. She's presented as a spoiled brat, and in fact the other POV character, Gwenhwyfar, calls her "the Brat", but in ways she's worse than that, and so willing to cause others to suffer that it makes for chilling reading. Of course she's not going to have been taught that injustice matters even when it's not just to you or yours, because her father doesn't think that way. And in all honesty, it's probably a very small number of English people at the time who would have been likely to think outside the "the King conquered Wales - it's ours now" mindset when told Welsh holdings were theirs for the asking. (Pretty much.) I didn't get just why the father thought he SHOULD have had the estate he ran for his crusading brother - he was the younger, and would there even have been the ability to bring a suit to try to get it for himself? I'd have thought it extremely unlikely, but then my 13th century English legal knowledge isn't that solid.

Gwenhwyfar's narrative is also difficult, as her reasons for burning resentment and hatred against the English has so much to feed it. Her father was killed in an earlier uprising, leaving her and her younger brother to take care of their mother and themselves, in a town that the English are running in a deeply corrupt manner. She has reason to hate Cecily from the start, as Cecily tries to have her thrown out of her position on the first day, but just as she starts to believe Cecily might be learning a bit (which she is), Cecily behaves even more unforgivably. (It's bad, too, for all Cecily isn't quite aware just how horrifically it could end. I mean, she *should* have been aware of it, even though she chose not to see.)

Those of you whose history is less pathetic than mine will have known that there was an uprising coming, and it's then that the book takes a turn I didn't expect. It's not as simplistic as showing the Welsh to be capable of brutality in the killing of people in the town when they rebel - though it shows this, also. But it's how Gwenhwyfar and her brother react when Cecily is utterly at their mercy that is surprising, and works towards an unexpected and satisfying ending, though one that leaves nothing sure. There was a fine author's note at the end that told about what happened after the uprising - and it was what she'd put into some of the characters' mouths. I do like a good author's note after a good historical novel! (less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, ya-fiction, england, multiple-voices, prejudice, wales

Based on historical events in the 13th century Wales, The Wicked and the Just graphically portrays the bitterness, mistrust, and hatred between the Welsh and English under King Edward I.

Cecily and her father leave their home at Edgeley Hall and come to live in Caernarvon, in occupied Wales. Cecily is young, has recently lost her mother, and is furious with her father for having them move here to live amongst the savage Welsh. Once there, Cecily encounters Gwenhwyfar and her brother Gruffydd, who...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, psc-reviews, young-adult

3.5 stars
Set in 1293-1294
Cecily and her father move from England to Wales. They do this so that her father can get land and peerage that would not be possible staying in Coventry. Cecily is devastated and has a hard time adjusting (mostly because she is a spoiled brat). Their new home comes with a chatelaine and a Welsh girl, Gwinny, who is the maid and servant. Gwinny hates the English (and rightfully so) as the conditions in Caernarvon are deplorable for the Welsh due to English corruption and...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 faeriemyst rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, young-adult-fiction, young-adult-historical-fiction

The Wicked and the Just doesn't have much in the way of a plot, it more focuses on the everyday lives of two very different girls in 13th century Wales, one who's English and lives inside the walls of Caernarvon, the other a Welsh servant, who lives outside the walls, than on any particular focal point. This changes in the latter part of the book when an event that has been gnawing at the fringes suddenly erupts.

My first impression of Cecily is that she's a colossal brat. She's English, thinks s...more The Wicked and the Just doesn't have much in the way of a plot, it more focuses on the everyday lives of two very different girls in 13th century Wales, one who's English and lives inside the walls of Caernarvon, the other a Welsh servant, who lives outside the walls, than on any particular focal point. This changes in the latter part of the book when an event that has been gnawing at the fringes suddenly erupts.

My first impression of Cecily is that she's a colossal brat. She's English, thinks she's better than the Welsh (while also fearing they're going to kill her) and her so-called "betters" as well, pouts and connives to get her father to do as she wants, complains...a lot, and doesn't seem to like anyone other than the friends she was forced to leave behind, her father (sometimes), and her dog. But can you blame her if that's how she was raised and didn't know any better? My feelings about her ran the gamut, as did her behavior, it had its ups and downs as does just about anyone. She can be quite funny with her sly remarks or thoughts, but she can also be cruel, kind, loathsome, understanding, and pathetic. Everytime I thought I was about to like her, she'd do something terrible and I thought her lower than dirt, then she'd have her eyes opened to see her surroundings and then she didn't seem so bad. It went like that quite a lot, and by the end, I felt quite bad for her. Gwinny, on the other hand, though while I didn't like her exactly, I understood her right away and sympathized with her position. She is one angry and vengeful person, who through sheer willpower, somehow manages to hold most of it back. The sections told through her eyes are usually shorter than Cecily's, but they get right to the point and have enough information that I didn't feel anything necessary was excluded. The interactions between the two girls are fraught with dislike, loathing, and begrudging understanding, before it all starts over again. Until the last section the characters are the main plot, where after that point the story really explodes into a fast-paced, suspenseful read, which I'll not spoil if you're not familiar with that part of history (I wasn't). You couldn't tear this book from my hand during these last sixty pages if you tried, I was absolutely riveted. The emotions were high, the situations scary, and more than anything it made me grateful. Grateful to have a roof over my head, grateful for the food I can afford to eat, just grateful all around that I don't have to live as the Welsh did, as many others did in the course of history. A word of warning, as with changing circumstances in life there is no concrete ending to the story, which suits the book well. It ends while just beginning and I can't think of a more fitting finish to the story. A good, solid, thought-provoking novel that has a possible crossover appeal to both history-loving teens and adults.

Originally reviewed: September 10
Received: Amazon Vine(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Brenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fction, ya-fiction

Amazing book. It is set in late 13th century Wales, and it features an English and a Welsh girl. The English girl, Cecily, recently moved to Wales as her father could get cheap rent and a place of his own, after his brother came back from the Crusades and claimed his house (birthright, primogeniture, etc.), and the Welsh girl, Gwen, is living under the thumb of the new British rule. Both protagonists are flawed and oft unlikable, but I understood them. It's brutal at times, but it feels authenti...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 16, 2012 Afton Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The real brilliance behind this book is the way the author takes a completely repellant main character and makes me care for her. But she doesn't stop there. She takes a tragic character, and makes her just a tad repellant. But neither girl can be summed up so simply. Both Cecily and Gwenhwyfar are complicated and difficult and even though at times I hated them both, I found reasons to justify their nastiness, to forgive them, and to continue reading about them. Based on the Welsh uprising at Ca...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 18, 2011 Dawn Vanniman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this ARC as an e-book from www.netgalley.com.

I know what you're all thinking - 'Seriously, this book isn't out until APRIL?!' Seriously. BUT I believe that this book is good enough that you need to pre-order it NOW. You'll thank me in April.

The story is told from the point of view of two very different girls. There's Cecily who's English and Gwenhwyfar (Gwinny) who's Welsh. It's set during the time that the English tried to rule Wales, so about 1293 (I believe).

Cecily's father was onc...more I received this ARC as an e-book from www.netgalley.com.

I know what you're all thinking - 'Seriously, this book isn't out until APRIL?!' Seriously. BUT I believe that this book is good enough that you need to pre-order it NOW. You'll thank me in April.

The story is told from the point of view of two very different girls. There's Cecily who's English and Gwenhwyfar (Gwinny) who's Welsh. It's set during the time that the English tried to rule Wales, so about 1293 (I believe).

Cecily's father was once the lord of Edgely Manor. But that has come to an end and now his brother has taken his rightful place and his wife has died, so he needs to make his fortune elsewhere. So he moves himself and Cecily to Caernarvon, Wales; where just by moving there to keep down the horrid Welsh, he can have a house and be a respected member of the community...within the walls anyway. Cecily hates it and wants to go home...and if she can't go home, she wants to be the lady of the house. But neither is happening.

The house is run by a Welsh woman who understands the society they're living in, within and without the walls of the city. She also oversees Gwinny who is the maid. Gwinny was to be the lady of the house. The same house that Cecily now lives in. Gwinny's forced to wait on Cecily, who she refers to as 'The Brat'.

The English believe that the Welsh are like animals and speak a nonsense language, just because they don't understand their customs or language. Sound familiar? The Welsh aren't taking being trampled very well. Few Welsh are allowed inside the city walls, mostly only for work. They aren't paid well and are chosen more frequently and quickly if they have enough money to bribe the officials. Gwinny's beloved and her brother are both always looking for work. At one point Gwinny's brother begins working for Cecily's father. Unfortunately, Cecily feels he has been inappropriately looking at her and begins to give him trouble. Inside and outside the city walls, tensions are rising and plans are afoot.

Cecily and Gwinny are, by turns, almost friends and bitter enemies. There are times when Gwinny thinks that The Brat might turn out alright, but then Cecily will do something high-handed and end that thought.

Then one day the Welsh revolt. The two girls and their families clash and the tables are suddenly turned. The only thing that saves Cecily is a kindness she did for Gwinny's brother, Griffith, that no one but him knows about.

I do love historical fiction and this is a series of events that I knew nothing about, so it was wonderful to read about. Ms. Coates doesn't sugarcoat the nastiness that the English and Welsh do to one another or how nasty the girls can be...which is often as bad as the men of the time. I think that Ms. Coates has a winner on her hands and I can't wait for all of you to read it! In the meantime, go check out the author at www.jandersoncoates.com/blog (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Caroline Rose added it

Astounding. One sentence debut review closer to release date.

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, picture-books

Somewhere on my shelves full of unread books there is one that boasts that the Thirteenth was the "Greatest of Centuries" (which I was surprised to find can be googled in full here: http://www.strobertbellarmine.net/boo... ), so my curiosity was piqued when I saw this YA novel set in 1293 Wales.

I must hand it to the author, she did a good job of plunking the reader into the time and place. Her English protagonist Cecily(dubbed The Brat by her Welsh domestic) and endearingly called Cesspool or Ce...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Mara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-to-buy, 2012-reads, historical-fiction

Cover Blurb: I like how the early morning light also looks like fire, and displays the girl’s silhouette. Except, I’ll admit, every time I glance at the cover, I always, always assume that she’s carrying a flashlight. The title font is beautiful; it is what originally caught my attention, if I’m to be honest.

What I Liked: Gwenhwyfar is a good protagonist. Some would say that she’s a jerk, but given the oppression she and her fellow Welshmen have suffered at the hands of the English, it is very h...more Cover Blurb: I like how the early morning light also looks like fire, and displays the girl’s silhouette. Except, I’ll admit, every time I glance at the cover, I always, always assume that she’s carrying a flashlight. The title font is beautiful; it is what originally caught my attention, if I’m to be honest.

What I Liked: Gwenhwyfar is a good protagonist. Some would say that she’s a jerk, but given the oppression she and her fellow Welshmen have suffered at the hands of the English, it is very hard to fault her for any of her behavior. She’s a good example of the proud Welsh spirit, and she’s a strong young woman who bows as little under the English yoke as she possibly can. The storyline itself is good; it’s hard not to praise a story taking place in such a fascinating era.

What I Disliked: Cecily is a four-star brat, and she remains thus throughout, right to the very end. She’s mean, selfish, cruel, spoiled, a liar, a horrible tease, and a jerk. There is not a single thing about Cecily to like; not at all. And I didn’t get the sense that she learned her lesson at the end of the book. It was hard to feel sorry for her even when really bad things happened, because she’s just so horrible, and I wanted to smack her when she was mean to Emmaline, who is a sweet girl. There also wasn’t enough interaction between Cecily and Gwenhwyfar, which is really what I wanted to read about.

Believability: The Author has definitely done research. Geographically, historical events, day-to-day living, social conduct, laws, et cetera. She’s looked it all up. Her portrayal of English-occupied Wales is accurately brutal, and she doesn’t shy away from describing the worst of it. She makes it easy to hate the English, and to sympathize with the Welsh. But she also doesn’t do a one-sided portrayal; the Author also talks about some of the horrible things the Welsh did to the English when they temporarily took back their lands.

Writing Style: Each chapter alternates between narrators: Cecily and Gwenhwyfar, and I liked this. The Reader gets to see both sides of life easier this way. Unfortunately, the Author writes in present-tense, but Cecily’s sections almost read like a journal. It isn’t written in the style of a journal, but it kind of has the same feel, so the present-tense was easy to ignore. Gwenhwyfar’s narrations, however, were difficult to follow at times, and in many ways read like stream-of-consciousness, which can be annoying.

Content: Gwenhwyfar is constantly being felt up by guards. It’s realistic; that sort of thing happened all the time, especially to the Welsh because no one would bother to protect a Welshwoman, and if she protected herself, she’d be arrested. But the Author really didn’t need to mention every bloody time it happened. There are 2 g--damns and 1 s-word, and Cecily is almost raped, but there are no details.

Conclusion: This isn’t a feel-good book. It’s a gritty, open-your-eyes, historical novel. And therefore, the ending isn’t a happy one. Cecily doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons, so it’s hard to be happy about her rescue from Caernarvon after the Welsh take it back. And anyone who knows anything about the history of Wales will know that the Welsh rebellion is put down and they don’t gain their freedom. I wasn’t disappointed with the end, though. I expected nothing less from the sobering conclusion that it has, and if it had ended all happy, I would have been terribly put out.

Recommended Audience: Fans of historical fiction that has been well-researched. This could be both a girl and guy read, and definitely geared towards an older teen audience, though adults would enjoy it, too.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 06, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, historical-girl-group, read-in-2012

**I received an advance e-galley for free from Netgalley**

I have to admit, I found the main POV character Cecily hard to take for...most of the book. I know I was meant to, but it was rough going there for a while. I can't recall a less likable protagonist in anything, ever. And yet...there were glimmers of something else. Just crumbs, little slivers here and there of someone I could feel for. Coats does a really nice job, I think, of comparing Cecily and Gwenhwyfar's situations without minimizi...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 11, 2012 Brandi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: so-amazing

4.5 Stars

Step into the lives of two extremely different teenagers in a Welsh town marked by clashing cultures and famine.

It's the year 1293 and Cecily has just moved over to Wales from England. She's used to having a household of servants to command, but that's not what she finds here. Instead, there are bitter Welshmen who want to take back their town from England. Worse, even the rich English bureaucrats mock her because she's poor.

Meanwhile, Gwenny is a Welsh maiden who has to work so her fa...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens 13+, fans of historical fiction, middle/high school/college level history courses

The Wicked and the Just is a brilliant and fascinating account of the tumultuous time when the English sought to rule Wales, told from the POVs of two teenage girls, Cecily (English) and Gwenhwyfar (Welsh). Beyond the staggering amount of historical research that is seamlessly and vividly woven into this book, J. Anderson Coats provides us with a world so real you'll feel your stomach growl with hunger, and two fascinating main characters who are alternately humorous, heartbreaking, endearing, h...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars

The year is 1294 and we are introduced to two teenage girls during a turbulent period in welsh history. This book is told in tandem voices and is told by two very different but yet quite alike young women. One voice is the English voice and the other is told by a Welsh servant girl. The author very successfully presents both points of view and both stories with two very distinct voices. The two different voices are also presented in differing fonts so the feel of the story changes with the fonts...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 elissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to elissa by: www.capitolchoices.org

Shelves: youngadult, historicalfiction, capitol_choices_2013, 2012favorites, my_10s_reads

A definite 4 1/2 stars, and the first book that I'm tempted to give 5 stars to this year, so I guess at the moment it's my favorite book of the year. The writing is definitely good enough to warrant that spot, and I had a hard time putting it down. Two memorable characters tell the story back and forth, and I had no idea where the novel was going at the end. I guessed something completely and utterly different, but once I got to the ending I wasn't at all surprised by where the story went. As ot...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 01, 2012 Sherry Guice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-ya-for-middle-school

Very good historical fiction, recommended for grades 7 and up. Bratty girl main character is changing as the book is evolving...set in Wales during the 13th Century...engaging...

1 like · like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Cleo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books, review-copy

This book is set in the late 13th century, mainly in Wales. Cecily is forced to move to Wales, to the town of Caernarvon, rather than going back to Edgeley Hall. Wales has been occupied, and the Welsh people are discontented and starving. Gwenhwyfar knows all about it. She's one of them, and is forced to work in the house that might have been hers. She thinks of Cecily as "the brat."

I got a review copy from Harcourt, and I enjoyed this one, though I doubt it was that historically accurate (in th...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 Cornmaven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction-high-school

A captivating historical fiction novel set in Wales in the Middle Ages, when Edward I ruled. It's a brutal look at oppression by one group over another, and gives the reader a clear view of why rebellion occurs.
Cecily, the English girl, is a self-absorbed teen who gradually has her eyes opened about the nature of injustice. She's a victim and a perpetrator. Her counterpart, Welsh servant Gwenhyfar, has her own worldview, and she must also adjust it as she begins to see Cecily as something other...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Wandering Librarians rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, middle-grade, war

Cecily grew up at Edgeley Hall in England, but when her uncle comes back from the Crusades, her father decides, rather than acting as his brother's steward, he will move to Caernarvon in English occupied Wales where he can own his own land and house. Cecily is less than happy about moving to barbaric Wales. Gwenhwyfar's life was destroyed by the coming of the English. Her people are starving around her, and she is forced to work in a house and on land she once owned.

This was heavy. Seriously hea...more Cecily grew up at Edgeley Hall in England, but when her uncle comes back from the Crusades, her father decides, rather than acting as his brother's steward, he will move to Caernarvon in English occupied Wales where he can own his own land and house. Cecily is less than happy about moving to barbaric Wales. Gwenhwyfar's life was destroyed by the coming of the English. Her people are starving around her, and she is forced to work in a house and on land she once owned.

This was heavy. Seriously heavy. This is a middle grade book, but I want to be clear that the violence and assault that happens is detailed. Not in a sensationalized way, but certainly graphic.

This was another period of history I knew very little about. In the later 1200s, Wales pretty much became a colony of England, under King Edward. Stone cities were built that English colonists could live in, effective protected from the Welsh people by guarded stone walls. Of course, there were rebellions, and the one The Wicked and Just details was the first one, which happened in 1294 and was led by Madog ap Llywelyn.
Cecily was such an interesting character. In some ways she was a sympathetic character, and in other ways you just want to slap her. She grew up in a manor house in England and was used to certain things. She wanted to be a lady of a house. She expected servants to never look her in the eye. That's just the way things were. So she was determined, in this strange new place she's in, homesick, to at least be lady of the house. Other families look down on her and her father because they are new. It is very difficult for her to fit in. The women of the other houses think Cecily is rough and will never be a lady. So I felt sorry for her.

But then, she was also such a brat! There she is, struggling with her insignificant problems, while all around her the Welsh people are starving and doing whatever they can just to survive. Gwenhwyfar works in what is now Cecily's home. Cecily hates her, because she doesn't act like a servant she's used to. Gwenhwyfar hates Cecily because Cecily is one of the English that has stolen her home. Gwenhwyfar doesn't think of herself as a servant. She's just doing what she has to do to get a little money so she can pay off the English tax collectors and get a little food. We hear how men abuse her, and fell it's their right to do whatever they want with whatever Welsh girl they want.

Before the rebellion, Cecily begins to see some of the injustices done to the Welsh people, and how things are not quite fair. She begins to be more sympathetic toward Gwenhwyfar. Cecily can't imagine how much she is hated. Cecily also has fun tormenting Gwenhwyfar's brother, although she is unaware he is her brother, which fills Gwenhwyfar with rage.

Gwenhwyfar's life is detailed, to how if a Welshman can't pay taxes, they're stock is taken. How they have to pay to come into the city to sell things in the market. How they aren't allowed to sell things anywhere but the market. All these rules are set up to help the English and hurt the Welsh. These rules are, in fact, not coming from the King, but from the greedy officials in charge of the city.

The rebellion is incredibly violent. The streets run with blood. Cecily's father is killed and hung naked out a window. Soldiers, women, children are all killed. Cecily manages to get out of the city and hide, where she's found by Gwenhwyfar's brother, who brings her home. Gwenhwyfar would have been happy to see her dead, but her brother says no. No the roles are reversed, and Cecily now is Gwenhwyfar's servant.

It's a dark, sad story, full of violence and injustice. And was the rebellion justice? Everyone knows the English soldiers will come and things will go back to the way they were before. Will there be any differences? This was really an excellent book, that really made you think about the character of people and how people treat each other.

This might be a hard sell, however. There's no romance to offset the violence. Middle grade students of historical fiction might be interested to read about a period that seldom gets written about, but you probably want to give a heads up that there's more detailed violence than most.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Miriam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

An English girl, Cecily, moves with her father to Cavernaon, Wales, in 1294 AD. A well-born Welsh girl, Gwenhwyfar, is forced to become Cecily's servant. This central relationship of the story is a micorocosm of the larger story, England's takeover of Wales and mistreatment of its people. Prejudice/racism is a major theme developed. I learned a lot as I read the book, and it was good reading, with great historical detail (food, costumes, verbal expressions), realistic characters, and a well-pace...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 02, 2012 Hilary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cecily’s life is a series of disappointments. Her uncle returns from the Crusades and her family must leave the estate her father managed for his brother her entire life. They move in with another uncle, temporarily, but the crowded conditions encourage her father to move to Wales, where land is cheap and a fine burgage awaits him. Cecily deplores her family’s eroding lifestyle.

With ill-grace Cecily takes up residence in occupied Wales. Cecily is critical of the town, the residents, her new home...more Cecily’s life is a series of disappointments. Her uncle returns from the Crusades and her family must leave the estate her father managed for his brother her entire life. They move in with another uncle, temporarily, but the crowded conditions encourage her father to move to Wales, where land is cheap and a fine burgage awaits him. Cecily deplores her family’s eroding lifestyle.

With ill-grace Cecily takes up residence in occupied Wales. Cecily is critical of the town, the residents, her new home, and her father’s new life/job. She resents the native staff, who speak poor English and the barbaric dialect of Wales. Civil unrest restricts Cecily to the house, and short funds further restrict her entertainment options. Cecily amuses herself by picking on the hired boy and taking classes in deportment from a snobbish local lady.

Cecily is unaware that Gwenhwyfar, her maidservant, once dreamed of being the lady of the house that Cecily now occupies. The English destroyed the lives of all Gwen knew. She resents Cecily’s airs and spoiled, ungrateful behavior, especially as she and her brother are eking out only a marginal existence -- and (although Cecily does not know it) the boy Cecily enjoys picking on his Gwenhyfar’s younger brother.

Tensions are rising, within the house, and outside the city walls. When the breaking point is breached, Cecily finds herself reversing roles with Gwenhyfar, who is a vindictive mistress.
Despite the nastiness, Coats is careful not to take sides with either the English or the Welsh. Instead, the author provides two fully realized characters against an authentic background rich in details (especially in respects to language, dress, and social classes). The reader is permitted to draw his or her own conclusions about the characters and the volatile circumstances that have made them mortal enemies. The last fifty pages are vivid, riveting, and violent. Long after the last page is read and the cover closed, this story will linger in the reader’s memory.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Jennifer Mccann rated it 4 of 5 stars

A friend of the author recommended this book to me. I was very pleased with the recommendation.

The book is the story of two young girls, approximately the same age, who experience the hell surrounding the Welsh uprising at Caernarvon; one the former mistress of the house and now a conquered servant, and the other, the new mistress. The animus between this two girls makes them particularly nasty and vicious enemies. Yet, fascinating to me as a reader was how both were victims of the same circums...more

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: The Wicked and the Just
avg rating	preview: The Wicked and the Just Goodreads rating: 3.71 (858 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12180253-the-wicked-and-the-just?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328908675l/12180253.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12180253-the-wicked-and-the-just?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats[/url]

The Wicked and the Just

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About J. Anderson Coats

Books by J. Anderson Coats

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Wicked and th...

Quotes from The Wicked and the Just