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Wood Angel

by Erin Bow (Goodreads Author)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 2,307 ratings · 571 reviews

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver’s daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden talismans are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade”: a dangerous nickname in a country where witches are hunted and burned in the square. A mysterious fog rui...more

Paperback, UK edition of “Plain Kate”, 288 pages

Published March 7th 2011 by Chicken House (first published September 1st 2010)

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Aug 08, 2011 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2011, ya

Not since Kiki’s Delivery Service have I loved a talking cat this much!

I’m hoping that opening line will encourage you few hold outs to pick this one up. This book actually does remind me of a Studio Ghibli film, in that it is sweet and a bit fanciful, with odd and original mythology and characters, but also has surprisingly deep underlying themes. The grief and loneliness that run through this story are palpable.

Kate is named for her mother Katerina, who dies during childbirth. “I just call her...more Not since Kiki’s Delivery Service have I loved a talking cat this much!

I’m hoping that opening line will encourage you few hold outs to pick this one up. This book actually does remind me of a Studio Ghibli film, in that it is sweet and a bit fanciful, with odd and original mythology and characters, but also has surprisingly deep underlying themes. The grief and loneliness that run through this story are palpable.

Kate is named for her mother Katerina, who dies during childbirth. “I just call her plain Kate,” her father the wood carver says to his customers. But soon the adjective becomes a title, branding Plain Kate for her “plain as a stick” looks and unobtrusive demeanor. The people of her village are suspicious and impulsive, quick to judge outsiders or anyone who appears different. When a plague steals away many in the village, witchcraft is blamed and the outsiders, innocent or not, take the punishment. Kate’s father succumbs to the illness, and she is left to fend for herself. Soon suspicion turns on her, as the villagers notice her supernaturally skilled hand at wood carving, her odd looks, and her solitary ways. Suspicion falls even more heavily on Kate when a stranger arrives in town selling charms and begins to meddle in Kate’s life.

The writing is simply beautiful: lyrical and expressive without feeling melodramatic. Kate is a quiet, self-conscious and unsure heroine, but in a way that feels genuine. I am typically a fan of the strong, bold heroines but Kate got under my skin. I can relate well to her yearning for a family and a place to belong, and I never felt that her confusion and stumbling were manufactured to stall the progression of the story.

There are also no black and white characters in this story. The villains are conflicted; their illustrations of grief so intense that they lead to ugliness and hate. They are cruel and violent, but I felt so much compassion for them. Kate falls into the role of unlikely hero, and she learns to find her own strength. But she also learns that there’s a good deal of strength found in forgiveness.

Although this is categorized as YA, I think that it’s a great choice for advanced middle grade readers. There are some mature themes like death and loss, but it is all stuff that I think a 12-15 year old could handle.

Also…need I mention it again? TALKING CAT. Nuff said.

Perfect Musical Pairing

Tori Amos – Winter

This is a beautiful song about a woman remembering the closeness that she shared with her father, and the dreams that they had together. She remembers his words, “when you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?”
(less)

like 19 likes · see review

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

Shelves: ya-na, 2011, fairy-tales

Oh, rip my heart out, why don't you? This is such a horrifying and sad book that again makes me ask the question: just what on earth is going on in the UK publishing world??? This book was released in the US as Plain Kate with a cover that features the protagonist walking along a rooftop with her cat. Though it doesn't exactly gear you up for some of the horrors this story contains, at least it doesn't look like a pretty, twinkly version of Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. What is up with that c...more

like 31 likes · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, awesome-covers

The atmosphere of this book is... unique , in a very good way. Everything has a melancholy undertone to it, and you get sucked into this time period where magic is to be feared, and anyone who so much as look a little funny is accused of witchcraft.

Our heroine, Plain Kate, is one of these individuals. She has one eye the color of the muddy river bank and the other of the clear blue river, and she also has mad skills with her craving knife. Misfortune hits Kate when her father dies of the "witchf...more

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Mar 17, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Tamora Pierce

Shelves: swords-and-lasers, kcls, read-in-2011, young-adult-teen, reviewed-2011, wishlist-for-books-to-keep

I cannot believe this is Erin Bow's first novel. In the acknowledgments she mentions that she worked on this book for six years--it shows. From the first page, the author drops you into the story and there honestly was no drag throughout the entire book. We are introduced to Kate and her father, both woodcarvers who live in Similae. The surrounding communities have been plagued with death, torrential rains, and crop damage and the people of Kate's town, as well as other towns, are on the lookout...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Janina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Janina by: Flannery

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult-fiction, cats, on-my-shelf, made-me-cry, fairy-tale, read-in-2011, best-of-2011, beautiful-writing, better-than-expected, favourites, bittersweet, quiet-but-awesome, atmospheric, books-to-hug

A beautifully written dark fairy tale featuring a strong heroine and an absolutely lovable cat sidekick.

Set in a world reminiscent of medieval Russia, Wood Angel(aka Plain Kate for the US readers), ranks among my favourite reads this year so far. It is not a pleasant comfort read, but more a dark type of fairy tale with wonderfully shaded and round characters. There is no black and white, no good or bad in this novel – every character has decisions to make and does not always choose the right wa...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crushing-on-the-cover, own, wishlist, conflicted-thoughts, digging-the-premise, its-complicated, utterly-charming

“And then because hope will break the heart better than any sorrow, she started to cry.”

(i specifically bought this online instead of the UK version (Wood Angel) at my local bookstore. i'm sure now you can see why. that title and cover just seemed all wrong for this book. i just love the title and cover of the US version. it fits perfectly ) :)

description

i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. for the most part, i think i just felt like it held back in certain places and then randomly went all out...more

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Nov 17, 2010 Krystle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I am left in a flood of emotions after reading this book that I don't know how I'll be able to articulately express the things I want to say.

Plain Kate had me hooked from chapter one. The whole tone, feel, and plot of this book just screamed a fairy tale vibe. If you've read the original stories and not the Disney movie versions than you'll be able to appreciate the traditional use of song, animal guide/helper, and the forlorn/downtrodden young girl who manages to achieve her happy end.

Erin Bow'...more I am left in a flood of emotions after reading this book that I don't know how I'll be able to articulately express the things I want to say.

Plain Kate had me hooked from chapter one. The whole tone, feel, and plot of this book just screamed a fairy tale vibe. If you've read the original stories and not the Disney movie versions than you'll be able to appreciate the traditional use of song, animal guide/helper, and the forlorn/downtrodden young girl who manages to achieve her happy end.

Erin Bow's prose is simple but it's more than that. I can't describe it as anything else but magic. The emotion that's weaved into her words is so powerful I almost broke out into a flood of tears when I came to a certain part of the story. Only I didn't because I was in a crowded bus and didn't want people to give me strange looks. My heart was shattered and if an author can affect me with only her words, you know she's done something very right and deserves high praise.

For such a whimsical and light cover this story is very dark. If you remember Grimm's fairy tales, then you've got it matched up perfectly to describe this book. None of it, though, the deaths, bloodletting, and what have you were done out of shock factor. They were intrinsic to the plot and really struck home when it happened.

The characters were wonderful. Taggle, who's only a cat, almost stole the show. The way the author is able to show the depths of their relationship is expertly done and you become really attached to them and feel for them when bad things come their way. Kate who has a lot of terrible things happen to her, never gives up and never backs down, she always perseveres even when things look absolutely bleak. Linay isn't your stock villain either. He's got depth and real emotion and reasoning behind his actions that you can't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him as well. Things aren't just black and white, they are spun in a blurring of colors you can't pick apart.

Plain Kate is beautiful and a heart wrenching story. I cannot gush over it enough.

Oh, and, by the way, I won this book from Goodreads's First Reads contest and I can't thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to read it.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-the-hype

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Plain Kate is, quite honestly, just not the book for me. I know a countless number of my friends and most trusted reviewers have absolutely adored this tale, but despite being an ardent fantasy lover, I somehow could not get into it. Bow's debut follows the tale of Plain Kate, a tale of woe for every time something bad happens to her, something worse is waiting just around the corner. Kate is orphaned at a young age and after her father's age, she struggles to survive in their...more Rating: 2.5 Stars

Plain Kate is, quite honestly, just not the book for me. I know a countless number of my friends and most trusted reviewers have absolutely adored this tale, but despite being an ardent fantasy lover, I somehow could not get into it. Bow's debut follows the tale of Plain Kate, a tale of woe for every time something bad happens to her, something worse is waiting just around the corner. Kate is orphaned at a young age and after her father's age, she struggles to survive in their town where everyone believes she is a witch. When Linay, an evil albino wizard, comes to town, he offers her a wish and whatever provisions she may want in exchange for her shadow. Kate, not knowing the seriousness of this bargain, agrees, only to have her life take a turn for the worse - yet again.

While many readers found this story to be vastly intriguing, I thought it was rather boring. In fact, the first hundred or so pages can probably be skimmed entirely since nothing much happens. Furthermore, the writing that so captivated others rendered me unable to connect with any of the characters. It made me feel aloof and distant from the story itself and while beautiful to be sure, I didn't enjoy it and felt it didn't work well with the novel. Perhaps my biggest qualm, however, is Kate herself. Throughout the novel, Kate only becomes tougher and stronger, but her experiences never truly change her or make her orient herself and her life in different directions. In addition, as I mentioned before, I was unable to connect with her and feel much but sympathy for her life.

Overall, Plain Kate isn't a novel I can recommend, but it is one I advise any fantasy reader to give a chance. I am in the minority when it comes to this piece and can only hope that other readers love it unlike I have. Nevertheless, I will admit that if Erin Bow decides to write a young adult fantasy novel next, one that is a little more sophisticated and with older characters, I'll be itching to get my hands on it for sure. Bow is an author whose works I am bound to love - I can just feel it.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Nov 11, 2009 R.j. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rich, haunting, unforgettable, this story draws on Russian folklore to immerse the reader in a unique and fully realized fantasy world.

Erin Bow is not only an award-winning poet but a masterful and captivating storyteller, with a knack for handling powerful emotions in an understated way that makes the reader feel them twice as strongly. She excels at portraying grief and horror, but she also has a deft way with humor, and though Kate's story leads her down some dark paths there are always glim...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Nafiza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, favourites, canadian-authors, books-i-own, recommend-to-friends

Sometimes you come across a book that you weren’t particularly keen to read but it blows you away with the sheer beauty of the story contained within its pages. The synopsis of Plain Kate doesn’t set it apart from the rest of the books in the genre. It doesn’t add anything to it that is wholly unique. There is nothing that prepares you for what’s inside. So you wander in, try a sentence. Or maybe two. Then before you know it, you have read a hundred pages and you simply must finish it because yo...more Sometimes you come across a book that you weren’t particularly keen to read but it blows you away with the sheer beauty of the story contained within its pages. The synopsis of Plain Kate doesn’t set it apart from the rest of the books in the genre. It doesn’t add anything to it that is wholly unique. There is nothing that prepares you for what’s inside. So you wander in, try a sentence. Or maybe two. Then before you know it, you have read a hundred pages and you simply must finish it because you have to know what happens in the end.

If I were asked to explain what exactly appealed to me about Plain Kate, I would be at a loss about where to begin. Is it the beauty of the prose? Quiet, unassuming brilliance that flows over you and guides you into the world in which Kate exists. Or should I talk about how, even when the world is falling down around her, there are certain moments of beauty, like pockets of calm in the middle of chaos – that makes you hope for humanity even as humanity destroys itself.

I think I will pick my favourite character in the novel. Taggles, the Cat. (Yes, Cat deserves its own capital C.) Animal characters are numerous in fiction and most of them are rendered beautifully (well okay, the ones I have read were) but the friendship between Taggles and Kate was steeped in sincerity. Ms. Bow managed to display their friendship without humanizing Taggles and I am eternally grateful for that. He retains his animal way of thinking, a way of thinking that is distinctly not human but despite that, he manages, in all the ways he is capable, to stay beside Kate and even protect her to a certain extent. Their friendship is one of the most poignant and beautiful things I have had the fortune to read in a very long time.

Kate is composed by losses. She is a very complex character with many layers to her. The loss of her parents, home and eventually town always plays a part in defining her to a certain degree. When she gets tricked out of something she hadn’t even thought was important, she begins a journey and during that journey, she realizes who she really is. This is intentionally cryptic because anything else would be giving it away and it would be such a shame for you not to read this book. The love interest in this book, if you can actually say there is one, is just as enigmatic, just as interesting as Kate is.

The ending of the book is not conventional. It’s not unhappy. But it’s not the same old trite endings other books are known for. The book is not the first in a series, though, to be honest, I would love to continue reading about Kate but when we do leave her in the end, she is on her way to becoming someone more, someone who is much stronger for the choices she has made and the things she has experienced and seen.

Conclusion? Read the book. It is way too good to miss.
(less)

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Dec 11, 2010 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Valerie by: Cara

Shelves: fantasy

Kate is a strong, caring, courageous girl. Her talking cat is the best I've ever encountered in fantasy. The plot was captivating, the writing great, the characters so well developed, the magic haunting, and the cover wonderful.

Plain Kate is a skilled wood carver, maybe one of the best. So when strange things start happening people blame Kate because some call her talent witch craft. She has to leave but before this she exchanges her shadow for her heart's wish--to not go alone. Hence the talki...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, children-s-juvenile-fiction, so-amazing-it-blew-me-away

Omg, this book DESTROYED ME. Seriously, I haven't cried because of a book like that sense I was 8 and Leslie had died in Bridge to Terabithia...
I can't overstate how much I love her writing. Erin Bow's writing is simplistic in the best possible way. Her writing brings to mind authors like Kate DiCamillo (The Tale of Despereaux), Mary Lawson (although she doesn't write YA novels) and Kathi Appelt (The Underneath). To me this makes her writing all the more powerful. And while her writing may be si...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Samilae is a town of superstitions and suspicion. Though the villagers pay wood-carvers to make objarka, talismans meant to bring good luck or ward off evil, they also fear any skill with the knife. Thus, when a mysterious illness and deadly fog sweep through the land, many fingers start pointing at Plain Kate, a young orphaned wood-carver. Kate knows she cannot stay for fear of being burnt at the stake as a witch. Luckily, it seems, a stranger named Linay offers a proposition: means for Kate’s...more

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May 26, 2012 Corinne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Catlover's and fan's of Peter S. Beagle and Diana Wynne Jones

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, healing-and-magic, mythological-sea-creatures, sorcery-and-magic, witches, ghosts-a-o-spirits, swapped

This book is definitely worth reading and one of my favourite novels of all times!!! I ocassionally laughed and/or cried and most importantly felt with Plain Kate and her companion, Taggle the cat, all the way through this book and the story still helds me in its grip! What one would expect by looking at the cover is a sweet "fairy tale romance" with a beautiful and (magically) talented girl, who doesn't know about her heritage and finds her soulmate on her quest. I'm sure this is a familiar sto...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Linna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, spectacular-all-time-favorites, i-cried, originality, romance-free-yay

Thoroughly enchanting, PLAIN KATE is an amazing debut, one that manages to get everything right-- a setting that is rarely explored, characters you can root for, a whimsical setup that contains darkness along with the light.

It's a story that's crafted as skillfully as one of Kate's wood carvings, with a clear path, conflict, and a villain (of sorts) who is entirely sympathetic. And while Kate's is a colorful world of gypsies (called 'Roamers'), traveling caravans, good-luck charms, and talking c...more Thoroughly enchanting, PLAIN KATE is an amazing debut, one that manages to get everything right-- a setting that is rarely explored, characters you can root for, a whimsical setup that contains darkness along with the light.

It's a story that's crafted as skillfully as one of Kate's wood carvings, with a clear path, conflict, and a villain (of sorts) who is entirely sympathetic. And while Kate's is a colorful world of gypsies (called 'Roamers'), traveling caravans, good-luck charms, and talking cats (well, a talking cat, and he certainly steals the show), it's also a world that is surprisingly dark and treacherous. The horrifying passages aren't skimped over lightly like they're avoided in so many other tales-- the realities of witch burnings and Kate's own misfortunes were at times terrifying, but mostly haunting in their cruelty. There's blood, and danger, and the story does take some dark turns. Nevertheless, the tone still manages to stay charming and even humorous at parts, thanks to a cat by the name of Taggle.

Poetic and lyrical, the language in PLAIN KATE is breathtaking and smooth; it carries the plot along seamlessly, flowing along not unlike a river. There are even verses and songs, and a multitude of similes that bring the story to life.

New characters' introductions were less than smooth, however. I found myself sometimes being introduced to too many new faces at once, and then forgetting who was who when there were too many similar names and less distinguishing features. That's just a small thing, though, and you soon get used to it; I was too swept up in the story to notice most of the time.

And because I always find it hard not to mention endings, let me just say that the one in PLAIN KATE was perfect. It had the right amount of bittersweet to it, it was just a little heartbreaking (okay, I might have almost cried... Just a little...) but the ending just felt so completely, irrevocably, right.

It's a story of belonging, of family, and friendship. It's an original tale that reads like a classic. It's a coming-of-age story at heart, about Plain Kate herself, who isn't at all plain as she might believe... Hers is a tale of sacrifice and bravery, and she was one of my favorite heroines all year. Of course, that talking cat takes the spot of favorite character. (less)

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Apr 03, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to oliviasbooks by: Flannery

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, witches-sorcerers-magic, fantasy, unfinished-2011, swapped-or-given-away, high-expectations, meow

I had read 106 pages when I stopped to admit to myself: "This is not for me". I was getting impatient and started flipping pages to quicken my pace. My thoughts drifted to my pile of unread books to determine which book I would pick up next.

Somehow the book is not what I had expected, both storywise and characterwise:
It is basically a sorcery fantasy set in a fantastic clone of post-medieval Russia - with harsh guilds, no kindness between neighbors, superstitious people, who crave the postive...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Hallie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Hallie by: R.A. Anderson

Shelves: fantasy, ya, audiobook

Three-and-a-half, really. High marks for the writing, which I loved, but lower for some niggles I had with the story. One of those was the fact that the Roamers (still not sure how I feel about the Roma/Roamers bit), who knew that being a witch was not synonymous with being evil at all, still responded as if it were when they were given evidence that Kate might be one. (Even that was a leap I didn't quite see why they made.) All in all, for a book about love, in many forms, it had a very high co...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, level-ya

12/25/2010 ** I have no idea why I requested this book from the library. I must have seen it reference on some blog & thought it sounded interesting; besides, there's a talking cat - how could I resist!

I read two chapters over breakfast today (instead of washing dishes - no competition). I was definitely immersed in the world. There are Russian names; a feudal world, complete with guilds and guild masters; and a strange juxtaposition of both the use and fear of magic. I predict that I'll be...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 01, 2011 Maureen E rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, simply-superb, young-adult

by Erin Bow

I don’t normally post on the weekends, but my Plain Kate review kept getting pushed back and I wanted to make sure it got done now, as opposed to, say, Monday.

Opening line: “A long time ago, in a market town by a looping river, there lived an orphan girl called Plain Kate.”

Kate is the daughter of a woodcarver, who taught her to carve when she was very young. She is so talented at it that she expects to be a master before twenty. But then her father dies and her world falls apart.

This...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: YA book readers

Shelves: capable-heroine, outcast, young-adult, audiobook, library-checkout, fantasy, angsty-read, tormented-heroine, scarred-heroine, russian-storyline-or-characters, russian-setting, slavic-folklore, animal-character-steals-the-show, cats, artistic-hero-or-heroine, witch-sorcereress-healer, wizard-warlock-sorcerer, curse, prejudice, 2011-reading

It's hard to say exactly what I felt for this book without rambling. First of all, let me say, I think this book has one of the most tormented heroines I've ever read about, both in adult and young adult literature! How much crap can one girl go through? As I listened, I kept thinking how morose this story was. But I had to keep listening. Hoping that Plain Kate would find joy and a place to call home.

This is a novel that shows the destructive effects of prejudice in an interesting way. In this...more It's hard to say exactly what I felt for this book without rambling. First of all, let me say, I think this book has one of the most tormented heroines I've ever read about, both in adult and young adult literature! How much crap can one girl go through? As I listened, I kept thinking how morose this story was. But I had to keep listening. Hoping that Plain Kate would find joy and a place to call home.

This is a novel that shows the destructive effects of prejudice in an interesting way. In this book, anyone who is different or odd has to be a 'witch.' Everyone is so busy blaming everything that goes wrong around them on witches (who are more than anything just anyone who sticks out), they don't even have the sense to go after the real cause of the problem. Even those who are outsiders don't show nearly the amount of tolerance that they should. That makes for a very bitter pill to swallow.

What I loved about this story, what kept me reading was Kate. It was not easy to walk alone, and to keep walking after all she had lost. But she does. And I admire her for that. Also her cat, Taggle. Talking about a scene stealer. I loved him. The author knows cat behavior very well. I would laugh at Taggle's antics and what he would say. He's charmed so that he can talk, but he expresses himself in very much the way I can imagine my cats talking. I definitely give the author brownie points for that.

Although it's never stated, the setting is very Russian. Even the folkore gives this story an indisputible Russian stamp. Russian elements always work for me!

The tone of this story was hard to handle at times. It's very grim in a way. There are spots of brightness and joy like a ray of sunlight shining through a cloudbank. But for the most part, this story has a very downcast feel to it. That sadness that permeated this story grabbed at me. I was glad that Taggle was there for needed comic relief. As an optimist, I looked for evidence of hope for Kate, another thing that kept me reading, even when one event had me sobbing out loud. I mean really crying. I was thinking how much can this one person suffer?

Although definitely the most depressing young adult book I've read in a long time, Plain Kate was a very good book. It's not one of those books that you put down with a smile, though. Instead, you feel a sense of moody reflection. If only to convey how ugly prejudice is, this book succeeds on that point. Substitute any class of people for the 'witches' as the persecuted group and you have a powerful story told in an imaginative way, and the lesson will get transmitted to an audience who I hope will take this lesson very seriously. I think that one should think hard about these issues. Thinking clearly might help a person to see that hatred of others because of their differences is just wrong. And a world that condones that kind of injustice makes for a cold, cruel world for all of us. If I have to read a book that's not so sunny and happy to get that message, I guess that's a good thing in the end.(less)

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Mar 14, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of dark fairy tales with very young protgonists

Shelves: ala-ya-2011, 2011, children-s-middle-school, fairy-tales

The highest praise I can give a book is to favorably compare it to my all-time favorites - Lips Touch: Three Times and The Queen of Attolia. Erin Bow's writing style is as simple and precise, with not one extra, unnecessary word, as Megan Whalen Turner's and her story is as grounded in folklore while being completely original as Laini Taylor's.

The basic premise of the novel is that Kate, a lonely, orphaned child with no one to take care of her, is tricked by a witch into giving up her shadow in...more

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Jul 29, 2012 jo mo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-swoon, 2010, fantasy, historic, favourites, all-time-faves, different-worldsetting, own, dramarama, animals, moments-of-hilarity, ugly-story, tough-heroine, oddities, reviews, make-scrapbook, 5-stars, re-reads, new-adult, 2010-faves

kate is an appealing but not overly-idealized heroine, and a smattering of eastern european and roma (gypsy) folklore and tradition gives the book shape. mostly, though, it’s about human nature: suspicion, desperation, family loyalty, mob mentality. to an adult reader, it’s a mite predictable, but not in particularly frustrating way; it didn’t feel like kate was being daft by not putting things together, it just felt like the reader had a longer view of the situation. kate had immediate concern...more

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Nov 03, 2010 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I really enjoyed this story. It felt sort of like reading a fairy tale or old legend and I love to read anything that has a bit of gypsy and this book indeed does. I enjoyed the vocabulary used through out the book. I don't know any Russian or any of languages (or any besides English for that matter) so I don't know if they are actual words but they lent believability and potency to the story; made it deeper and more interesting.

I enjoyed getting to know Kate and Taggle. This book is unique to y...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Shanshad Whelan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I gave this four stars because I do think it's good, but I think the back cover copy didn't hint enough into how dark the story gets, nor does the picture properly fit the book, though the illustration is lovely. The fantasy is very dark, very violent, and sad and heart-breakingly bitter-sweet at the end. Not the light fantasy adventure I started off thinking it would be. It isn't perfect as a story--I felt there was not enough time spent with the Travelers and setting up her friendships there....more

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Nov 16, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bea-2010, for-review, signed, highly-recommended, fantasy, ya, middle-grade

Aside from the whole Stalin thing, Eastern Europe is awesome. From Eastern Europe we get nesting eggs, czars, Anastasia, and Baba Yaga. Upon opening Plain Kate by Erin Bow, I was transported to the old country. Of course my brain went to my most pressing impression of Eastern Europe, "If I were a rich man,Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum." You may mock, but Fiddler on the Roof is awesome. Unfortunately, Rev Tevye does not make an appearance in Plain Kate, but that does not matt...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a beautifully sad, poetic novel. Reading this book, you wonder if anything good can happen to Kate, and you get so caught up in her world, you feel everything she feels. the best part about this book was Taggle. The author did such an amazing job with his character, it's hard not to love him. I fell in love with this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

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Dec 16, 2012 Katera rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, girl-power-ya, why-did-i-read-this

I am a sucker for old fairy tales so the beginning of the book had a nice start for me. I suppose it all started to go downhill for me with the talking cat. We bring something of ourselves to every book and I believe every rating is a reflection of our own proclivities as well. So full disclosure time: I am not a cat person. Hate me. Take me off your friend list if you must. The character Taggle did nothing to make me change my mind on this issue. I felt there were a lot of moments of forced emo...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Roberto Penas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of my favorite book, the most lyrical middle-grade book I have ever read. No wonder - the author is a poet. It is unfortunate that I don't see it on the bookstore shelves, perhaps it is not considered a "hit bestseller."

The "villain" is also one of the most enigmatic I have seen for this age level: no stereotyical cackling evil personage with a scar on both cheeks. Kate is a heroine who captures our heart, moored in dire circumstances and whose limited choices are as bleak as can be. Like Su...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Jason Weidenfeld rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spooky, pure-awesome, best-books-ever

Plain Kate is my all time favorite book. Ever. It is beautifully written in a poetic voice that perfectly describes without rambling on forever and ever. The plot doesn't have parts that leave you wondering,"Hmm...Didn't she just do what she said she would never do in a million years a page ago?" Lastly, the characters are totally awesome. (Think Taggle, a talking cat.)

The plot really fits together in the way you can really understand the actions and not be thinking, "Gah! How can anyone be so d...more

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About Erin Bow

I'm a city girl from farm country who studied particle physics, before ditching science for a lucrative (ha!) career writing books. These days I write fantasy novels for young adults, and poetry.

My first novel, PLAIN KATE, was published in 2010 by Arthur A. Levine books at Scholastic in the United States, and from Scholastic Canada.

WOOD ANGEL -- Plain Kate for the UK -- is due out from Chicken H...more

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“Hope will break the heart better than any sorrow.” — 32 people liked it

“I have business to conduct in the language of fur and claw.” — 11 people liked it

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