Review: A Golden Web

Book: A Golden Web by Barbara Quick
Pages: 266 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date:
Source: Teen Book Scene
Grade: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Alessandra is desperate to escape.
Desperate to escape her stepmother, who's locked her away for a year; to escape the cloister that awaits her and the marriage plans that have been made for her; to escape the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There's no tolerance in her quiet village for Alessandra and her keen intelligence and unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee -- and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world's first female anatomist, acclaimed novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten -- and unforgettable -- heroine.

My Thoughts:

A Golden Web is just the sort of story I hoped it to be. Alessandra is a woman who I admire and I’m glad Barbara took her time to write such a wonderful story about her.

I loved how there was so much history in this novel. The author must’ve done a bunch of researching because I felt like I was living in her world where people didn’t know a lot about the human body. There was a lot of mentioning of other scientists like Aristotle. I liked that Barbara added him into the story and I understood a lot about Alessandra’s world with the allusions.

Alessandra was a character I immediately loved. If I was living in the 14^th century, she would definitely be my best friend. She loved learning and didn’t let anyone stand in her way of that, even though she was a girl (yay! Girl power!).  All of the characters in this book had their own little story to them.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it didn’t hold my interest from the beginning to almost the end. I kept wanting to put it down to read another book.

The ending was a surprise to me and I was so sad afterwards, but in a way, it was a happy ending.  Quick knows how to end books, definitely. Overall this wonderful historical fiction earned itself 4.5 stars!