This is a fun, fast-paced fantasy read with a strong female friendship and features a "just is" magic system. If that quick explanation doesn't get your blood boiling, then you may be on the Likers side of the Uprooted. I enjoyed this book and found it to be the perfect read while on vacation, but I do see why some people dislike Uprooted.

My favourite aspect of the book was the world-building and descriptions around the dark, magical woods at the edge of a village (the Wood). It was a forest full of corruption and all of the village and neighbouring villages feared the Wood. I loved all the descriptions of the Wood, from the little eerie hints to its attacks on people. Here is a taste:

No one went into the Wood and came out again, at least not whole and themselves. Sometimes they came out blind and screaming, sometimes they came out twisted and so misshapen they couldn’t be recognized; and worst of all sometimes they came out with their own faces but murder behind them, something gone dreadfully wrong within.

What I didn't like -- and the thing that is preventing my from giving the book 4 stars -- is how this book desensitized sexual abuse and shifted blame onto the victim. I think that this is important to mention because this is something that makes-or-breaks picking up a book for some people, normally I am one of them. And it is important to say to YA readers that this type of behaviour is not OK or romantic. The main romance and other encounters Agnieszka with male characters involve verbal and physical abuses and romanticizes them or makes Agnieszka think:
- that she leads them on
- that she should have done something that she was not comfortable with because someone of higher social standing told her to
- that she was wrong to defend herself and she was made to feel sorry

The Dragon was not a likable character, though I'll admit that I started warm to him a by the end, but only a little bit. I still have a hard time putting him in my good books because he treats Agnieszka really poorly and I imagined a really large age difference between the two of them, which made me feel icky. Fortunately, the love interest is not the primary relationship in the book; the friendship between two teenage girls is -- and this relationship is written well.

Because there seems to be a big divide between those that like Uprooted and those that don't, I have put together a check-list & helpful (spolier free) details to help you decide if this book is good for you:
- Detailed explanations about the dark, magical woods at the edge of a village
- Strong female friendship is the primary relationship focus, the love interest is secondary
- A magic system that doesn't have any concrete rules but are based on feelings. The magic works differently for each witch/wizard and can be a bit whimsical.
- Fast-paced, roller-coaster ride of problems - the problem is solved in 2-3 chapters after being introduced, then is replaced by an even bigger problem!
- If you're in the mood for a fairytale-like story. Some have explained this book as a Beauty & The Beast retelling. I did not think this was the case. The only premise copied from Beauty & The Beast is: girl begrudgingly stays with grumpy, misunderstood, older male character and a love interest develops.
- The Dragon (The Beast) is a jerk of a character, although I started to warm up to him towards the end.
- Desensitizing sexual abuse and shifting blame onto the victim.

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Uprooted - Likewise Book Reviews

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