Review: Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

 Source: Received an ARC from Thomas Allen and Sons

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 314 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:


Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure far beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne.

Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true life secret from his family.

Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips.

These three passionate souls might just attain their dreams while preserving Montagne from certain destruction, if only they can tolerate each other long enough to come up with a plan. Tough to save the world when you can't even be in the same room together.

Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious, extraordinary tale by the author of Dairy Queen and Princess Ben. An incredibly creative tale told with diaries, memoirs, encyclopedia entries, letters, biographies, even a stage play, all woven together into a grand adventure.

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I thought that I would love Wisdom's Kiss, but unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I did like it, but I just wasn't as impressed with it as I thought I'd be.

It has a very unique set up. There are quite a few narrators, and each narrator's chapters have a different format. I thought that was original, but at the same time, it was a lot of different things to follow for a shorter book. I would've preferred a few less narrators, and maybe some of the formats to be less confusing. Plus, I couldn't stand one of the main characters, Wisdom...I just thought she was just such an awful person, and everyone thought she was great...I just didn't get it. Her chapters were incredibly vain and snotty, plus they were diary entries, so she was basically just talking about herself nonstop and her spelling was terrible...it just kind of turned me off because Dizzy (Wisdom) basically gets everything she wants. If she had been a nicer character, I probably would've loved this, but since I didn't like her, I felt it was kind of ridiculous and it clouded my judgement on the rest of the book.

I think that it would've been more interesting if I had already read Princess Ben, the story about Wisdom's grandmother, because you get more back story, but I wasn't lost while reading, which was nice. Although I didn't like Dizzy, I absolutely loved Trudy (Fortitude). She was kind, funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed her parts. I think part of the reason I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would was because I loved Trudy, but Dizzy's the one who basically gets all she wants, even though Trudy was the character who suffered...it was one of those circumstances where I felt like a person was justified in being selfish...all the time, and for absolutely no reason at all, but at least Trudy does get a fairly happy ending herself.

One thing I did really like about this book, was how inventive it was. The formats may have been confusing, but I loved that Wisdom's Kiss included a fairy tale feel, circus elements, and that it had witches in it. I think that these elements will definitely appeal to younger readers.

Wisdom's Kiss is a quick read, and while the multiple formats were a bit difficult to follow, it was still a good story. I think that younger audiences will enjoy it more, and maybe they'll be able to enjoy Dizzy's parts more than I did. I think that if you like stories with multiple narrators, and like to see authors experimenting with different formats that you would like what Catherine Gilbert Murdock has done with this book. Overall, I thought that Wisdom's Kiss was a good book, and I'd recommend it to younger readers, especially ones that are fans of princesses, fairy tales, and magic. :)

Have you read Wisdom's Kiss?
How about any of Catherine Gilbert Murdock's other books?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur