h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's Pierce's first published book, certainly. Originally the quartet was one adult novel, but the publishers (I think) wanted her to make it into four YA novels.

What's wrong with being called Thom?

You said: she looks down on other girls and women for not wanting to become Knights

Can you provide any evidence for this? Certainly she hates the thought of the life she "should" have as a girl, but I don't recall her ever claiming that it's bad in itself, just not for her.

You said: she's selfrighteous, and in true Tamora Pierce style she does unnaturally better than everyone else.

Don't recall her being self-righteous either. She isn't the best at everything - recall her list of her own weaknesses when she is asked why she isn't trying to prove herself to the soon-to-be knights. And we are shown that she works extremely hard, including out of hours, to be the best at the things she is good at.

Given her situation, how would she have any close female friends? Certainly she couldn't have any at the palace. There is Maude, the Tortall healing woman, though she is arguably more of a mother figure; and she does make friends with Eleni Cooper, George's mother. So there are some female figures in her life.

As for the age thing, I think Jonathan is less than four years older - he's certainly younger than Gary and co. - but don't have my copy here to check. Does it matter that her closest friends are older? I was at a boarding-school, which is a kind of similar situation, and had close friends who weren't in my year. And she's obviously friendly with the younger boys e.g. Geoffrey, Douglass.

I guess we're bound to differ on a lot of things, as I like this book and you don't seem to. But I would be interested to hear the basis of some of your opinions. Maybe I need to do a re-read.

First of all, sorry for taking so long to reply...

I think Thom is a silly name.

You're right, she does work hard, but in general, Tamora Pierce heroines do do unnaturally better than everyone else. It gets worse as the books go on. Have you read the Immortals?

I don't go to a boarding school, but some of my closest friends aren't in my year level, but that's not what I have a problem with - it's that Alanna has a relationship with Jon in one of the later books. Again, have you read the Immortals? Yeah, she's friendly with Geoffrey and Douglass, but they're not close friends. I thought is was ridiculous that all her close friends are older than her.

She seems to hate being a girl. This is indicated by the fact that she cries when she discovers that she has breasts. And, surely she could have found a girl she could trust, a girl she could confide in...