SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
Inspired by the fairy tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”, Jena and her sisters secretly visit the Other Kingdom once a month. But when her father goes away on a business trip and she is left in charge, she finds herself dealing with more issues she can handle. From a cousin who thinks he is more capable then Jena to a lovesick sister who doesn't seem to understand the dangers of her actions.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jena is the second oldest daughter. She is described as rather plain but capable. Her father has educated her and her sisters so she is used to being independent. Also she feels responsible for taking care of her sisters.
Tati is the oldest sister. She is pretty, willful and naive.
Gogu is Jena's frog. They can communicate telepathically.
Cezar is Jena's cousan. He used to be close to Jena when he was a child, but he went off for his education and when he came back was completely different.
Sorrow is a dour and mysterious young man who lusts after Tati.
PACING
Although not an action story the pacing isn't bad. If the story is slow at the start it's only because we must learn important information and set the scene. Everything we learn is important (people are rather superstitious; father goes against custom and educates his daughters, ect).
SAFE OR DANGEROUS?
It's revealed that both Tati and Jena set up strict rules for them and their sisters in the Other Kingdom. No leaving the glade. No eating the food. Basically they don't trust anyone and yet they supposedly friendly.
I was left confused. Jena comes across as rather smart. Is this place dangerous or not? If those they dance with are friendly, why don't they explain anything? Wouldn't they explain the rules for their safety? I never quite understood anything about the Other Kingdom. And instead of finding it mysterious I found it lacking.
SUPERSTITIOUS?-SPOILERS
Right off the bat, Cezar mentions that people do foolish and dangerous things because of superstitions, implying that there are no magical creatures. And yet right after he says the woods are full of “dangerous presences”. There is never any acknowledgment of this contradiction.
Eventually, the story evolves to where a girl dies by a bite on her neck and a dwarf is caught and killed. He is never questioned, because everyone seems to lack common sense.
MODERN WOMAN-SPOILERS
The first introduction we get to the Jena's incongruous views is that her father married for love. But Jena doubts her and her sisters will be so lucky.
When she talks to her Aunt (Cezar's mother) about not marrying, about having a career, she is told respectable women don't do that sort of thing.
A part of the reason Jena feels so unrealistic are these views. And the reason she eventually becomes unlikable is her victim status, which starts to overwhelm the reader.
There isn't one person in the story that has any logical reason why Jena could be wrong. Everyone is just sexist, backwards, evil or stupid. Never once does Jena seem to realize her father would never force her into anything she didn't want.
But this isn't good enough for her. When she is told she will most likely to be left alone to care for her father (whom she supposedly loves) she takes this as an insult.
THE NIGHT PEOPLE-EVIL OR NOT?
The Night people arrive in the first visit to the the Dancing Glade. Jena is nervous because she has heard nothing good about them, but is reassured that they will cause no trouble while the Queen is there (implying they would harm them otherwise).
Jena is told by a friend not to believe all the rumors she has heard because she heard rumors about everyone (that aren't true). This would have made the story interesting.
Unfortunately we later see them torturing innocent people. So they really are just evil. No making excuses about it. And then Jena says later she wishes she had learned more about them. It's as if that scene had never occured and the writer forgot what they had previously wrote.
TADEUSZ OF THE NIGHT PEOPLE-SPOILERS
When Jena meets Tadeusz I actually found him interesting. He flirts with Jena and implies she is jealous of her prettier sister. For the first time we realize that Jena is woman, and might want to be desired by a man, instead of simply wanting to have a career. Their short conversation is the best in the story as it is the most insightful as well as mysterious. I kept wondering if we could really trust him.
Unfortunately, he is barely in the story. Only appearing a second time to reveal he is a two dimensional villain who simply wanted Sorrow to see him with Tati.
I feel like he could have been so much more. In fact the Night People could have been so much more. Jena could have realized her desire for control was a detriment to her and she could have tried to control Tadeusz, perhaps to serious consequences. Maybe she could have sacrificed herself for her family and have had to realize she can't save everyone (like her foolish sister). A character like Tadeusz would have been perfect for that purpose.
Instead in her minds eye, he mocks her, saying she will have to marry and have children, which would be an awful fate.
THE TROUBLE WITH MEN
All men besides Jena's father and Gogu are portrayed as stupid, evil, or sexist.
When they have a dance, all the men that Jena dances with are unbearable.
When Cezar brings some men with him, Jena describes them as slow and supercilious. They like hunting, drinking and bragging about themselves.
And afterwards when the girls speak of true love, Jena reminds them there are only boring men (if they're not evil and sexist of course). Basically, kind, caring men don't exist.
The only good men are those who support Jena's view of women (Gogu and her father). Although one man does stand in front of a girl, preventing her from being hit by Cezar. Not that that changes Jena's mind about men as a whole.
CEZAR, OPPRESSOR OF WOMEN
Cezar is our main villain. He is overbearing, controlling, arrogant, sexist, bigoted, and basically a cartoon character villain.
Even when his own father dies we don't get to see a vulnerable side to him. I couldn't hate him because he didn't feel like an actual person. One of his whoppers was: “Woman lack the resilience to deal with such losses and move one.”
And he was talking about his mother. His mother. He can't even be portrayed as being kind to her. God forbid he have any redeeming qualities. He never does anything that is not evil.
He sends away the village priest because he taught Paula history. Apparently he was too stupid to realize this would affect the entire village.
Once or twice he feigns concern for Jena but it never comes across as genuine in the least. Paternal sexism might actual be understandable (because Jena comes off as so desperate to have control over everything).
It's ironic that the only two people who have any insights into Jena are both men. Tadeusz, and Cezar when he notes that a woman who wishes to control everyone will have a lonely future. Unfortunately, Jena never really learns to let things go.
SUDDENLY EVIL?-SPOILERS
We get a dramatic reveal about a childhood encounter with a witch. And Cezar is described as suddenly becoming evil. Little to no thought went into his character development.
How on earth could Cezar know that the witch meant to kill his brother? She was speaking in riddles. If he had met the witch before and maybe learned about her, or made some deal perhaps it would have made sense.
Instead, he just became evil that play date on the lake, because he was selfish. And selfish kids kill their brothers.
THE FROG AND HIS SECRET-SPOILERS
There are many hints that make it obvious to the reader that Gogu is Jena's cousin, Costi. But I don't care about that.
There are two problems I have with him. When he turns back into a man, naked and speechless, Jena just abandons him because he doesn't answer her questions. Later on we learn that there was a spell that kept him from speaking. But that's no excuse for Jena's behavior. She still believes the things she saw in the Mirror (even though she knows the Night People are evil). And instead of questioning him, of being furious about his lies, or curious about who he really is, she just runs off like an idiot.
And even when he appears again, looking pathetic and miserable, she still won't talk to him. I felt like everything was done for the sake of the plot.
THE MIRROR
Jena gets tempted into looking into a mirror that the Night People claim will show her the future and help her get rid of Cezar. But she comes off as an idiot believing that they are telling the truth. Everything she has seen has told her not to trust them. So then why does she? So much feels like it's done for the sake of the plot and not because it makes sense.
TATI AND SORROW
From the beginning it is obvious Tati is sheltered and naive. Sorrow is handsome, mysterious, and seems to be a tragic victim (even though Tati has no actual evidence of it, and even admits as much). She wants to be his savior, run off with him and live happily ever after. She thinks nothing of those she leaves behind, who will never be able to see her ever again. She gives away her dead mother's necklace with no thought to the feelings of her siblings. And when Jena explains she will get old and die while Sorrow stays young she seems too dumb to understand this.
One of her lovely lines is when she says she wishes she was known for more than being pretty. She could start with not being a selfish idiot.
The problem with Tati being right is that she never has to learn anything, which means she doesn't have an arc. Which makes her just another two dimensional character whose only aspect of her is her victimhood.
And Sorrow is so dumb that he gets into a fight to be Tati's boat driver, and then shows up at Jena's party, even when Cezar and his men have killed a dwarf.
THE WITCH-SPOILERS
Jena ends up finding out that the witch has manipulated her and her cousins' lives. Not only ending ones existence, but enabling one to basically end another's life.
It was quite obvious to me that she was real villain of the story. Jena is intimidated by her and yet never seems to think she is evil for manipulating her and her cousins as small children. She only thinks her evil when she first sees Gogu transform. And then later, learning who he is, is merely intimidated by the witch, but certainly not seized with hatred.
Also the power she has is confusing and unclear. Paula says that perhaps the witch can perhaps change all the rules. How? And why? She certainly doesn't care about anyone.
I REMEMBER
When Jena meets the witch again she is coaxed into remembering the truth about Costi's death. I just thought it was convenient. All it takes is being reminded that Cezar told her what to say, and she never saw Costi die, herself?
I wish there had been hints beforehand. Had Jena really never thought about it? It just felt really deus ex machina. The witch says remember, so she does.
CEZAR'S FATE-SPOILERS
Cezar just runs away and we never see him again. It feels rushed and as if no thought when into it. Like, well, he's really evil and there's no hope for him anyway. So he's just going to run away.
And Costi forgives his brother although he gives him a stern talking to. Did I mention how dull Costi is?
CLIMAX
Costi confronts his brother in an anticlimatic argument.
Jena mopes about Costi not loving or forgiving her until they finally get together. But Jena won't be oppressed, because she will help run the family business. And maybe some other people will take care of the children.
The trouble with Sorrow and Tati comes to a head.
CONCLUSION
I have hardly read a story so full of details and clearly so much effort put into it, only for the story to be so abysmally bad.
The story suffers from many different ailments. Firstly, the characters are all stereotypes. Jena is the plain, dependable type who sees well beyond her time and is well aware that all men are the oppressors of women. Tati is pretty but stupid, thinking through nothing she does and refusing to believe she could ever be wrong. Cezar is a sexist, bigoted, arrogant and evil. Just because.
Attempts at depth in characters fail. The Night People being the most obvious example. Jena never realizing she can't have everything she wants, being another.
Characters seem inconsistent at times, suddenly illogical. Like how Jena should know her father would never force her to marry against her will. Or that she believes the Night People (whom she believes are completely evil) even after witnessing them torture innocent victims.
Either the plot controls the characters or the characters are dumb for the sake of the plot. Everything feels manipulated by the author.
I give “Wildwood Dancing” one star.
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