Official Review: Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess

[e-tasana-williams]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess" by John Reynolds.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Are you a fan of swashbuckling adventures? Do you get lost in medieval tales of sword fighting, horseback riding and good versus evil? Do you secretly wish a scabbard was a part of your everyday attire? Then you are going to like Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess by John Reynolds. It adds a feminine twist to Howard Pyle's 1883 classic Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire.

The protagonist Robyn Howard is a senior at Eastlake College, and she has family roots in Nottingham. She is a good student and her school's soccer team captain, but she can't help but notice that she gets treated differently than her male counterparts do. Mr. Smallfield, the school principal, seems to have her in his crosshairs. He constantly chastises Robyn for behaviors that she is sure would go unpunished were she a boy instead of a girl. While Robyn ruminates over gender inequality one afternoon, she is whisked away from Eastlake College to Sherwood Forest. No longer is she Robyn Howard. She has become Robyn of the Hood.

Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess is an entertaining work of YA fantasy fiction. It is a great story idea. Most other twists on the Robin Hood adventure novel have male characters in the lead, or female characters disguised as males. Mr. Reynolds adds to the mix by having a consistently female protagonist who is supported by a band of merry women instead of men. I like that Mr. Reynolds includes elements that provoke the reader to question how males and females are treated differently in society, even when they do the same things. This is an appropriate angle for a young adult novel, as many members of the target audience may be mulling over the same issues.

Robyn's adventure in Sherwood Forest is reminiscent of Frank L. Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in that people from her school life make appearances in her outlaw experience. Without including spoilers, both Mr. Smallfield and Robyn's friend William have roles in Nottinghamshire. You will have to read the book to find out how they come into play!

Although this is young adult fiction, I recommend it for readers of all ages. People who like reading about magic and medieval times will especially like this book. I rate Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess 4 out of 4 stars. It is an entertaining read, well written, appropriate for its target audience, and it appears to be professionally edited. One thing I would change about this novel is the length. It seems cut short. I would have liked to read more of Robyn's adventures as an outlaw. That being said, this book would be the perfect opening for a series of books with Robyn in the lead.

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Robyn Hood Outlaw Princess
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Like e-tasana-williams's review? Post a comment saying so!

[CrescentMoon]

This book sounds awesome! I love that the twist on the Robin Hood story involves a female lead. Great review!

[e-tasana-williams]

Thank you. I enjoyed reading this story. I hope you like it if you get the chance to read it.

[jamesabr]

Interesting sounding book! I wouldn't mind tapping into a book that focuses on gender inequality, and given Robyn's background, she sounds like she could be pretty dynamic. Thanks for the review, I'll definitely check it out.

[Amore]

Not sure how I feel about the medieval tale of Robin Hood being transformed into a modern day college story. I like that the protagonist is female, but the change in era might just be a little too drastic for me.

[Acwoolet]

Sounds like a good book! I always enjoy reading retellings of the old fairy tales, I'll have to add this one to my to read list.

[Olivia750]

cool series for reading.

[Elaine5]

Great review! The book sounds fantastic! I might read it with my daughter. I think we would both enjoy it.

[gali]

Another positive review, how nice! It does sound original, though a bit short for my taste. I am glad that you enjoyed the book that much. Good job on the review!

[Momlovesbooks]

Great review! I love medieval tales. This one has a unique spin on it. A female protagonist during that time period is different. I definitely want to read this one!

[Amagine]

Woah, this book sounds like it's an exciting read! Also I loved your intro. You really know how to sell a story! I think it is very unique that the story portrays Robyn as an ordinary girl who becomes a heroic outlaw. I love when stories put women in strong roles. It lets women know that we're not weak and fragile! I will definitely give this a read.

[James Craft]

This looks very interesting congratulations on the great review and thanks for posting this!

[Lincoln]

A female version of Robin Hood sounds awesome! Thanks for this!

[bookowlie]

I enjoyed reading your review. What an interesting comment to compare the book to The Wizard of Oz, regarding people in the main character's life being including in the outlaw storyline. Very insightful! The book doesn't seem to be my cup of tea, but it looks good for readers who like medieval themes.

[Abinalice]

gender inequality as brought out in this novel, Shows how communities influence in boy child leaving alone girl child to suffer negligence of the other party. Robyn as the character to bring out gender inequality, is a school captain but still male students, look down upon her though she can play better than some.

The community in the novel has failed in the role of making all students rather say both genders in equality. It's sad that some mistakes are unpunishable to male gender but punished when female gender commit. It's sad that the principal advocate to it.

Robyn hood is a nice story to read and tell. I would recommend it to all. I rate it 4 out of 4.