Ratings5
Average rating3.8
Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog. Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . . Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place. An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.
Reviews with the most likes.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I loved learning about all of the women. I didn't love the author's voice or writing style. I take it more as a (really really long) list of women I would like to read about more in other books.
Something to note, especially for those thinking of reading them to kids—they aren't really written for kids, especially towards the end (home of the more “mature” ((read: brutal)) stories). In fact, one of the challenging things about a lot of them is that while each woman has a remarkable story, they are not all essentially good people. Of course, neither are the male “heroes” we often read about. There is just a lot of grey area, which didn't leave me feeling inspired, just torn. Plus, a lot of the truth behind the stories is clouded by history and biased people.
Overall, not sure I would recommend it. Maybe to a person looking for something particular.