I used to love the Warrior cats books, but when I tried them again recently, at least 40% of each book was spent rehashing the names and rules of the clans, almost nothing actually happens.

big +1 on Tamora Pierce. I've always been a fantasy reader and her + Patricia Wrede were so important to me when it came to re-inventing female stereotypes. Age gaps are a persistent issue with a lot of Pierce's protagonists and it def hasn't sat well with me and think back on power dynamics (re: Daine and Numair being student-teacher and my younger self having a huge crush x_x). there's been a lot of discussion on that in reader groups though and there's interesting nuance as Pierce has been able to express her changing viewpoints with her fan community e.g. Alanna's gender presentation.

if the environmental themes seen inconsistent to you it might be a matter of personal politics. I'm of Buddhist heritage but have always had an open mind when it comes to plant-based diets and meat since I was raised by a fisherman. The Immortals was set in a time period where hunting was the norm + Daine was a child of a hunting god(? spirit? whatever the specific fictional ideology was). even as a child, it made sense to me for her to compartmentalize her values when it came to sustenance as hunters have a v particular relationship with the land/nature and don't let life go to waste. For her to not want to eat ones she's transformed into also makes sense as her morals continued to develop as she got older which is how ethics are for all of us.

I never liked the Alanna books as a kid - I read all of them but I didn't like the main character (just didn't connect to her at all which was odd because I like badass female characters) and I'm not too found of Pierce's writing.

I did really like her Circle series, though! I liked almost nothing else by her but I loved books. I wonder if they would stand up to a reread.

Atlas Shrugged.

They're more high school favorites but pretty much anything by John Grisham, just all the worst traits of 90s authors on full display

Other people have more aggressive feelings about this than I do but Enid Blyton.

I remember reading the boarding school stories (Mallory Towers, Twins at St Claires etc.) and thinking that the protagonists were good eggs and that the "bad" characters were at fault. Reading them as a teenager and upwards those girls are Bitchyyy.

Poor Alison. She's just insecure and trying to find her place in the world but she is mocked and exploited at every turn. Even by the teachers.

I still think they are decent (if a little simplistic) stories but it's a whole different perspective I can tell you.

Also, as much as I love making fun of Americans, my adult brain no longer feels that her jibes to individual children are Wunnerful.

I haven't read the Famous Five or Secret Seven in over a decade but I get the impression that they hold up worse.

Omg I forgot about those I loved them! I think I'll keep them as memories tho :)

I really liked (and still like) the Escape from Furnace series - but I just can’t take it seriously when it constantly reminds me that the characters are like 10-14.

This person is saying it doesn’t hold up and we are downvoting them. Why?

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I've been really into the Murder Most Unladylike series and I'd describe that as enid blyton but with modern sensibilities, and it's a lot of fun. I used to love the st claires series but once I realised you can have boarding school hijinks without the dodgy attitudes to women and minorities I never looked back.

I'm conflicted. A lot of lessons from the boarding school stories stayed with me as an adult and I didn't really internalize any of the meanness or classism. On one hand, there is a theme of valuing education for its own sake regardless of gender. The girls never think less of themselves for their gender and are encouraged to pursue their passions, whether that's their vocations or college. Even Ms. Grayling's speech is about being women that the world can lean on. There are lessons that resonated with me: don't be a tattletale, don't cheat yourself by not working hard, handle your shit. I guess I read Malory Towers first and St Clare's, which is a lot bitchier, when I was older. The classist storyline about how Sheila is insecure about her non-elegant manners and speech and how the girls make fun of her for it always made me uncomfortable, even as a child. But there are also non-British non-snobby characters who are the best-written characters of the book, including Claudine and Carlotta. Also, Alicia gets her comeuppance (sort of) for being bitchy and mellows out by the last book.

They are very mean to Alison, I agree.

Ah yes, made temporarily stupid by measles was a real hero, if I recall.

I agree with everything you've said. Although, I think sexism not being a thing was primarily because there were no lads there. That said Enid Blyton was a bit of a boss in her own right (if a relatively awful mother) so maybe it wouldn't have appeared anyway.

As for Claudine and Carlotta, I used to listen to the audiobooks and my the accents.

I feel Tamora Pierces writing has evolved over the past couple decades. I also feel they are related to the age group and time period they were written.

Her later series and books are much more detailed. I still love Alanna’s series for the simplicity in the writing style. Lady Knight is my absolute favorite and I love her newer series.