In this third installment of the Named Series, it's hard to tell whether Ratha is the heroine or the villain.I've always thought Ratha could easily be both. She is rash, uncompromising and ruthless in her enforcement of the Named laws. However, the genuine heroine of the book is Ratha's daughter, Newt. Sympathetic but not pitiable, Newt battles against her haunted past and the deformity that it left upon her. Newt is a survivor, and you love to see how she does it.The emotional journey of the two characters is riveting. Ratha, who has always believed that the ends justify the means, is forced to see herself in a shocking new light. Newt must battle against her own half-Named heritage, overcoming obstacles of speech and the terrible fits that plague her. Worst of all, the cats of the Named must struggle with the most difficult part of sentience: forgiveness.With rich themes of reconciliation and acceptance, this book was the one that really made Ratha come alive for me, as she becomes a leader who comes to see all of the vibrant, bitter colors of the world, instead of the black and white dichotomy of the Named and the Unnamed.
Ratha and Thistle-chaser was excellent book and I think maybe my favorite out of the series so far. It was very moving and I enjoyed every moment of it. I always seem to underestimate how much Clara Bell's book will hook you. Its very worthy of being a called awesome young adult book and she makes the whole animal perspective super interesting. I am glad to find how each book just gets better and better. The plot in this one very sentimental and it is always fun to see what kind of creature Ratha's clan will find next. I am looking forward to making time to read the next one. However, I am little nervous to see how this series will end, I really almost don't want to see it finish.
What do You think about Ratha And Thistle-Chaser (2007)?
This is probably my least favorite book of the Named so far. That being said, it is still an excellent book that happened to be a little too convenient for my personal taste. This involves the return of a character from the original book: Ratha's daughter Thistle-Chaser. Turns out she wasn't so empty-eyed after all. When drought has the Named looking for other sources of food and herds, they come to the ocean where Thistle-Chaser, calling herself Newt, has set up some version of life. The meat o
—Emily Morris
