Impactful Novels: Why Readers Love ACOTAR

[golbousbooks]. "Shelf Photo." Instagram, 25 Nov. 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZBX4WLgbp/

Books have the power to impact a person's life in many different ways developmentally and emotionally. Reading helps children develop communication skills and improves their focus and memory. Reading can reduce a person's stress levels and improve their mental health. For me, personally, reading has allowed me an escape when everyday life becomes too much to handle. I loved reading growing up and tore through The Magic Treehouse, 39 Clues, and the Boxcar Children series. I really remember falling in love when I read Harry Potter for the first time which threw me into the world of magic. The series became my home, and reading was the train I took to get there.

For many readers, one particular series can cause them to experience such powerful emotions that they fall in love with that series for life. To some, that series has been A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas which consists of five novels, and potentially more, that follow the life of Feyre, a human who gets pulled into the faerie realm of Pyrthian. I first picked up this series because I was looking for retellings while in the bookstore. When I first started it in 2019, I did not realize how much of an impact it would have on my life. Through this series, I have related to characters that show that mental health is not the same for everyone and that it is okay not to be okay as long as you’re putting in the effort to better yourself. This blog is meant to explore the power structure of the novel and the ways that gender, sexuality, and mental health are presented. Each novel will be explored and new characters will be met and examined critically through the progression of the blog.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a contemporary series that has impacted many of the readers of the bookstagram community, including my own. On September 21st, 2022, I posted multiple questions on my bookstagram, @paper_adventures_: Why do you love ACOTAR, how has it impacted your life and which character do you relate to the most? I received some very interesting responses from my followers over the next few days. One of my followers, @thecommonroomshop, explained that her love for the series has stemmed from “watching many women read these books and come to the realization that they can achieve anything that they set their mind to.” She also has fallen for the “dimensional characters” and the “core relationships” that are “supportive, emotional, and strong” which have “become the blueprint” for many people.

To love a series is one of the best feelings in the world; however, to have that same series impact your life is something that not a lot of people experience. Yet, Maas has managed to impact almost every person who picks up one of her books. "I am the rock against which the surf crashes, nothing can break me," is one of the most influential lines of the series that becomes not only what the characters begin to live by but the readers, as well, and it is just one of many mantras readers can take away from the novels (Silver Flame 621). For many readers, including myself and many of my followers, mental health is something that we struggle with on a daily basis. Maas has shown her readers through the characters she created that the trauma and pain that we struggle with do not make us weak but are something that we can utilize to become stronger.

One way a book or series can impact a reader's life is by providing a character to whom the reader can closely relate. Through my survey, followers highlighted a variety of characters and reasons why they are loved so much. One of the most frequent responses was Feyre Archeron, the main character of the series, who experiences life as a human and then as a high fae. Feyre, like many people in this world, experiences difficulty being vulnerable in her relationships with her family, significant others, and friends because of the trauma she experienced in her life as a human and the relationship trauma she goes through with Tamlin, the high lord of the Spring Court. Her character is one that allows others to not feel so alone in the darkness. @_daydreamsndaisies says that she “can relate to wanting to open up and accept the love that comes but being afraid of getting hurt.”

@_daydreamsndaisies and @rubys_reading_corner both said they related closely to Nesta Archeron, Feyre’s older sister, because of the trauma she has experienced and held onto throughout the series. @rubys_reading_corner explained that “Nesta is the oldest sister of three, and was raised to provide and take care of her younger siblings. When her mother dies and her family experiences a ton of losses that are out of her control, she holds onto anger, resentment, and guilt.” This makes Nesta an “unlikeable character” to many readers in the beginning until they learn how Nesta hits rock bottom and fights to climb back up and heal herself. This causes the reader to “begin to love her and root for her on her journey.”

Another character that was mentioned was Gwyneth Berdara, a priestess at the library in Velaris, also known as the City of Starlight, which is hidden in the west of the Night Court. While she doesn’t appear until the fifth book of the series, she is one that many people have quickly fallen in love with. @thecommonroomshop described Gwyn’s personality as “a blend of upbeat determination and fearful apprehension.” Gwyn’s past is what keeps her rooted in place at the library, and while she “loves the comfort of home” she “longs for more.” She then decides that enough is enough and works to better herself and heal from her past. The women in this series are fiercely strong and determined, and they show the readers that no matter what you have been through, you can always do what you set your mind to and heal your soul.

I knew immediately after reading this series that I would love to dive deeper into the text. I am so thankful that this project has become available to me and that I can use the skills I’ve learned through my degree to analyze this series. I hope that I do this series justice as I use research-based skills to identify and analyze gender, sexuality, and mental health. A disclaimer before moving forward: this blog will not be spoiler free. The next post will cover A Court of Thorns and Roses and follow the themes of trauma, abuse, gender roles, and morality through the main character, Feyre, her family, and the spring court members we meet while using research to examine the text.

Work Cited

Maas, Sarah J. A Court of Silver Flames. Bloomsbury, 2021.