Title: Huntress
Author: Tamora Pierce
In: Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection (Tamora Pierce)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Mythology, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Bluefire
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Run – get –
It follows a girl named Corey as she attends a fictitious prestigious prep school called Christopher Academy. She becomes a major athlete in the track team, and meets Felix and other kids in track. When Felix turns violent and begins hunting Corey through Central Park, the family patron goddess, known vaguely as the Hunt Goddess appears and punishes those responsible in the hunt.
It is hard enough growing up, finding your place in high school and just generally not making too much of a fool of yourself when puberty strikes. Now, imagine doing this with a family that believes in witchcraft. A family that is not quite what everyone else would consider as normal. Pierce uses this extreme to remind us to not only stay true to ourselves, but how truly difficult it can be to come of age in today’s world and society.
The Goddess features so often in spiritual and belief systems – it is something / someone that I myself believe in. And although she is often alluded to, or even used in stories about medieval times, it is rare to picture her in today’s society. I loved that this story, unlike many of Tamora Pierce’s, was set in the present day, but still pulled on themes and ideas that are more often seen in medieval stories.
The idea of struggling to fit in ensures that this short story will be appealing to all but the most discerning of people. We all know, in one way or another, what it is like to feel left out, not quite one of the pride. But, to what extent should we try to amalgamate to those we admire? Where is the line? Corey helps us to understand that there is, truly a line that we all must draw, even when we are trying to fit in with ours peers.
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