Wednesday, July 19, 2017

No Good Deed by Kara Connolly {review}


No Good Deed
by Kara Connolly
♦publisher: Delacorte Press
♦release date: July 18th, 2017
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Ellie Hudson is the front-runner on the road to gold for the U.S. Olympic archery team. All she has to do is qualify at the trials in jolly old England. When Ellie makes some kind of crazy wrong turn in the caverns under Nottingham Castle—yes, that Nottingham—she ends up in medieval England.

Ellie doesn’t care how she got to the Middle Ages; she just wants to go home before she gets the plague. But people are suffering in Nottingham, and Ellie has the skills to make it better. What’s an ace archer to do while she’s stuck in Sherwood Forest but make like Robin Hood?

Pulled into a past life as an outlaw, Ellie feels her present fading away next to daring do-gooding and a devilishly handsome knight. Only, Ellie is on the brink of rewriting history, and when she picks up her bow and arrow, her next shot could save her past—or doom civilization’s future.

Review:  This was such a fun adventure.  Champion archer Ellie Hudson stumbles through a portal into the Middle Ages of Sherwood Forest, pops out on the grounds of Nottingham Castle, and instantly becomes a wanted "man" for trespassing.  She's forced to earn her freedom with a little test of archery skills---what a perfect time to be good with a bow and arrow. ;) 

What I love is that this wasn't a retelling of Robin Hood--it's fully a time travel story, where a very modern girl lands in middle ages and finds herself in very ironic company. She meets a Will, a John, a Friar, and a reluctant nun at the Sisters of Marian priory--and immediately fits them all into the story she knows so well.  She takes on her brothers name (Robert). And with a few acts of trying to right a few of the Sheriff 's wrongs, she becomes the legend of Robin Hood with all the help of her merry men.  I loved Ellie's witty attitude and bravery, and even though she does seem to fall into her new surroundings a little too easily, it's still fun to see her take it all on, throwing everyone for a loop with her wild way of speaking,  crazy impulsiveness, and stubborn determination.  There's just a tiniest little hint of romance, but my favorite relationship was the friendship that grew between Ellie, Will, and John. Lots of great characters,  some great action and intense feats of archery, and lots of things to make you appreciate the differences between medieval times and our own! 

If you're looking for a good, entertaining historical time travel book that certainly doesn't take itself too seriously, pick up No Good Deed!  


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