UprootedUprooted
Score Modern
What it's about
Agnieszka's village lies next to the Wood, a corrupted forest that swallows anyone who goes in. The valley is protected by a cold wizard called the Dragon, who every ten years takes a young woman to serve him in his tower. Everyone expects him to choose Agnieszka's beautiful best friend, Kasia. He chooses Agnieszka.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo finalist. It's a dark, enchanting fairy tale rooted in Polish folklore, with a clumsy, brave heroine.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It stands alone. The Wood is genuinely creepy, and there's an attempted sexual assault early on.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics66 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz4 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #64 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #153 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #530 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1026 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
More by Naomi Novik
Spinning Silver
A Deadly Education
His Majesty's DragonIf you like this, read next
Six of Crows
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Dog's Purpose
Legendborn
Throne of Glass
The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is Uprooted worth reading?
Yes. It won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo finalist. It ranks #1,026 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Uprooted about?
Agnieszka's village lies next to the Wood, a corrupted forest that swallows anyone who goes in. The valley is protected by a cold wizard called the Dragon, who every ten years takes a young woman to serve him in his tower. Everyone expects him to choose Agnieszka's beautiful best friend, Kasia. He chooses Agnieszka.
How long does it take to read Uprooted?
About 11 hours (438 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Uprooted won?
Nebula Award winner (2015).
What should I read after Uprooted?
If you liked it, try Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke or Babel by R. F. Kuang.




















