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acoldwintersread's review
4.0
I haven’t come across any Nutcracker retellings, but this one was very cute and I enjoyed it a lot.
kendracus's review against another edition
2.0
i’ve been searching for a good nutcracker retelling and this one unfortunately didn’t do it for me. i do think though that I would have loved this book as a 15 year old. but, alas, that time in my life was many many years ago.
i think there were solid elements to this story but ultimately it did not feel like an exciting take on the traditional story and there weren’t any interesting deviations or side plots to be interested in. the side characters were lackluster and the plot quickly lost all its steam. the main character ended up being a bit boring and unfortunately so was our nutcracker.
sigh.. the search for a good nutcracker retelling continues
i think there were solid elements to this story but ultimately it did not feel like an exciting take on the traditional story and there weren’t any interesting deviations or side plots to be interested in. the side characters were lackluster and the plot quickly lost all its steam. the main character ended up being a bit boring and unfortunately so was our nutcracker.
sigh.. the search for a good nutcracker retelling continues
kellysavagebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I feel bad rating this one star when it seems like the author had fun writing it, but it truly did nothing for me. It might have been an apathetic two-star if it weren’t for the dollop of middle school-esque girl hate.
booknallnight's review
fast-paced
4.0
I haven't read a Nutcracker retelling before. Honestly, I forgot I even had this gorgeous edition from The Beacon Book Box. Serious case of too many books, not enough memory 😂
Anywho, I love fantasy, I love Christmas, and I have always enjoyed the Nutcracker. This was a very fun read and one I recommend for others who love the same as well.
Anywho, I love fantasy, I love Christmas, and I have always enjoyed the Nutcracker. This was a very fun read and one I recommend for others who love the same as well.
nikkiethereader's review against another edition
5.0
It's Christmas Eve. Clara is enjoying the Christmas Ball that her parents always put together. This one is different because her best friend has gotten engaged. She knows that soon becoming engaged will be expected of her as well. The night is interrupted by a dramatic entrance by her great uncle. He gives her a gift that changes everything. It leads her to a whole new world where everybody is counting on her to break a spell.
I have to be honest, I have never actually read The Nutcracker. If it was read to me, I was too young to remember it fully. I did see it every year in theatre as a child. It was and will always remain one of my favorite plays of all time. I loved the story. I loved the rendition. I was ecstatic to find out that this was a retelling! I was curious to see where they would take the story. I could cry with happiness! The beginning starts out almost entirely like the original story. I stress almost.
Clara was a beautiful soul. She was born into aristocracy, but she remained humble and kind. It was beautiful. She was actually a refreshing change to a character I've endured recently, but that's for another place and time. I loved all the characters in the book. Even the ones that were not that great. I mean they are the biggest reason we read these stories. We enjoy the conflict! They bring the conflict! Also, I will never look at a Nutcracker the same way. We have a collection here.
This book was narrated by Anne Marie Lewis. She did a very impressive job for the most part. There were times she made some of the people sound a bit robotic and stiff. I think for some of them that were done on purpose. I can't be sure. I especially think she designed the Prince's voice to sound like that as he was a Nutcracker. Either way, I really enjoyed her narration!
I feel like I should have had some anxieties going into this story. Especially since it's retelling one of my favorite plays of all time. I didn't. I was more thrilled than anything. I mean I'm constantly seeing Disney Princess retellings. I would love to see retellings from other stories as well! This was told so beautifully. It's hard not to just want to listen to the very end!
I have to be honest, I have never actually read The Nutcracker. If it was read to me, I was too young to remember it fully. I did see it every year in theatre as a child. It was and will always remain one of my favorite plays of all time. I loved the story. I loved the rendition. I was ecstatic to find out that this was a retelling! I was curious to see where they would take the story. I could cry with happiness! The beginning starts out almost entirely like the original story. I stress almost.
Clara was a beautiful soul. She was born into aristocracy, but she remained humble and kind. It was beautiful. She was actually a refreshing change to a character I've endured recently, but that's for another place and time. I loved all the characters in the book. Even the ones that were not that great. I mean they are the biggest reason we read these stories. We enjoy the conflict! They bring the conflict! Also, I will never look at a Nutcracker the same way. We have a collection here.
This book was narrated by Anne Marie Lewis. She did a very impressive job for the most part. There were times she made some of the people sound a bit robotic and stiff. I think for some of them that were done on purpose. I can't be sure. I especially think she designed the Prince's voice to sound like that as he was a Nutcracker. Either way, I really enjoyed her narration!
I feel like I should have had some anxieties going into this story. Especially since it's retelling one of my favorite plays of all time. I didn't. I was more thrilled than anything. I mean I'm constantly seeing Disney Princess retellings. I would love to see retellings from other stories as well! This was told so beautifully. It's hard not to just want to listen to the very end!
_mkarys's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a magical experience that filled me with that Christmas spirit that I love!
It will come as no surprise now how much I adore Chantal Gadoury’s books. She always manages to capture the atmosphere of a setting and make the reader live it through the page. Personally I am not an expert on the Nutcracker, my only memories of it are ties to my childhood (guess who’s going to wait for the new Disney movie to come out on DVD now?) but who doesn’t know at least the gist of the tale? The author was able to make me drift back into those childhood memories of the Nutcracker from the very first page with the famous Christmas Eve night in which the magic happens. It was perfect and I loved it!
I was so in love with the Nutcracker and I really liked how the story with Clara played out. He’s such a sweet cinnamon roll! Their first meeting was ripped out of my dreams—so cute! I particularly enjoyed how they work together in the final chapters, where you see the fruits of their mutual trust and understanding come into play into a brilliant kick-ass sequence. One of my personal favorite characters is Uncle Drosselmeyer. God, I wish I had an uncle like that! The my life would surely be magical!
If you are a fan of the Nutcracker, I strongly advise for you to read this book! But if you know nothing about the Nutcracker, I also recommend this book because it was perfection! You really don’t have to know the original story to follow it and your life will be filled with magic.
It will come as no surprise now how much I adore Chantal Gadoury’s books. She always manages to capture the atmosphere of a setting and make the reader live it through the page. Personally I am not an expert on the Nutcracker, my only memories of it are ties to my childhood (guess who’s going to wait for the new Disney movie to come out on DVD now?) but who doesn’t know at least the gist of the tale? The author was able to make me drift back into those childhood memories of the Nutcracker from the very first page with the famous Christmas Eve night in which the magic happens. It was perfect and I loved it!
I was so in love with the Nutcracker and I really liked how the story with Clara played out. He’s such a sweet cinnamon roll! Their first meeting was ripped out of my dreams—so cute! I particularly enjoyed how they work together in the final chapters, where you see the fruits of their mutual trust and understanding come into play into a brilliant kick-ass sequence. One of my personal favorite characters is Uncle Drosselmeyer. God, I wish I had an uncle like that! The my life would surely be magical!
If you are a fan of the Nutcracker, I strongly advise for you to read this book! But if you know nothing about the Nutcracker, I also recommend this book because it was perfection! You really don’t have to know the original story to follow it and your life will be filled with magic.
_ckarys's review against another edition
4.0
I recieved a free e-arc from the author in exchange for an honest review.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, my friends! I am a huge fan of all things Christmas, and yet it hadn’t crossed my mind to read a holiday book until Chantal Gadoury gracefully reached out to me with Winterdream. As a fan of many of her previous books, I accepted right away, and I am very glad I did! This book immediately put me into the Christmas spirit, dragging me into an enchanting world of magic, romance and adventure!
Winterdream is a retelling of the classic story and ballet of the Nutcracker, which I’ve always had a fascination to ever since I was a little girl. It is divided into three acts, the first of which follows the classic tale quite faithfully. We find ourselves at a Christmas party in the Stahlbaum family home with Uncle Drosselmeyer being one of the most awaited guests. Like every Christmas, he brings gifts for all the children and puts up a spectacular show filled with magic for the guests. He gifts Clara with the Nutcracker doll that sets in motion the whole adventure.
However similar to the original tale, the author also supplies some new elements, some of which I’ve come to appreciate from her other books as well. The protagonist, Clara, is not a child, but rather a young woman of marriageable age. This enables the author to turn the protagonist of this classic tale into a modern feminist, exploring the condition of young girls who are expected to accept unions that favor economical stability over love, and, of course, finding ways to overthrow that mindset. Another element of change is Anton, Uncle Drosselmeyer’s handsome apprentice, who plays a very relevant role in the adventure and was quite possibly my favorite character of the story.
The second and third acts are the ones that differentiate most with the classic. While we do meet familiar characters like Mother Goose and the villainous Mouse King, but Chantal Gadoury added further layers to them and enriched the plot with elements of romance and mild gore that are much more appealing to a young adult audience.
In general, I would recommend this book to fans of the Nutcracker but also those approaching the story for the first time. It is the perfect holiday read for anyone looking for something quick and entertaining.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, my friends! I am a huge fan of all things Christmas, and yet it hadn’t crossed my mind to read a holiday book until Chantal Gadoury gracefully reached out to me with Winterdream. As a fan of many of her previous books, I accepted right away, and I am very glad I did! This book immediately put me into the Christmas spirit, dragging me into an enchanting world of magic, romance and adventure!
Winterdream is a retelling of the classic story and ballet of the Nutcracker, which I’ve always had a fascination to ever since I was a little girl. It is divided into three acts, the first of which follows the classic tale quite faithfully. We find ourselves at a Christmas party in the Stahlbaum family home with Uncle Drosselmeyer being one of the most awaited guests. Like every Christmas, he brings gifts for all the children and puts up a spectacular show filled with magic for the guests. He gifts Clara with the Nutcracker doll that sets in motion the whole adventure.
However similar to the original tale, the author also supplies some new elements, some of which I’ve come to appreciate from her other books as well. The protagonist, Clara, is not a child, but rather a young woman of marriageable age. This enables the author to turn the protagonist of this classic tale into a modern feminist, exploring the condition of young girls who are expected to accept unions that favor economical stability over love, and, of course, finding ways to overthrow that mindset. Another element of change is Anton, Uncle Drosselmeyer’s handsome apprentice, who plays a very relevant role in the adventure and was quite possibly my favorite character of the story.
The second and third acts are the ones that differentiate most with the classic. While we do meet familiar characters like Mother Goose and the villainous Mouse King, but Chantal Gadoury added further layers to them and enriched the plot with elements of romance and mild gore that are much more appealing to a young adult audience.
In general, I would recommend this book to fans of the Nutcracker but also those approaching the story for the first time. It is the perfect holiday read for anyone looking for something quick and entertaining.