Reviews

At Midnight by Dahlia Adler

luckycharmedlovesbooks's review against another edition

3.0

At Midnight is an incredible compilation of short story retellings of fairy tales. Three and a half stars from me! I highly recommend this. My top three stories in the book were (in no particular order): Say My Name by Dahlia Adler (inspired by Rumpelstiltskin), The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert (an original) and A Story About A Girl by Rebecca Podos (inspired by The Robber Bride). This compilation also includes the stories each tale is based on, which I really enjoyed as well. I really appreciated how all of the tales were inclusive and diverse.
Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

powe7120's review against another edition

1.0

Dnf

e_reader124's review against another edition

3.0

I never predicted this ever happening. Me, being in the middle about a retelling, my all-time favorite genre. For the most part, there were some very decent stories in here that I really enjoyed, and was hooked to. However, there were also a lot of stories that were very "meh", and I didn't really like. Ones such as "Coyote in High-Top Sneakers", "In the Forests of the Night" and "Say My Name" were super engaging stories that had interesting plots, great writing, and had the same spirit as their original tales. Meanwhile, tales such as "HEA", "The Sister Switch" and "Sharp As Any Thorn" were ones I did not like so much because the stories and writing were not the best and I wasn't as engaged as a result. However, I did really like how all the tales had a variety of genres and settings. It spiced up the selection, and made everything very interesting. One moment, you're in an average, present day high school, and the next, you're in Puritan times or on a completely different planet. You never knew what could come next. I also appreciated how they put the original fairy tales in. Not only are they just as good as ever, but they're super helpful. Since I never read a lot of the tales being retold before this, it was nice to actually be able to read them, and understand everything in the retelling right then and there. Overall, while this wasn't the best retelling I've come across, it was still nice in some parts.

thegabecole's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

5.0

vmayne's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

htbaumtree's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I'm a sucker for fairytales and this collection was servicable enough in that regard. All anthologies tend towards mixed results, and this one very much fit that trend. I wasn't thrilled with the original fairytale shoehorned in there or the Rumplestiltskin redux, but most of them were fun twists on the original tales. The three best stories, proper gems according to the power vested in me, are "Sugarplum" by Anna-Marie Lenore, "A Flame So Bright" by Malinda Lo, and "A Story About A Girl" by Rebecca Podos.

jayfr's review against another edition

1.0

Oh dear, this was less than mediocre.

I get that giving the fairy-tales more diversity is a great idea but some of them seemed so forced. And some of them bore little resemblance to the original tale, I had been hoping for an original, darker twist on the tales but some of them just seemed like they were random real world stories that vaguely resembled the fairy tale.

I also feel strongly that the re-imaginings should be placed alongside the original fairy tales in the book, rather than having the originals stuck in the back.

Plus the inclusion of the problematic Meredith Russo just cinched how bad this was for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

jnwhit94's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

imdunn's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the theme of this short story collection, and I loved the different takes that authors had on various fairy tales. Some of my favorites were Mother's Mirror by H.E. Edgmon, Coyote in High-top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger, and A Story about a Girl by Rebecca Podos.

catpanda1's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0