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tinysierra's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“To the gremlin girls,
I would like to tell you something inspiring, but the truth is, when life closes a door for us, it doesn’t always open a window. The good news is: That’s what bricks are for.”
Little Thieves is a work of art. From the gorgeous cover, to the illustrations inside, to the way the story is broken up into 7 tales, to the writing itself. I love how even the Author’s Note is written with care. Be sure to check the trigger warnings! Hanging is mentioned a lot as well as sexual assault/harassment.
This book was confusing to get into at first. In this aspect, it reminds me of how it felt starting Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology without knowing anything about the Grishaverse.
Little Thieves was hard to slug through in the beginning, but it did pick up and then I didn’t want to put the book down.
I loved the writing style with the way Vanja told the story like a fairy tale.
I love the humor and wit.
You get to really see Vanja’s insecurities and growth through her narrative. You can see how her trauma affects her perceptions of the situations she goes through.
I loved all the characters, even the side ones!
The romance was amazing, too.
I don’t think the word demisexual is said on page but both the main characters are demi <3
“I’ve read fairy tales, of course, and listened to plaintive love songs, but I never understood why anyone would wake up after a hundred years and marry the prince who broke into their bedroom for a kiss. Or dance with a stranger once and decide to spend the rest of their lives together.”
There’s also wlw and some other LGBTQ+ rep that’s normal in this world. There is lesbophobia but in more of a “the princess is supposed to produce an heir” kind of way.
I love Vanja and Emeric so much <333 a cat and mouse chase… yes please!!
Update ~ 07-14-2023
Reread before I get into Painted Devils. I definitely found it less confusing and easier to breeze through the second time around.
Update ~ 03-13-2024
If you’re a big fan of Vanja and Emeric’s relationship, read Painted Devils immediately!!! I swear it doesn’t suffer from “second book syndrome.” It’s so amazing.
And check out Margaret Owen’s instagram account (@what_eats_owls) for more art and memes of the characters!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Abandonment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Body shaming, Grief, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Sexual assault
Minor: Blood, Excrement, Lesbophobia, and Vomit
readwithria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Little Thieves stole my heart and ran with it.
I wasn’t expecting to love this YA fantasy novel, but here we are. Although it was off to a bit of a slow start, I completely fell in love with Little Thieves and the characters within it. It’s so hard to write a review of a book you love, but let me give you a rundown of some of my favorite aspects.
Things I loved
- I’m a sucker for a good found family story, and this found family is build exceptionally well!
- The growth of all four of the central characters was so well written! Vanja, Gisele, Ragne, and Emeric all grew as individuals and also developed strong relationships
- Vanja and Emeric!! They’re so cute! Gotta love a classic enemies to lovers storyline
- the casual queer representation was lovely! While it wasn’t integral to the plot, having this world accept LGBTQIA+ folks was fabulous
The book wasn’t perfect, but it was exceptional. Definitely check trigger warnings before you read, but then dig in! 4.5 stars.
I wasn’t expecting to love this YA fantasy novel, but here we are. Although it was off to a bit of a slow start, I completely fell in love with Little Thieves and the characters within it. It’s so hard to write a review of a book you love, but let me give you a rundown of some of my favorite aspects.
Things I loved
- I’m a sucker for a good found family story, and this found family is build exceptionally well!
- The growth of all four of the central characters was so well written! Vanja, Gisele, Ragne, and Emeric all grew as individuals and also developed strong relationships
- Vanja and Emeric!! They’re so cute! Gotta love a classic enemies to lovers storyline
- the casual queer representation was lovely! While it wasn’t integral to the plot, having this world accept LGBTQIA+ folks was fabulous
The book wasn’t perfect, but it was exceptional. Definitely check trigger warnings before you read, but then dig in! 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Animal death, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and War
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