Reviews

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

mcdonom's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

jenhurst's review against another edition

4.0

This isn’t my favourite Alix Harrow book, but it’s still an enjoyable read. It’s a retelling of sleeping beauty, my least favourite Disney princess. Mostly because it seems like Somnophilia to me, which is just creepy. I liked the play on why the heroine liked it though. In a world of fairy tale retellings though, why are they all beauty and the beast or Cinderella. Where’s my 10 million King Arthur, Mulan, Tiana, the little match girl, thumbalina. Basically give me some variety in fairy tales. At least this one did.

dryad23's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

lbro's review against another edition

lighthearted

4.0

sarakeeler's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

sunny_r's review

4.0

3.5

amy_readheadreviews's review

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

This was an absolutely, fantastic story that manages to address multiple serious issues without weighing you down or making you feel sad. Inspiring and beautiful. It’s only 3 hours, so it’s a little difficult to say much without revealing anything. The narrator did a magnificent job of bringing the characters to life and making them easily identifiable. The unique take provided on the fairytale was original and one I was very surprised by. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Alix E. Harrow for the opportunity to listen to an early release of this audiobook in consideration of a review. I listened to it 12/28/21. I checked it out from the public library for a reread and it was just as wonderful as I remembered. 5/4/24. 

ssmariof's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

elly29's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A fast-paced Sleeping Beauty retelling, where the protagonist is a young woman with a developmental disease. I liked the questions she asks about who is saving whom, the twists were interesting annd engaging enough, and I’m a sucker for stories about the magic of stories.

thepaperbackplanner's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fun, quick little read that helped break me out of my recent reading slump! As you might imagine, “A Spindle Splintered” is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty in all its forms. Our main character, Zinnia, has a rare and mysterious illness that doesn’t give her long to live. As a child, she falls in love with Rapunzel’s story, then proceeds to study folklore during her college years. As she gets older and her future becomes more uncertain, she suddenly finds herself in a world beyond her wildest imagination. I will say that even though I enjoyed this novella as a whole and look forward to future entries in the series, it definitely can be difficult in These Times™️ to read things about illness and mortality. I mean, I have trouble with that kind of content in general sometimes — makes me sad! — but it hits a bit harder in the current climate. So if that’s not something you’re interested in, this might not be for you. But if you’re down for a twisted tale featuring independence, queerness, and taking back your own story, then you’re in the right place.