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andreiaoh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
GOD that was exhilarating. beautifully written, thought-provoking and a well-crafted story. sometimes novels lose me in the middle and end, but this was a book that i found really grew with me as i kept reading it.
for a big chunk of this portion (around the middle portion i'd say), this really gave me such similar vibes to last night in soho (the film). very different stories, but the energies felt very alike to me (positive).
my minor minor minor qualm had to do with the existence of one of the characters. their existence in the story had no bearing on me, positive or negative, and i feel like if they were wiped from the story nothing would change at all plot-wise. it's not something enough to bother me, but a small detail that stops this story from being near perfection, imo!
jealousy (or envy i guess) really is a disease.
for a big chunk of this portion (around the middle portion i'd say), this really gave me such similar vibes to last night in soho (the film). very different stories, but the energies felt very alike to me (positive).
my minor minor minor qualm had to do with the existence of one of the characters. their existence in the story had no bearing on me, positive or negative, and i feel like if they were wiped from the story nothing would change at all plot-wise. it's not something enough to bother me, but a small detail that stops this story from being near perfection, imo!
jealousy (or envy i guess) really is a disease.
ninetytimesnine's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jasminejjj's review against another edition
5.0
Awad does it again!! Such a beautiful investigation into a woman’s relationship with beauty. I feel like every book I read from her permanently alters me for the better. Amoss of course delivers another gorgeous narration.
witch_bish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
macybrisben's review against another edition
Just confused, bored, and I invested in any characters.
theyretakingthehobbits's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
fabulousdave's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brewingdaisies's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
—☁️ my thoughts:
• absolutely brilliant. I loved the way the book was divided into parts, and each part was better than the last. The first three parts I thought were a solid 4-4.25⭐️, but the remaining parts just got better and more intense.
• some people disliked the ending, but I thought it was very fairytale-like, and so it suited the book perfectly for me.
• the way mona writes thought processes is something else. the slow descent into madness was absolutely phenomenal, and I remember gasping every time a slip-up would happen. her timing is everything. i am in love with her writing style! the way she describes things makes her book so rich and alive.
• i hoped to see more of belle's character development colorism-wise, but the struggle she had with the color of her skin was so raw and real, especially knowing that mona herself is egyptian.
• I DEVOURED this book. I couldn't put it down, and I apologize to my boyfriend and my mom because this book was all I talked about 🙂↕️
🫧 overall, i recommend this book to everybody who enjoys a dark twist on fairytales, and reading about the most human of minds: minds filled with envy and insecurity, and the lengths we would go for human connection.
• absolutely brilliant. I loved the way the book was divided into parts, and each part was better than the last. The first three parts I thought were a solid 4-4.25⭐️, but the remaining parts just got better and more intense.
• some people disliked the ending, but I thought it was very fairytale-like, and so it suited the book perfectly for me.
• the way mona writes thought processes is something else. the slow descent into madness was absolutely phenomenal, and I remember gasping every time a slip-up would happen. her timing is everything. i am in love with her writing style! the way she describes things makes her book so rich and alive.
• i hoped to see more of belle's character development colorism-wise, but the struggle she had with the color of her skin was so raw and real, especially knowing that mona herself is egyptian.
• I DEVOURED this book. I couldn't put it down, and I apologize to my boyfriend and my mom because this book was all I talked about 🙂↕️
🫧 overall, i recommend this book to everybody who enjoys a dark twist on fairytales, and reading about the most human of minds: minds filled with envy and insecurity, and the lengths we would go for human connection.