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sunshinestark's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Body horror
tigger89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
CW: discussion of antisemitism
Y'all. Let's talk about goblin markets. So, their origin(the poem Goblin Market, by Christina Rossetti) is commonly agreed upon to have contained antisemitic depictions. You can find details on google, and I encourage you to read up if you're unfamiliar. So it's one of those things that you should tread carefully with. Maybe be extra careful not to Jewish-code your predatory goblins, right?
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book to be very careful about it. Not only did this version of goblins draw from several elements associated with negative portrayals of or conspiracies about Jews(green skin, monstrous appearance, untrustworthy, habitually disguising themselves in plain sight among the non-goblin population to seek prey, etc), but also the plot veered far too close to blood libel for my liking. Namely, the fact that the goblins are portrayed as tricking young people so that they would get trapped in the market, where the goblins would consume their flesh and, as described often and in great detail, their blood.
So that's my thoughts on that. The horror plot would have been fine without the elements that read as Jewish-coding, but with that being how it was it made me very uncomfortable to read. And it's a shame because there were other parts of this book that were so good, especially the way the relationships between each pair was written and the alternating present-past chapters. Even the environment of the market and the way the horror and suspense elements were written was great, but because of the elephant in the room I couldn't fully immerse myself in rooting for either pair of girls.
Readers who enjoy LGBTQ stories will find a number of characters here: Lou is asexual, May is explicitly bisexual, and Neela is assumed to be pansexual. I'd been concerned at first that the book might be saying something weird about bi/pan people and vulnerability to sexual temptation, but by the end of the story my concerns were assuaged. The queer rep in this book is fine. Love a good ace lead. I just wish the rest of it had avoided the antisemitic baggage.
Y'all. Let's talk about goblin markets. So, their origin(the poem Goblin Market, by Christina Rossetti) is commonly agreed upon to have contained antisemitic depictions. You can find details on google, and I encourage you to read up if you're unfamiliar. So it's one of those things that you should tread carefully with. Maybe be extra careful not to Jewish-code your predatory goblins, right?
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book to be very careful about it. Not only did this version of goblins draw from several elements associated with negative portrayals of or conspiracies about Jews(green skin, monstrous appearance, untrustworthy, habitually disguising themselves in plain sight among the non-goblin population to seek prey, etc), but also the plot veered far too close to blood libel for my liking. Namely, the fact that the goblins are portrayed as tricking young people so that they would get trapped in the market, where the goblins would consume their flesh and, as described often and in great detail, their blood.
So that's my thoughts on that. The horror plot would have been fine without the elements that read as Jewish-coding, but with that being how it was it made me very uncomfortable to read. And it's a shame because there were other parts of this book that were so good, especially the way the relationships between each pair was written and the alternating present-past chapters. Even the environment of the market and the way the horror and suspense elements were written was great, but because of the elephant in the room I couldn't fully immerse myself in rooting for either pair of girls.
Readers who enjoy LGBTQ stories will find a number of characters here: Lou is asexual, May is explicitly bisexual, and Neela is assumed to be pansexual. I'd been concerned at first that the book might be saying something weird about bi/pan people and vulnerability to sexual temptation, but by the end of the story my concerns were assuaged. The queer rep in this book is fine. Love a good ace lead. I just wish the rest of it had avoided the antisemitic baggage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Blood
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
Minor: Alcohol
As detailed in my review, I found the depiction of goblins in this story to draw on many antisemitic tropes, including blood libel.wardenred's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
There are rules, and I broke them. But the rules don’t matter in the market. They’re rules set by tricksters.
This was an enjoyable and highly atmospheric retelling with sone great ace and bi rep. It's worth noting that there are two storylines separate by eighteen years, and the one mentioned in the blurb that led me to pick up the book was the more boring one, tbh. I liked Lou well enough; I related to her struggle to find the balance between finding herself and belonging, and I found her relationship with her Mom, her aunt, and the rest of her family really interesting. However, May's story was simply more compelling. She had a more interesting deal right from the beginning, and while she had a somewhat similar conflict that's typical for YA ("what I want vs what my family needs me to be"), the way it unfolded against the backdrop of witchery and goblin murders was more compelling. I felt like it showcased the vibe of the whole story better, too. That whole thing about already living on the border of a mundane world and a magical one full of withcraft, and then stepping over yt another threshold into the goblin market? Beautifully done and instantly engrossing. Lou's journey was a more typical "I'm just a kid figuring myself out and overlooking some weirdness in my family, and now I've learned that a world of magic exists" one, and it was more predictable and less novel for me.
I felt like the first half of the novel was a lot stronger than the second one. In both storylines, there was some great build-up with big promises, and then the pay-off kind of... fell a little short. Looking back, perhaps it was actually a problem with the first half, too, at least in May's part; by the time we get to the most high-stakes parts, it's already way too clear how most of the big stuff is going to play out. Still, at least the thick atmosphere of beautiful terrors—the undeniable strength of this book—was very much there, whereas in Lou's story it falls a bit to the side. Upon some thinking, I actually like the blatant difference in how May and Lou interacted with the Market: May was strongly susceptible to its draw whereas Lou entered it with a single-minded purpose to find Neela, stuck to it throughout, and distanced herself from all the weirdness to some extent. She overlooked the addictive beauty all the horror was wrapped in and went straight for the horror, whereas May allowed herself to be drawn into the beauty first.
Speaking of horror: there was less of it than I expected from the way the book was presented. The story is definitely more on the fantasy side. But all the body horror bits were appropriately chilling, and everything about the Market, with the constant addictions and abductions it provides, was terrifying, and really, I just need to mention again how atmospheric Bovalino's writing is. Despite some of the book's weaknesses, I really want to read more by this author, especially if the later books end up going even deeper into the horror territory!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Body horror, Addiction, Blood, and Alcohol
madamenovelist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Gore, Vomit, Violence, Confinement, Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, Torture, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug use, Death, Cursing, and Addiction
ash_ton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
when Laura said "I'd do ANYTHING for you May" i cried. idk man 🤧
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Child death, Torture, Medical content, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cannibalism, Kidnapping, and Vomit
rowans_revenge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Bovalino paints two vivid and gruesome pictures, side by side illustrating the burden of duty and the exploration of identity. The setting description is vivid and significant, and, though the characters are clearly outlined, I wish they were described with the same intensity as the goblin market or the streets of York.
That being said, the characters are lovable and relatable, and I found myself cheering for the characters as I read this riveting story of queer love forbidden in the best way, identity, and a heroine exploring Hell.
That being said, the characters are lovable and relatable, and I found myself cheering for the characters as I read this riveting story of queer love forbidden in the best way, identity, and a heroine exploring Hell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism
There are graphic descriptions of blood, severed limbs, cannibalism, and organsaliveinbooks's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I will start off by saying this is a good story. The dual point of view from different perspectives was a nice touch to keep you guessing and there is definitely a decent amount of gore that sells the idea of the goblin market. It's great writing and each character stands on their own. That being said this wasn't the book for me. I had a hard time connecting with the adults and adolescents in the story and the amount of beating around the bush was akin to edging in the most frustrating experience for me. I also didn't feel the dark atmosphere the author was trying to convey in the novel. It's a great book overall and good for anyone dipping their toes in soft YA horror.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Body horror
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
cameronreads's review
2.0
I think it was abundantly clear that the author of this book was not Jewish. Disclaimer; neither am I, but I think it's important to talk about. As soon as I realised the goblins in this book would be evil characters alarm bells were set off in my head, and since doing some research into the tropes used, I think this book does do harm. There is of course one good goblin, but the general idea is that the goblins are evil and want to hurt people (and eat them on occasion) and have magical blood. All things that are outrageous stereotypes of Jewish people, especially considering goblins have been used as a way to represent and do harm to Jewish people. I'd really recommend looking at some Jewish reviewer's discussions on this.
My opinions on the plot and characters of this book are rather average. I think the basic idea was there, but something about the pacing and what this book emphasised was off. I wasn't all that attached to the characters, especially because the character we're meant to be saving all through this book is never seen on page until the end. It meant the stakes didn't feel very high. To be honest, I would have read a whole book about one of the point of views (May's) if it had been expanded on and we had got to spend a bit more time with it (and there wasn't such antisemitic themes).
I do however like the casual queer representation. The main characters are ace and bi respectively, and there's a pan side character, and all of these words are said on page. There's no prejudice against them because of their sexualities, and the main romance is a sapphic one. That was all really nice to see.
I'm really mad about this one - I loved Bovalino's other book and the other goblin market retelling I've read (In An Absent Dream, Seanan McGuire) so I really wanted to love this too. Unfortunate.
My opinions on the plot and characters of this book are rather average. I think the basic idea was there, but something about the pacing and what this book emphasised was off. I wasn't all that attached to the characters, especially because the character we're meant to be saving all through this book is never seen on page until the end. It meant the stakes didn't feel very high. To be honest, I would have read a whole book about one of the point of views (May's) if it had been expanded on and we had got to spend a bit more time with it (and there wasn't such antisemitic themes).
I do however like the casual queer representation. The main characters are ace and bi respectively, and there's a pan side character, and all of these words are said on page. There's no prejudice against them because of their sexualities, and the main romance is a sapphic one. That was all really nice to see.
I'm really mad about this one - I loved Bovalino's other book and the other goblin market retelling I've read (In An Absent Dream, Seanan McGuire) so I really wanted to love this too. Unfortunate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent
ishouldreadthat's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Check out more book reviews and content here!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I'm not much of a poetry person, but Goblin Market has always been a favourite of mine. As soon as I heard that Not Good for Maidens was a reimagining of Christina Rossetti's poem, I had to have it in my hands!
Bovalino does a great job of incorporating the dark sensuality and temptation of Goblin Market into her own writing. I loved her imagining of the market below the streets of York and the supernatural draw that the women of the city feel, whether they want to or not. Her description of the market and its various levels and wares was fantastic and the goblins themselves were so incredibly cool. She does a great job setting up the fantasy elements in this book!
I think my mixed feelings about Not Good for Maidens mostly surround the dual timeline. I often find that when books have a dual POV or timeline, one is far more interesting than the other -- that is definitely the case with here. I absolutely loved May's point of view chapters, which tell the story of why the sisters fled York 18 years prior. May is a great character with a fascinating story, and I couldn't get enough. However, I found the present day timeline much more dull by comparison. Lou just didn't have the same strong sense of character (although it could be argued that this is intentional) and I just didn't click with her story at all. Maybe it would have been stronger if May's storyline was one book and Lou's was the sequel? I'm not sure.
I also wish that there was a stronger sense of place in this book. When a fantasy/horror story is set in a place like York, I would expect it to have a lot of atmosphere. I personally love stories that have a strong setting, especially when that setting is so central to the book, and this one didn't quite hit the mark.
Overall, Not Good for Maidens is a good read but I feel like there was potential for it to be a much stronger book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I'm not much of a poetry person, but Goblin Market has always been a favourite of mine. As soon as I heard that Not Good for Maidens was a reimagining of Christina Rossetti's poem, I had to have it in my hands!
Bovalino does a great job of incorporating the dark sensuality and temptation of Goblin Market into her own writing. I loved her imagining of the market below the streets of York and the supernatural draw that the women of the city feel, whether they want to or not. Her description of the market and its various levels and wares was fantastic and the goblins themselves were so incredibly cool. She does a great job setting up the fantasy elements in this book!
I think my mixed feelings about Not Good for Maidens mostly surround the dual timeline. I often find that when books have a dual POV or timeline, one is far more interesting than the other -- that is definitely the case with here. I absolutely loved May's point of view chapters, which tell the story of why the sisters fled York 18 years prior. May is a great character with a fascinating story, and I couldn't get enough. However, I found the present day timeline much more dull by comparison. Lou just didn't have the same strong sense of character (although it could be argued that this is intentional) and I just didn't click with her story at all. Maybe it would have been stronger if May's storyline was one book and Lou's was the sequel? I'm not sure.
I also wish that there was a stronger sense of place in this book. When a fantasy/horror story is set in a place like York, I would expect it to have a lot of atmosphere. I personally love stories that have a strong setting, especially when that setting is so central to the book, and this one didn't quite hit the mark.
Overall, Not Good for Maidens is a good read but I feel like there was potential for it to be a much stronger book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, and Blood
catwhisperer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, and Blood