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onceuponabookcase's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
3.5
I was sent this finished copy for free by Titan Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.
I had been really looking forward to reading Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino since it was announced. A sapphic and asexual retelling of The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti? Right up my street! While I enjoyed it overall, I wasn't quite as keen on one of the timelines.
The story is told in two timelines; in present day we follow Lou, whose teenage aunt and best friend Neela has been abducted while visiting the Goblin Market. Her family in the UK have history with the Goblin Market that Lou had no idea about, and is only discovering now. When her mum is injured, Lou is the only one who can enter the market and attempt to save Neela. Eighteen years previously, we follow May, another of Lou's aunts, as she falls for a goblin and is enticed to enter the Goblin Market, when she knows better, and the terrible things she experiences.
I personally found May's storyline more engaging. She knows about the Market, has her whole life, and knows the rules. She knows what happens to those who enter the Goblin Market, and yet she's tempted anyway. I don't want to spoil too much of the story, but I loved the conflict in her. Because of who she is, who her family are, her future is set in stone. She has no choice, but it's a life she definitely doesn't want. May feels trapped, and like she has no control. But she does have a choice about whether or not to enter the Goblin Market, and even though it's a terrible idea, she decides to risk it. She'll be fine; she knows the rules, she can keep herself safe. I just really loved May. She's flawed and makes bad choices, but I rooted for her. I really enjoyed the sapphic romance, too; is there any way a human can be loved by a goblin? May's story was so gripping, and I couldn't wait to read what would happen next.
With Lou's timeline, however, not a great deal happens. Lou learns about her family and their long history, what has been hidden from her all her life; she feels betrayed to have not been trusted with the truth, even though it was to try and keep her safe. And she enters the Market to try to save Neela. I just felt in comparison, more happened in May's timeline. I think part of this is down to the fact that both stories run alongside each other concurrently. While it's Lou's first time entering the Market, it's not the reader's first time of seeing it, because of May entering the Market. So we get all of the awe and wonder, but also how disturbing the Market is when May enters, and it would feel quite repetitive to show Lou reacting the same. So it's brushed past quite quickly. Especially as Lou is there for an entirely different reason; she's not there to be wowed by the wonders of the Market, she's there simply to save Neela. Get in, find her, and get out. And because she's learnt about the dangers of the market while her aunt is in danger, there is no appeal for her. She cannot understand why anyone who really knows about the Market would choose to enter it willingly. She's absolutely terrified, but she must save Neela. I was just much more emotionally involved in May's storyline. When you have both visits to the Goblin Market told side-by-side, it felt like there wasn't enough going on in Lou's story.
I also found it fascinating the way May and Lou reacted differently to the goblins. While goblins have glamour and magic, they also have this inherent magnetism. Humans are inexplicably drawn to goblins and their terrifying beauty. Even though they're scared, it's like they're caught under some kind of spell. They're not completely without conscious thought and discernment, as seen with May, but they are tempted, and it's a temptation that's difficult to ignore, as shown by the humans in the Market in both timelines who have completely given in to it. But Lou isn't tempted at all. She's not drawn to any of them. It's not discussed or touched on in any way, she just isn't; she's scared, and she wants to get out. And it made me wonder if it's because she's asexual. But not in the sense that she's missing something, that doesn't come across at all in the story. More like she has an advantage, a protection against the goblins, the other people we see don't. As I said, it's not mentioned at all in the story, or even hinted at, it's something that occurred to me while seeing how differently May and Lou react. I could be completely wrong, it could just be that her fear overwhelms any temptation. But I found it fascinating to consider as I read.
Despite my issues, I did enjoy Not Good For Maidens overall. I really liked the bisexual and asexual rep. I loved how it was written, and really look forward to reading more by Bovalino in future. The whole story is wrapped up with a proper conclusion, but there's a tiny element that hints at the possibility of there being a sequel, and if there is, I'd willingly enter the world of the Goblin Market again.
I had been really looking forward to reading Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino since it was announced. A sapphic and asexual retelling of The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti? Right up my street! While I enjoyed it overall, I wasn't quite as keen on one of the timelines.
The story is told in two timelines; in present day we follow Lou, whose teenage aunt and best friend Neela has been abducted while visiting the Goblin Market. Her family in the UK have history with the Goblin Market that Lou had no idea about, and is only discovering now. When her mum is injured, Lou is the only one who can enter the market and attempt to save Neela. Eighteen years previously, we follow May, another of Lou's aunts, as she falls for a goblin and is enticed to enter the Goblin Market, when she knows better, and the terrible things she experiences.
I personally found May's storyline more engaging. She knows about the Market, has her whole life, and knows the rules. She knows what happens to those who enter the Goblin Market, and yet she's tempted anyway. I don't want to spoil too much of the story, but I loved the conflict in her. Because of who she is, who her family are, her future is set in stone. She has no choice, but it's a life she definitely doesn't want. May feels trapped, and like she has no control. But she does have a choice about whether or not to enter the Goblin Market, and even though it's a terrible idea, she decides to risk it. She'll be fine; she knows the rules, she can keep herself safe. I just really loved May. She's flawed and makes bad choices, but I rooted for her. I really enjoyed the sapphic romance, too; is there any way a human can be loved by a goblin? May's story was so gripping, and I couldn't wait to read what would happen next.
With Lou's timeline, however, not a great deal happens. Lou learns about her family and their long history, what has been hidden from her all her life; she feels betrayed to have not been trusted with the truth, even though it was to try and keep her safe. And she enters the Market to try to save Neela. I just felt in comparison, more happened in May's timeline. I think part of this is down to the fact that both stories run alongside each other concurrently. While it's Lou's first time entering the Market, it's not the reader's first time of seeing it, because of May entering the Market. So we get all of the awe and wonder, but also how disturbing the Market is when May enters, and it would feel quite repetitive to show Lou reacting the same. So it's brushed past quite quickly. Especially as Lou is there for an entirely different reason; she's not there to be wowed by the wonders of the Market, she's there simply to save Neela. Get in, find her, and get out. And because she's learnt about the dangers of the market while her aunt is in danger, there is no appeal for her. She cannot understand why anyone who really knows about the Market would choose to enter it willingly. She's absolutely terrified, but she must save Neela. I was just much more emotionally involved in May's storyline. When you have both visits to the Goblin Market told side-by-side, it felt like there wasn't enough going on in Lou's story.
I also found it fascinating the way May and Lou reacted differently to the goblins. While goblins have glamour and magic, they also have this inherent magnetism. Humans are inexplicably drawn to goblins and their terrifying beauty. Even though they're scared, it's like they're caught under some kind of spell. They're not completely without conscious thought and discernment, as seen with May, but they are tempted, and it's a temptation that's difficult to ignore, as shown by the humans in the Market in both timelines who have completely given in to it. But Lou isn't tempted at all. She's not drawn to any of them. It's not discussed or touched on in any way, she just isn't; she's scared, and she wants to get out. And it made me wonder if it's because she's asexual. But not in the sense that she's missing something, that doesn't come across at all in the story. More like she has an advantage, a protection against the goblins, the other people we see don't. As I said, it's not mentioned at all in the story, or even hinted at, it's something that occurred to me while seeing how differently May and Lou react. I could be completely wrong, it could just be that her fear overwhelms any temptation. But I found it fascinating to consider as I read.
Despite my issues, I did enjoy Not Good For Maidens overall. I really liked the bisexual and asexual rep. I loved how it was written, and really look forward to reading more by Bovalino in future. The whole story is wrapped up with a proper conclusion, but there's a tiny element that hints at the possibility of there being a sequel, and if there is, I'd willingly enter the world of the Goblin Market again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Body horror
This book features descriptions of internal organs and mutilated corpses.mals_library's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit
sixxed's review against another edition
dark
emotional
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Torture and Gore
tinybluepixel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought a long time about what to write in this review. Admittedly, I was not familiar with the Goblin Market poem (of which this book is a retelling), although it seems that other reviewers are. However, only hearing the word 'goblin' sets of the alarm sirens in my head, and, well ... Instead of saying anything more, let me cite the wikipedia article on the poem, specifically, the section on interpretations: "Some critics believe that some feminist interpretations of the work leave out an anti-semitic nature within the poem. The critic Cynthia Scheinberg believes the Goblins to be "Hebraic", anti-semitic and anti-Judaic characters that the tested Christian sisters Laura and Lizzie must face in order to transition into wholesome and complete young women." Now, we all know wikipedia is not the end-all-be-all of scientific research, but it does feel like a lot of reviewers on here seem to think of the original poem to be some kind of sexy coming-of-age story.
And ... yeah. An underground race of sub-human creatures who lure humans away to kill and eat them? Oh, that's a big yikes. A really big one. And if a portion of these creatures are described as having green skin? Hm. An even bigger yikes. And then their main area of existance is a market, where they trade in blood and tears and locks of hair for cursed fruit? Oh. That's ... I mean, that's not great.
Now, from other reviews on this book, it seems that Goblin Market retellings are ... a thing? And I'm not sure how retelling such a deeply antisemitic could ever work.
It doesn't work in this book.
I'm not sure if the author was aware of the antisemitic background of the poem, but honestly, it kind of feels hard to miss. The goblins in this book are not like the H*rry P*tter ones, but more akin to fairie creatures, built on trickery and brutality. However, they do still very much lure human teenagers underground and kill them. So, in my personal opinion, there wasn't much done to subvert the antisemitic tropes in the source material.
In addition to the antisemitic nature of the goblins, the rest of the novel just felt jumbled together. It's dual perspective, dual timelines: In the past, May falls in love with a goblin and disregards the treaty with the goblins to see her. In the present, Lou (May's niece) tries to save her other aunt Neela (May's sister) after Neela is captured in the market. It is said many times that Lou doesn't believe in goblins, but she sure as hell accepts her reality soon enough. It's weird, because at points it seems like the narrative can't decide whether Lou believes in the market or not? Additionally, we know exactly what happens to May because she tells Lou before we get to read things from her POV, so there's no suspense at all during her chapters. We already know she's gonna get captured. We already know she's gonna kill the market prince.
Also, what was the whole witch subplot about? Felt like a totally separate book, a totally separate story, and honestly, if it would've been left out, the story wouldn't have been altered at all. Same with May's pregnancy. None of these things had an impact on the story at all, nor were they necessary.
Now, to round this review out with: I liked that the author explicitly stated the sexualities of Lou, May, and Neela. It feels like it's too rarely that we actually read the words asexual and bisexual in books. Sure, there's asexual and bisexual characters, but how often do we actually read those words? That was a nice surprise. I just wish Lou's asexuality would've been more integrated into the story and not just used as an explanation as to why she feels alienated from other people her age. For example, the market works a lot on sexual temptation, and I think an asexual character in that environment could've made for interesting interactions. But alas, it was not to be.
I thought a long time about what to write in this review. Admittedly, I was not familiar with the Goblin Market poem (of which this book is a retelling), although it seems that other reviewers are. However, only hearing the word 'goblin' sets of the alarm sirens in my head, and, well ... Instead of saying anything more, let me cite the wikipedia article on the poem, specifically, the section on interpretations: "Some critics believe that some feminist interpretations of the work leave out an anti-semitic nature within the poem. The critic Cynthia Scheinberg believes the Goblins to be "Hebraic", anti-semitic and anti-Judaic characters that the tested Christian sisters Laura and Lizzie must face in order to transition into wholesome and complete young women." Now, we all know wikipedia is not the end-all-be-all of scientific research, but it does feel like a lot of reviewers on here seem to think of the original poem to be some kind of sexy coming-of-age story.
And ... yeah. An underground race of sub-human creatures who lure humans away to kill and eat them? Oh, that's a big yikes. A really big one. And if a portion of these creatures are described as having green skin? Hm. An even bigger yikes. And then their main area of existance is a market, where they trade in blood and tears and locks of hair for cursed fruit? Oh. That's ... I mean, that's not great.
Now, from other reviews on this book, it seems that Goblin Market retellings are ... a thing? And I'm not sure how retelling such a deeply antisemitic could ever work.
It doesn't work in this book.
I'm not sure if the author was aware of the antisemitic background of the poem, but honestly, it kind of feels hard to miss. The goblins in this book are not like the H*rry P*tter ones, but more akin to fairie creatures, built on trickery and brutality. However, they do still very much lure human teenagers underground and kill them. So, in my personal opinion, there wasn't much done to subvert the antisemitic tropes in the source material.
In addition to the antisemitic nature of the goblins, the rest of the novel just felt jumbled together. It's dual perspective, dual timelines: In the past, May falls in love with a goblin and disregards the treaty with the goblins to see her. In the present, Lou (May's niece) tries to save her other aunt Neela (May's sister) after Neela is captured in the market. It is said many times that Lou doesn't believe in goblins, but she sure as hell accepts her reality soon enough. It's weird, because at points it seems like the narrative can't decide whether Lou believes in the market or not? Additionally, we know exactly what happens to May because she tells Lou before we get to read things from her POV, so there's no suspense at all during her chapters. We already know she's gonna get captured. We already know she's gonna kill the market prince.
Also, what was the whole witch subplot about? Felt like a totally separate book, a totally separate story, and honestly, if it would've been left out, the story wouldn't have been altered at all. Same with May's pregnancy. None of these things had an impact on the story at all, nor were they necessary.
Now, to round this review out with: I liked that the author explicitly stated the sexualities of Lou, May, and Neela. It feels like it's too rarely that we actually read the words asexual and bisexual in books. Sure, there's asexual and bisexual characters, but how often do we actually read those words? That was a nice surprise. I just wish Lou's asexuality would've been more integrated into the story and not just used as an explanation as to why she feels alienated from other people her age. For example, the market works a lot on sexual temptation, and I think an asexual character in that environment could've made for interesting interactions. But alas, it was not to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Kidnapping, Violence, Antisemitism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Death, Cannibalism, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, and Torture
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Thank you to Page Street Books and Pride Book Tours for providing a finished copy of this book.
18 years ago, May Wicket broke all her family's rules to go into the Goblin Market. Her sister managed to free her, but not without consequences.
Today their younger sister has made the same mistake, and is stuck within the market. Lou has grown up knowing nothing about the market, but is determined to save her aunt/best friend...no matter what it takes!
18 years ago, May Wicket broke all her family's rules to go into the Goblin Market. Her sister managed to free her, but not without consequences.
Today their younger sister has made the same mistake, and is stuck within the market. Lou has grown up knowing nothing about the market, but is determined to save her aunt/best friend...no matter what it takes!
This book is so good! I was in love with it right from the beginning. It is lyrical and atmospheric and creepy and so so so good. Lou is such an amazing main character and the on page asexual rep is incredible! I want to write an essay about the parallels between the temptations of the market and Lou's asexuality!
The world building around the Goblin Market in York is really interesting and I love the Wicket family's origins...which I'm not going to say what are because spoilers. I really loved Lou the most of all. She is such a great character and her fierce determination to save Neela and her mother no matter what it takes and what could happen to her is so good to read.
The chapters written from May's timeline are also really interesting though I didn't really connect with her as much as I did with Lou. I did love how the two stories were interwoven and the flashback chapters happened in the exact right spaces to really bring Lou's story into focus!
This book is incredible and worth every second and I really hope you pick it up!
The world building around the Goblin Market in York is really interesting and I love the Wicket family's origins...which I'm not going to say what are because spoilers. I really loved Lou the most of all. She is such a great character and her fierce determination to save Neela and her mother no matter what it takes and what could happen to her is so good to read.
The chapters written from May's timeline are also really interesting though I didn't really connect with her as much as I did with Lou. I did love how the two stories were interwoven and the flashback chapters happened in the exact right spaces to really bring Lou's story into focus!
This book is incredible and worth every second and I really hope you pick it up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Death, and Gore
kaetheluise_nckl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
5.0
Thank you to Ellie @ Titan Books UK for sneaking me the ARC.
This book has a sapphic relationship, an asexual main character and a pan side character.
This book has a sapphic relationship, an asexual main character and a pan side character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Confinement, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Alcohol
No animals/pets are harmed/die in this book.mikaylaslibrary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Not Good For Maidens is the kind of book that keeps you up at night, not because of the horror, but because of the writing.
After reading Tori Bovalino’s first novel, The Devil Makes Three, it was easy to say that it was the first horror novel that I read from start to finish. And I don’t like horror novels. Not Good For Maidens is the same thing.
Following two main characters, Louisa in the present day and her Aunt May eighteen years earlier, it takes the classic horror poem Goblin Market to a whole new level, literally. The market starts on summer solstice and ends as summer comes to a close, trapping those who are inside for another year. It’s full of jems and fruit, treats that will trap you beneath the earth. May is a witch, or will be in a few years, so she can still enjoy the market, and she does, entering against her mother’s wishes to experience the thing that has been calling her for so long. But the goblins are ruthless this year, and May is drawn the Market Prince’s second, leaving her trapped between what she wants and what’s good for her. Louisa finds herself in the same predicament when her best friend and younger aunt Neela becomes trapped.
It’s safe to say that I enjoyed this book. Tori Bovalino’s writing describes the horror and gore in a way that doesn’t leave pictures burning in your mind or make you sure that there’s a goblin in the shadows. Instead it takes you on the ride, and leaves you safely at the last page.
Louisa and May, while experiencing two different markets eighteen years apart, are very similar and yet drastically different. The world of witches, goblins and York after dark bring them together, whether they like it or not. Also the casual bisexual and asexual represntation was wonderful, and it made each of their perspectives in the market interesting to compare.
I can’t wait to purchase a finished copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Page Street and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Blood, Death, Vomit, Torture, and Gore
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
4.25
Thanks to Pride Book Tours and Page Street YA for the free copy of this book.
- NOT GOOD FOR MAIDENS is a queer, witchy, horrifying tale, and I was fully gripped by it.
- This book is gory and haunting, but also full of love and characters itching to prove themselves.
- Flipping back and forth between POVs in different timelines can be tricky, but I think Bovalino nailed it here. The parallel stories unspool quickly enough to keep you interested but not so quickly that things are revealed too soon: you'll find yourself mentally shouting at the characters to put the pieces together.
- The two POV characters, Lou and May, are ace and bi, respectively. I appreciated that challenges they might face due to their sexualities are mentioned, but it's not a book that's full of on the page queerphobia.
- NOT GOOD FOR MAIDENS is a queer, witchy, horrifying tale, and I was fully gripped by it.
- This book is gory and haunting, but also full of love and characters itching to prove themselves.
- Flipping back and forth between POVs in different timelines can be tricky, but I think Bovalino nailed it here. The parallel stories unspool quickly enough to keep you interested but not so quickly that things are revealed too soon: you'll find yourself mentally shouting at the characters to put the pieces together.
- The two POV characters, Lou and May, are ace and bi, respectively. I appreciated that challenges they might face due to their sexualities are mentioned, but it's not a book that's full of on the page queerphobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Confinement, Death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence
ermreading's review against another edition
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? Yes
2.5
CWs: Kidnapping, Dismemberment, Cannibalism, Gore, Violence, Torture, Confinement, Body horror, Antisemitic subtext
I'm going to start this review with something that often concerns me in Goblin Market retellings and how I think it was handled in this book before going into my thoughts on the rest of the book.
It's well known, or at least it should be, that the original Goblin Market is an extremely antisemitic work and any work based on it should seek to subvert that to avoid perpetuating further antisemitism in new forms.
(Full disclosure, I myself am not Jewish but I discussed the elements that concerned me with friends who are before posting this review)
There are ways this book subverts the antisemitism but there are many that it does not.
The goblins are described more like Fae and Fair folk than they are 'goblins' which goes part way to avoiding the antisemitic descriptions in the original, however the set up for before Lou and Mae get to the goblin market does mention horns and there is a lot of scaremongering done about their appearances (including mentions of horns) and attitudes towards humans, particularly witches. The main characters are witches and goblin blood is often an ingredient in things and said to have magical powers, the goblin market is underground, the goblins eat humans. All of this ties into extremely harmful antisemitic stereotypes that still affect Jewish people today
I think the likelihood is that the author wasn't entirely aware of how these antisemitic ideas were leaking across into the book but as I said earlier, it is, or at should be, well known about the antisemitism of the original and any work that doesn't seek to ACTIVELY subvert that, will likely still include elements of it. It's also an author's job when writing, especially when writing a retelling, to thoroughly research their subject matter and I find it hard to believe that during the author's research process they will have completely missed the discussions of antisemitism in the original text.
An example of a Goblin Market retelling that subverts the antisemitism of the original text is In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Childrens #4). In this book, rather than having a race of goblins who rely on antisemitism to be scary in an underground market, In An Absent Dream takes place in a crossroads world where people from many other universes come together to reside. The market in IAAD works on a strict moral code and those who break that code are punished in all manner of ways from reverse aging to losing senses to turning into birds. This book reframes the ideas in goblin market so it's not about an evil race of subhuman creatures but actually about morality, justice and how we treat each other. It also eliminates the physical features of goblins that formed antisemitic stereotypes.
In An Absent Dream is a perfect example of subverting harmful ideas through retelling and I don't think Not Good For Maidens was cognisant of the issues it needed to rewrite to achieve the same success.
I read Not Good For Maidens the way I read all Goblin Market retellings, keeping a keen eye out for the creeping in of the antisemitic ideas of the original but I'm aware that many readers will not do that and a lot of this will fly under people's radars.
While I'm unsure of whether to say this book is outright harmful (I'll take my cue on that from Jewish reviewers) I do think these things are concerning and should be kept in mind.
Now for my thoughts on the plot, characters and narration (as I read this as an audiobook)
Being from Yorkshire, and really enjoying goblin market retellings (when done right), I was excited to read this. I quickly realised my mistake in reading the audiobook... The narrator was entirely incapable of doing a Yorkshire accent in the slightest, most of the time it sounded Northern Irish.
There was a point where Lou says 'Edinburgh' in the dialogue and notes in her head that she's proud of herself for learning how to say it in the way her mum does so 'Eh-din-bruh' but the narrator says it 'Eh-din-borrow'. There's a point where the narrator pronounced Costa as 'Coaster' but then says it correctly towards the end of the book????
I KNOW the main character is American but choosing an American audiobook narrator who can't do a Yorkshire accent to save her life to do a book where all but 3 characters speak in Yorkshire accidents was a terrible decision and it made this book PAINFUL to listen to as someone who's lived in Yorkshire for all 26 years of my life.
This book is told in dual timeline between Mae when she was a teenager and went to the goblin market and her niece Lou, now the same age, going into the goblin market to save her young aunt Neela.
Dual timeline can be really hard to pull of and for the most part, I think the author did a really good job, the stories informed and interwove with each other well and they didn't interrupt each other's pacing. There also weren't any points where I was annoyed that we switched perspectives because it's done seamlessly enough that it makes sense that the book switches when it does. I don't think the narrative voices between perspectives are that different though and I can see it confusing people.
One of the elements I really enjoyed about this book was the casual queerness of it. Our two main characters are both queer, Mae is bi and has a relationship with a goblin woman and Lou is ace. It's always refreshing to see authors name character's sexuality on the page because it avoids any speculation or erasure of identities. Lou's strong ties with the women of her family were really lovely to read as well, her closeness with Neela and her strong urge to fight for and protect her being my favourite.
While I liked Mae and Eitra's relationship in here, I do think it could have done with a slight bit more development. It felt like they got past their issues a little quickly at times but honestly I think my opinion a little bit informed by personal taste and a little bit, I'm aromantic and struggle to understand how allos get together so quickly.
The horror elements of this books were well written, it definitely instilled that sense of unease but there were definitely times I wished the book had learnt harder into that and BEEN a horror book rather than a coming of age/rescue with strong romance and horror elements.
There was a fair amount I enjoyed about this book, the overall plot and characters were good but the painfully abysmal narration and the antisemitism underpinning the whole thing dragged this book down a HELL of a lot.
It currently sits at 3 stars but could actually be anywhere from 2.5-3.5 stars depending on how I feel
I'm going to start this review with something that often concerns me in Goblin Market retellings and how I think it was handled in this book before going into my thoughts on the rest of the book.
It's well known, or at least it should be, that the original Goblin Market is an extremely antisemitic work and any work based on it should seek to subvert that to avoid perpetuating further antisemitism in new forms.
(Full disclosure, I myself am not Jewish but I discussed the elements that concerned me with friends who are before posting this review)
There are ways this book subverts the antisemitism but there are many that it does not.
The goblins are described more like Fae and Fair folk than they are 'goblins' which goes part way to avoiding the antisemitic descriptions in the original, however the set up for before Lou and Mae get to the goblin market does mention horns and there is a lot of scaremongering done about their appearances (including mentions of horns) and attitudes towards humans, particularly witches. The main characters are witches and goblin blood is often an ingredient in things and said to have magical powers, the goblin market is underground, the goblins eat humans. All of this ties into extremely harmful antisemitic stereotypes that still affect Jewish people today
I think the likelihood is that the author wasn't entirely aware of how these antisemitic ideas were leaking across into the book but as I said earlier, it is, or at should be, well known about the antisemitism of the original and any work that doesn't seek to ACTIVELY subvert that, will likely still include elements of it. It's also an author's job when writing, especially when writing a retelling, to thoroughly research their subject matter and I find it hard to believe that during the author's research process they will have completely missed the discussions of antisemitism in the original text.
An example of a Goblin Market retelling that subverts the antisemitism of the original text is In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Childrens #4). In this book, rather than having a race of goblins who rely on antisemitism to be scary in an underground market, In An Absent Dream takes place in a crossroads world where people from many other universes come together to reside. The market in IAAD works on a strict moral code and those who break that code are punished in all manner of ways from reverse aging to losing senses to turning into birds. This book reframes the ideas in goblin market so it's not about an evil race of subhuman creatures but actually about morality, justice and how we treat each other. It also eliminates the physical features of goblins that formed antisemitic stereotypes.
In An Absent Dream is a perfect example of subverting harmful ideas through retelling and I don't think Not Good For Maidens was cognisant of the issues it needed to rewrite to achieve the same success.
I read Not Good For Maidens the way I read all Goblin Market retellings, keeping a keen eye out for the creeping in of the antisemitic ideas of the original but I'm aware that many readers will not do that and a lot of this will fly under people's radars.
While I'm unsure of whether to say this book is outright harmful (I'll take my cue on that from Jewish reviewers) I do think these things are concerning and should be kept in mind.
Now for my thoughts on the plot, characters and narration (as I read this as an audiobook)
Being from Yorkshire, and really enjoying goblin market retellings (when done right), I was excited to read this. I quickly realised my mistake in reading the audiobook... The narrator was entirely incapable of doing a Yorkshire accent in the slightest, most of the time it sounded Northern Irish.
There was a point where Lou says 'Edinburgh' in the dialogue and notes in her head that she's proud of herself for learning how to say it in the way her mum does so 'Eh-din-bruh' but the narrator says it 'Eh-din-borrow'. There's a point where the narrator pronounced Costa as 'Coaster' but then says it correctly towards the end of the book????
I KNOW the main character is American but choosing an American audiobook narrator who can't do a Yorkshire accent to save her life to do a book where all but 3 characters speak in Yorkshire accidents was a terrible decision and it made this book PAINFUL to listen to as someone who's lived in Yorkshire for all 26 years of my life.
This book is told in dual timeline between Mae when she was a teenager and went to the goblin market and her niece Lou, now the same age, going into the goblin market to save her young aunt Neela.
Dual timeline can be really hard to pull of and for the most part, I think the author did a really good job, the stories informed and interwove with each other well and they didn't interrupt each other's pacing. There also weren't any points where I was annoyed that we switched perspectives because it's done seamlessly enough that it makes sense that the book switches when it does. I don't think the narrative voices between perspectives are that different though and I can see it confusing people.
One of the elements I really enjoyed about this book was the casual queerness of it. Our two main characters are both queer, Mae is bi and has a relationship with a goblin woman and Lou is ace. It's always refreshing to see authors name character's sexuality on the page because it avoids any speculation or erasure of identities. Lou's strong ties with the women of her family were really lovely to read as well, her closeness with Neela and her strong urge to fight for and protect her being my favourite.
While I liked Mae and Eitra's relationship in here, I do think it could have done with a slight bit more development. It felt like they got past their issues a little quickly at times but honestly I think my opinion a little bit informed by personal taste and a little bit, I'm aromantic and struggle to understand how allos get together so quickly.
The horror elements of this books were well written, it definitely instilled that sense of unease but there were definitely times I wished the book had learnt harder into that and BEEN a horror book rather than a coming of age/rescue with strong romance and horror elements.
There was a fair amount I enjoyed about this book, the overall plot and characters were good but the painfully abysmal narration and the antisemitism underpinning the whole thing dragged this book down a HELL of a lot.
It currently sits at 3 stars but could actually be anywhere from 2.5-3.5 stars depending on how I feel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Violence, Vomit, Torture, Slavery, Murder, Gore, Death, Confinement, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Antisemitism
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