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catz853's review against another edition
3.0
Rounded up from 2.5. I actually found the embedded fairy tales more engaging than the main story, which had a lot of holes and didn’t hang together well.
gabrielle_vx's review against another edition
Just a bit too dark for my current mental state. Will revisit in the future!
cakemeister's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
the_viz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jvantland's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am so utterly confused by this book.
bookish_whispers's review against another edition
3.0
I received an early e-book copy of this through Netgalley for my honest opinion.
The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales is another book where the cover was the first thing that caught my eye, and the synopsis pulled me. I was interested to see how the fairy tales were going to weave into the stories, and what this new world was going to look like. Mostly because not a lot of information was given in the synopsis, and I don't mind going into books blind. It adds to the excitement at the start of any book.
This was a weird one, and not just because in order to outrun the destruction of Earth people basically turned into mole people. It was weird because I never really got a sense of this who Jesse was, or if he really actually felt anything. When we first meet Jesse I assumed they were a teenager, but then you found out the character in his thirties. Okay, but then he'll say things, or act, like he's still just a kid despite the fact living in this Underground, and losing his mother, aged him. Then there's the lack of any real emotion when he finds Doggo, a talking dog. I mean, it's a talking dog. A talking dog?!
Then as Jesse and Doggo start their adventure on the topside we start to get a look at the Underground and the way people are living. This is where it got kind of cool seeing how people have adapted, and seems ways regressed back to old traditions, like a barber as a doctor. I really liked the fact they'd found a way to break down the human body into the mushroom patches to help feed those still alive. But, this is where more confusion hits because apparently there are trolls, or ogres, or some sort of creatures also leaving in the Underground.
What?! Full stop now I have questions, but there are no answers.
However, I did like the fairy tale part of this book. They are woven in very cleverly as a way to pass the time as Jesse and Doggo are walking.
I think the thing that annoyed me the most about this book is how it just sort of ends. Jesse goes on this weird adventure with no food or water, hearing the voices, and probably having seizures. They just walk toward the mountains and they have a moment and the book is just over. Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here like so what was the point of this entire journey.
So why three stars? Because despite the fact I'm not even a little sure what I read, the fairy tales were masterfully written, and there were some really amazing parts of this book. But, I'm just not really sure if what I read was the story of a man dying in a mushroom patch or the last adventure of a dying man. I honestly am not for sure. It is wonderfully written, and the fairy tales were my favorite part of this story. I also felt like this story had more potential if the book had been longer just under three hundred pages.
The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales is another book where the cover was the first thing that caught my eye, and the synopsis pulled me. I was interested to see how the fairy tales were going to weave into the stories, and what this new world was going to look like. Mostly because not a lot of information was given in the synopsis, and I don't mind going into books blind. It adds to the excitement at the start of any book.
This was a weird one, and not just because in order to outrun the destruction of Earth people basically turned into mole people. It was weird because I never really got a sense of this who Jesse was, or if he really actually felt anything. When we first meet Jesse I assumed they were a teenager, but then you found out the character in his thirties. Okay, but then he'll say things, or act, like he's still just a kid despite the fact living in this Underground, and losing his mother, aged him. Then there's the lack of any real emotion when he finds Doggo, a talking dog. I mean, it's a talking dog. A talking dog?!
Then as Jesse and Doggo start their adventure on the topside we start to get a look at the Underground and the way people are living. This is where it got kind of cool seeing how people have adapted, and seems ways regressed back to old traditions, like a barber as a doctor. I really liked the fact they'd found a way to break down the human body into the mushroom patches to help feed those still alive. But, this is where more confusion hits because apparently there are trolls, or ogres, or some sort of creatures also leaving in the Underground.
What?! Full stop now I have questions, but there are no answers.
However, I did like the fairy tale part of this book. They are woven in very cleverly as a way to pass the time as Jesse and Doggo are walking.
I think the thing that annoyed me the most about this book is how it just sort of ends. Jesse goes on this weird adventure with no food or water, hearing the voices, and probably having seizures. They just walk toward the mountains and they have a moment and the book is just over. Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here like so what was the point of this entire journey.
So why three stars? Because despite the fact I'm not even a little sure what I read, the fairy tales were masterfully written, and there were some really amazing parts of this book. But, I'm just not really sure if what I read was the story of a man dying in a mushroom patch or the last adventure of a dying man. I honestly am not for sure. It is wonderfully written, and the fairy tales were my favorite part of this story. I also felt like this story had more potential if the book had been longer just under three hundred pages.
booknerd7820's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have read a lot of post apocalyptic fiction and The Doomsday Book of Fairytales certainly earns its place as a superb work of the genre.
It opens with Jesse Vanderchuck along with his mother and sister, Olivia, venturing to live Underground with a community if survivors escaping the pending downfall of humanity due to climate change. Years later, Jesse and his dog, Doggo, leave the community in search of his sister who had left some time earlier. Along the way, Jesse regales his dog with made of fairytales that loosely weave memories of his own life.
Brewes’ writing is both engaging and quick witted. This book was an absolute joy to read and a nice change from typical apocalyptic novels. Highly recommended for both fans of fairytales and apocalyptic/climate fiction alike.
I have read a lot of post apocalyptic fiction and The Doomsday Book of Fairytales certainly earns its place as a superb work of the genre.
It opens with Jesse Vanderchuck along with his mother and sister, Olivia, venturing to live Underground with a community if survivors escaping the pending downfall of humanity due to climate change. Years later, Jesse and his dog, Doggo, leave the community in search of his sister who had left some time earlier. Along the way, Jesse regales his dog with made of fairytales that loosely weave memories of his own life.
Brewes’ writing is both engaging and quick witted. This book was an absolute joy to read and a nice change from typical apocalyptic novels. Highly recommended for both fans of fairytales and apocalyptic/climate fiction alike.
aquaphase's review against another edition
5.0
This book was provided to me by NetGalley in return for a fair review
The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales is the story of a boy and his talking dog in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by the effects of humanity on the climate.
Sounds quaint, right?
The bigger aspect of the well-woven story is that our protagonist, Jesse Vanderchuck, is a very flawed individual and has let his life be swept by routine and happenstance until he does not.
At his breaking point, Jesse sets out to find the sister who ran away from him and his mother years ago as a way to possibly regain some sense of normalcy and stability in his life. With him, of course, is his talking dog, Doggo, who pretty much kick-starts Jesse into realizing that he has just been wasting away in the Underground waiting to age and die.
Along their voyage, Jesse spends some time crafting a series of fairy tales which he tells Doggo. These tales, typical in the standard format of child in distress or magical intervention, really were the highlight of this book for me. Some are very light while some are very not. As the book progresses, the reader begins to see how all the pieces fit together as reality and fable-dom become not too dissimilar.
I very much enjoyed the journey this book took me on. Yes, it’s definitely not a “rainbows and sunshine” story, but the aspects of true joy found throughout really do accentuate their intention.
In this tale, Ms. Brewes punctuates that there is no standard by which to live one’s life, and that obstacles are ever-present. Ultimately, it is how we choose to address and deal with said obstacles that defines who we are.
The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales is the story of a boy and his talking dog in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by the effects of humanity on the climate.
Sounds quaint, right?
The bigger aspect of the well-woven story is that our protagonist, Jesse Vanderchuck, is a very flawed individual and has let his life be swept by routine and happenstance until he does not.
At his breaking point, Jesse sets out to find the sister who ran away from him and his mother years ago as a way to possibly regain some sense of normalcy and stability in his life. With him, of course, is his talking dog, Doggo, who pretty much kick-starts Jesse into realizing that he has just been wasting away in the Underground waiting to age and die.
Along their voyage, Jesse spends some time crafting a series of fairy tales which he tells Doggo. These tales, typical in the standard format of child in distress or magical intervention, really were the highlight of this book for me. Some are very light while some are very not. As the book progresses, the reader begins to see how all the pieces fit together as reality and fable-dom become not too dissimilar.
I very much enjoyed the journey this book took me on. Yes, it’s definitely not a “rainbows and sunshine” story, but the aspects of true joy found throughout really do accentuate their intention.
In this tale, Ms. Brewes punctuates that there is no standard by which to live one’s life, and that obstacles are ever-present. Ultimately, it is how we choose to address and deal with said obstacles that defines who we are.
gnatdirt's review against another edition
2.0
meh dnf half way through just wasn’t worth the time after i read some reviews.