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canadianbookaddict's review
1.0
OK I like dark books but this one just couldn't keep my attention. Maybe some of you would like it but personally I thought it was boring and just wasn't for me.
sjj169's review
3.0
The second in the Beau Rivage stories is Liv's Snow White curse. The first book was Kill Me Softly and this book is probably easier to follow if you have read it. You get more of the why the curses exist if you've read the first one.
Liv aka Snow White is a spoiled little brat. She is so afraid of her curse that she treats her boyfriend (who has been her friend since a young age) like dog ca-ca. She wants him..she doesn't want him...she flirts with other guys to show him she doesn't want him. GAG!
She keeps thinking about how he is to kill her and her savior prince will come.
She got on my frigging nerves.
Her evil stepmother Regina. (Biggest stupid ass mistake giving her the same name as the OUAT character) has decided that Liv needs to die in order for herself to live.
*The one I fangirl over is much, much cooler*
So little stupid Liv gets an invitation to the Underworld where she meets her happily ever after prince. Um yeah, that's how it never works out.
The story does have several other characters involved and it is very readable..and for some reason I sorta like these books. I'll read the next in the series. I'm hoping it's Beauty and the Beast just because the Beast guy is one of the few with any sense..or Jack the Giant slayer (yeah baby)
If you enjoy fairy tale re-tellings you might like these books. Or you might not. I could just be drunk.
You might just want to read them to figure how this guy plays in...
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Liv aka Snow White is a spoiled little brat. She is so afraid of her curse that she treats her boyfriend (who has been her friend since a young age) like dog ca-ca. She wants him..she doesn't want him...she flirts with other guys to show him she doesn't want him. GAG!
She keeps thinking about how he is to kill her and her savior prince will come.
She got on my frigging nerves.
Her evil stepmother Regina. (Biggest stupid ass mistake giving her the same name as the OUAT character) has decided that Liv needs to die in order for herself to live.
*The one I fangirl over is much, much cooler*
So little stupid Liv gets an invitation to the Underworld where she meets her happily ever after prince. Um yeah, that's how it never works out.
The story does have several other characters involved and it is very readable..and for some reason I sorta like these books. I'll read the next in the series. I'm hoping it's Beauty and the Beast just because the Beast guy is one of the few with any sense..or Jack the Giant slayer (yeah baby)
If you enjoy fairy tale re-tellings you might like these books. Or you might not. I could just be drunk.
You might just want to read them to figure how this guy plays in...
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
marimoose's review
2.0
Full review found at Story and Somnomancy.
Initial reaction to book:
Ending reaction:
That really sums up the whole review.
Initial reaction to book:
Ending reaction:
That really sums up the whole review.
misssusan's review
3.0
huh. you know, i'm not really sure how to review this
see the story is oddly compelling, i read it all in one unbroken go. but like. if you were to ask me what i liked about the characters or themes or, well, anything, i wouldn't really have much to say to you
i feel like i read this the way i read when i was twelve, when i pretty much wholesale devoured books without any innate impulse to criticism or thinking it over
anyways. this is a snow white retelling, set in the town of beau rivage, where modern characters play out fairy tale plots (akin to once upon a time. or fables. lots of pop culture takes on this particular idea out there atm). this particular take merges with the twelve dancing princesses and. i can't lie, i've read better takes on the latter (run, don't walk to genevieve valentine's the girls at the kingfisher club) but it's fine, the twelve princesses are only serving as the b-plot. the book is relatively low on romance -- vivian, our snow white figure, is already in love with henley, her huntsman, and while their fairytale roles bring them some drama the story presents their feelings as a given and doesn't spend much time developing their relationship. most of the plot momentum comes from vivian's stepmother trying to have her killed as per their story and vivian trying to stay alive
i dunno guys, file it under the realm of it worked for me right now and i have no idea why
3 stars
see the story is oddly compelling, i read it all in one unbroken go. but like. if you were to ask me what i liked about the characters or themes or, well, anything, i wouldn't really have much to say to you
i feel like i read this the way i read when i was twelve, when i pretty much wholesale devoured books without any innate impulse to criticism or thinking it over
anyways. this is a snow white retelling, set in the town of beau rivage, where modern characters play out fairy tale plots (akin to once upon a time. or fables. lots of pop culture takes on this particular idea out there atm). this particular take merges with the twelve dancing princesses and
Spoiler
rumpelstiltskini dunno guys, file it under the realm of it worked for me right now and i have no idea why
3 stars
lisaluvsliterature's review
5.0
Again, like the first one, this is so reminiscent of the tv show Once Upon a Time. I love the way the fairy tales have been changed, and how they all turn out different even if they are the same curse, just because everyone is really different. I loved the story, and was so glad to hear about some novellas that are available so that I can get back into this fairy tale world that Cross has so wonderfully created.
If you want to read the rest of my review, you can go to my blog, Lisa Loves Literature.
If you want to read the rest of my review, you can go to my blog, Lisa Loves Literature.
sarahs_reading_again's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Has a Disney/fantasy theme to it and full of twists. I would read it again! Definitely looking into reading other stories by Sarah Cross.
berls's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I have incredibly mixed feelings about Tear You Apart. I think that you have to really KNOW your fairy tales to fully appreciate this book - and I do not. However, the last 30% was so incredibly gripping and grim (pun intended) that I almost would give the book 4 stars. It is book 2 in the series, but (at least as far as I can tell) reads completely as a stand alone.
So the struggle in the first 70% of the book was two-fold. One, as I already mentioned, the references to really obscure fairy tales confused me. There's the familiar Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk... but then there's also the 12 dancing princesses and the diamonds and toads (I think?). It took me out of the story because I don't know what they're based off of. And even the familiar fairy tales - Snow White particularly, since that's Vivian's curse - is getting into the less commonly known details. So if you're a fairy tale buff, you will probably love the hell out of this, but for me it was just confusing.
The second struggle was just that I didn't like this predestined feeling of being defined by your curse. This struggle though, is sort of the point of the book I think (at least in part). The way it really screws with Vivian's decisions about who she loves - her huntsman or her prince? - made the first part a struggle and made me frustrated with her, but as she grows to realize she has to take her life into her own hands (the last 30%) makes that first part kind of worth it.
I read past midnight, knowing I had to get up at 6 am because I couldn't put it down in the last bit. Things are brutal and very much use the Grimm fairy tales for inspiration. The weaving of multiple fairy tales together is fascinating and Sarah Cross definitely has done her research. That being said, I probably won't be in a hurry to pick up the other books in the series... because I haven't done mine and I think I'm missing out on some of the potential greatness of the book by not knowing my fairy tales better. I am glad I finally got around to reading this though and recommend it for fairy tale buffs for sure!
I have incredibly mixed feelings about Tear You Apart. I think that you have to really KNOW your fairy tales to fully appreciate this book - and I do not. However, the last 30% was so incredibly gripping and grim (pun intended) that I almost would give the book 4 stars. It is book 2 in the series, but (at least as far as I can tell) reads completely as a stand alone.
So the struggle in the first 70% of the book was two-fold. One, as I already mentioned, the references to really obscure fairy tales confused me. There's the familiar Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk... but then there's also the 12 dancing princesses and the diamonds and toads (I think?). It took me out of the story because I don't know what they're based off of. And even the familiar fairy tales - Snow White particularly, since that's Vivian's curse - is getting into the less commonly known details. So if you're a fairy tale buff, you will probably love the hell out of this, but for me it was just confusing.
The second struggle was just that I didn't like this predestined feeling of being defined by your curse. This struggle though, is sort of the point of the book I think (at least in part). The way it really screws with Vivian's decisions about who she loves - her huntsman or her prince? - made the first part a struggle and made me frustrated with her, but as she grows to realize she has to take her life into her own hands (the last 30%) makes that first part kind of worth it.
I read past midnight, knowing I had to get up at 6 am because I couldn't put it down in the last bit. Things are brutal and very much use the Grimm fairy tales for inspiration. The weaving of multiple fairy tales together is fascinating and Sarah Cross definitely has done her research. That being said, I probably won't be in a hurry to pick up the other books in the series... because I haven't done mine and I think I'm missing out on some of the potential greatness of the book by not knowing my fairy tales better. I am glad I finally got around to reading this though and recommend it for fairy tale buffs for sure!
lazygal's review
4.0
I do love me some fractured fairy tale, and this one works. Yes, it does sound a little like a condensed novelization of a "Once Upon A Time" episode arc, but I can over look that. There's a blend of tales here, deliberately so, and it's that blend that allows Viv and Henley to find a loophole in the Snow White tale. I didn't realize this is a series and now I'm going to check out the earlier book (when I say "series", I mean "books set in the same world with some overlapping characters" not books that need to be read in sequence; you know how happy I am about that!).
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
gabs_myfullbookshelf's review
3.0
Read more of my reviews at My Full Bookshelf Reviews
2.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a sucker for fairy tales. No matter how many bad reviews a book may have, or how cheap the cover looks, I will read it. That is how deep my love for this genre is. (Trust me, it takes a verrrrrry deep love in order to overcome a bad cover.) Tear You Apart had a lot of things going for it; an interesting blurb, a great cover, and the fact that it was a retelling of Snow White. And yet, there is basically one element of the book that totally ruined any chance of loving this story for me.
It was not the plot; the plot is what saved this story. Despite any annoyances with Tear You Apart, I always remained interested because the storyline is quite interesting. It's mostly a Snow White retelling, but because Beau Rivage is a modern day town with a bunch of 'cursed' living in it, there are also a lot of elements from other fairy tales in it. This makes it even more fun, because characters from different stories can be added, and the tale doesn't have to always be strictly followed. The modern spins, like turning the underworld from 12 Dancing Princesses into a nightclub, were all quite entertaining.
Also, this book incorporates the most obscure versions of fairy tales into it, not bothering to keep the creepy or most bizarre versions out. These are not all the sugar-coated Disney version fairy tales; there are references to some of the more violent versions of these stories. Also, it's not just the mainstream fairytales, which I loved. There are some people mentioned in this book that I didn't even recognize from fairy tales that I'd read; it was all quite fascinating.
So, what exactly could ruin this story for me? Well, the main character is the answer to that question. Viv is a holy terror of a main character. She is at times stupid, she is a horrible girlfriend, and she is annoyingly whiny. She worries that Henley will hurt her, despite his constant protests to the fact. Even though he doesn't show any signs of wanting to hurt her, she treats him like crap because she is afraid he will hurt her. Utter. crap. She flirts with other boys in front of his face just to make him jealous; she constantly judges him unfairly--like calling him her stepmother's puppet right after he nicely drove her to a party when her car broke down, just because he and her stepmother walked in at the same time. And then she wonders why Henley seems to not like her as before.
She is also not that bright and a bit self centered. She says that she refuses to memorize names of anyone with over six siblings because "there is only so much room in her brain." What?! And there is one point where
I also felt that at times the story was predictable, especially the romance. There was technically a love triangle in here, but it was very weak. Almost anybody reading the book could see how it would end. There was a lot of emphasis put on one boy, and the other boy seemed to just be there to add drama--more of a plot device than any real romance.
Tear You Apart had an entertaining storyline, but infuriating characters. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had not been for Viv.
2.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am a sucker for fairy tales. No matter how many bad reviews a book may have, or how cheap the cover looks, I will read it. That is how deep my love for this genre is. (Trust me, it takes a verrrrrry deep love in order to overcome a bad cover.) Tear You Apart had a lot of things going for it; an interesting blurb, a great cover, and the fact that it was a retelling of Snow White. And yet, there is basically one element of the book that totally ruined any chance of loving this story for me.
It was not the plot; the plot is what saved this story. Despite any annoyances with Tear You Apart, I always remained interested because the storyline is quite interesting. It's mostly a Snow White retelling, but because Beau Rivage is a modern day town with a bunch of 'cursed' living in it, there are also a lot of elements from other fairy tales in it. This makes it even more fun, because characters from different stories can be added, and the tale doesn't have to always be strictly followed. The modern spins, like turning the underworld from 12 Dancing Princesses into a nightclub, were all quite entertaining.
Also, this book incorporates the most obscure versions of fairy tales into it, not bothering to keep the creepy or most bizarre versions out. These are not all the sugar-coated Disney version fairy tales; there are references to some of the more violent versions of these stories. Also, it's not just the mainstream fairytales, which I loved. There are some people mentioned in this book that I didn't even recognize from fairy tales that I'd read; it was all quite fascinating.
So, what exactly could ruin this story for me? Well, the main character is the answer to that question. Viv is a holy terror of a main character. She is at times stupid, she is a horrible girlfriend, and she is annoyingly whiny. She worries that Henley will hurt her, despite his constant protests to the fact. Even though he doesn't show any signs of wanting to hurt her, she treats him like crap because she is afraid he will hurt her. Utter. crap. She flirts with other boys in front of his face just to make him jealous; she constantly judges him unfairly--like calling him her stepmother's puppet right after he nicely drove her to a party when her car broke down, just because he and her stepmother walked in at the same time. And then she wonders why Henley seems to not like her as before.
She is also not that bright and a bit self centered. She says that she refuses to memorize names of anyone with over six siblings because "there is only so much room in her brain." What?! And there is one point where
Spoiler
she lets her stepmother comb her hair; even though she is quite aware that it's one of the ways she will be poisoned by her stepmother in the tale. Well, surprise, guess what happens.I also felt that at times the story was predictable, especially the romance. There was technically a love triangle in here, but it was very weak. Almost anybody reading the book could see how it would end. There was a lot of emphasis put on one boy, and the other boy seemed to just be there to add drama--more of a plot device than any real romance.
Tear You Apart had an entertaining storyline, but infuriating characters. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had not been for Viv.