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the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
There is so much going on in each of these stories! It should feel disjointed considering it's a collection of short stories in which the only common theme is love, but they flow so easily from one to the other. It's easy to pick back up if you've had to set it down for some reason and sucks you right back in. Sometimes the love in the stories is fierce and bold, others it's fragile and filled with longing. Such a lovely book from start to finish.
I really enjoyed Babalola's reimaginings of folktales, myths, and legends from around the world, especially because she specifically rewrote them to give the women in them more agency and control. There were a couple I'd never heard before and it was fun to learn more about these and the cultures they come from by doing deeper dives. I think my fave is the very last short story. 😘 The book may be finished but that story certainly isn't.
I really enjoyed Babalola's reimaginings of folktales, myths, and legends from around the world, especially because she specifically rewrote them to give the women in them more agency and control. There were a couple I'd never heard before and it was fun to learn more about these and the cultures they come from by doing deeper dives. I think my fave is the very last short story. 😘 The book may be finished but that story certainly isn't.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Murder, Body shaming, Blood, Violence, and Death
daniellekat's review against another edition
I love the premise of this anthology but the writing is too over the top for me, and so far all the stories have been boring.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Blood
galexy_brain's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
I loved this book of love! It was so refreshing to hear myths and stories from places I don't normally encounter, and even more refreshing that the author decided to switch up some of the misogynistic storylines while still staying true to the original elements of the stories. Though some stories take you through an emotional rollercoaster, it was a treat that all of them ended optimistically. Sometimes you just need to read a book like that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Infidelity, and Gun violence
Minor: War, Colonisation, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Violence, and Racial slurs
rafacolog's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death, and Body shaming
katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was such a treat to listen to as folktales told in the oral tradition; I felt like I learned a lot about non-Western stories and mythology. The writing is beautiful and poetic while also incorporating hilariously biting remarks and contemporary references; I'd recommend listening to one story at a time to savor them. Some of the stories are stronger and more effective than others; I also wish there had been more LGBTQ+ romance plots--"Nefertiti" was the only one in the collection. Standout tales for me are "Osun," "Scheherazade," "Attem," and "Nefertiti." The last story, "Alagomeji," is about Bolu Babalola's parents, which is sweet and touching.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Torture, and Bullying
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Smart, creative, super interesting short story retellings of myths from around the world, cast into empowering, hopeful love stories from a British-West African perspective.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexism, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Death, Fatphobia, Murder, and Sexual content
khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Violence, Car accident, and Police brutality
Minor: Miscarriage and Domestic abuse
editorsel's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I loved this collection of short love stories as they were reimagined myths and tales. While I didn’t recognize many of the original stories, it felt empowering to be led by strong female characters in each of the stories, each of them tied to various cultural barriers and obstacles that reflect the arena of love across centuries. It was a good book to read before bed, because you could read one story or two and feel a comforting sense of resolve.
The only thing I felt was lacking was the presence of queer stories — especially given the freedom and possibilities allowed by reimagining stories.
The only thing I felt was lacking was the presence of queer stories — especially given the freedom and possibilities allowed by reimagining stories.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
d0505's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War and Infidelity
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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? It's complicated
2.5
This book sounded like the perfect fit for me: diverse retellings of mythological stories from around the world? Sign me up! Unfortunately, despite the lovely writing style, the execution on the retellings was lacking. A great mythological retelling has to be clever; the author must take the recognizable elements of a story and transpose them in some way—a new setting, a new conflict, gender-swapping the characters—all while retaining enough of the essence to make them feel familiar to the readers.
For most of these stories, Babalola simply put the characters in modern settings and gave them modern jobs. Many of them lost their gifts, powers, or anything else that made them unique; only the names made them recognizable to the reader. All of the stories started to blend together and feel the same, which is a shame considering their diverse origins. The stories that really worked either had enough of the original situations to be fun and interesting (like Thisbe) or had an unexpected twist that kept me engaged (like Nefertiti). Overall, I think Babalola is a talented writer, but this anthology could have been greatly improved if there were multiple authors invited to put their own twists on these classic myths.
For most of these stories, Babalola simply put the characters in modern settings and gave them modern jobs. Many of them lost their gifts, powers, or anything else that made them unique; only the names made them recognizable to the reader. All of the stories started to blend together and feel the same, which is a shame considering their diverse origins. The stories that really worked either had enough of the original situations to be fun and interesting (like Thisbe) or had an unexpected twist that kept me engaged (like Nefertiti). Overall, I think Babalola is a talented writer, but this anthology could have been greatly improved if there were multiple authors invited to put their own twists on these classic myths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Infidelity