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humblebee20's review against another edition
2.0
This book was, ok? The concept sounded cool and I put off reading it until my library got it in. I have to say, I'm glad I didn't buy a copy for myself. The retelling of Rumpelstiltskin sounded fun, but when you get 300 pages in and only one deal has been struck, I feel like I'm getting stringed along (pun intended). The small town is well set up and while a lot of characters were a bit hard to keep separate in my head, I was surprised at how well I could keep track of most of the town's population. Otherwise, I just had too many gripes with the pacing and main characters to really enjoy this book. I read the majority of this book in a day, and yet the book still felt like it moved at a snail's pace. I can feel the author trying to worm in references to Rumpelstitskin without ever fully commiting. I swear I guessed the "twist" when we first meet the pretty boy love interest.
*Spoilers for here on out*
Characters are descibed as one way and almost never show that side of themselves. With Sam and Rebecca, it always felt like a "dude, trust me, they're cool, I promise" from the protag's point of view, only for them to be total assholes for the entirety of the book. While some of this can be chalked up to story reasons, I felt little sympathy for them ever, and had to really stretch to feel for Ellerie. I don't know why I continued slogging through this book other than to see more "favors" that the book so heavily advertized. And yet, I found nothing but long, drawn out sequences with nothing but baking or complaining about baking being hard. The bees and Ellerie's hair being allusions to gold were cool and yet nothing is ever done with it and they never serve as a bargining chip, just blood. Why not have a lock of hair first, then a scoop of honey, and then blood? I can't stop thinking about how cool this book could have been instead of how mediocre it was. I don't know why authors insist on having super long books now when so much filler gets stuffed in. The parents seem so important at first and by the end of the book, the protagonist just leaves the town despite spending the entire book not leaving said town so she can wait for her parents and take care of her father's prized bees. Why make that the crux of her staying if you let go of it last second?
There is something here, but I wish it were something else.
*Spoilers for here on out*
Characters are descibed as one way and almost never show that side of themselves. With Sam and Rebecca, it always felt like a "dude, trust me, they're cool, I promise" from the protag's point of view, only for them to be total assholes for the entirety of the book. While some of this can be chalked up to story reasons, I felt little sympathy for them ever, and had to really stretch to feel for Ellerie. I don't know why I continued slogging through this book other than to see more "favors" that the book so heavily advertized. And yet, I found nothing but long, drawn out sequences with nothing but baking or complaining about baking being hard. The bees and Ellerie's hair being allusions to gold were cool and yet nothing is ever done with it and they never serve as a bargining chip, just blood. Why not have a lock of hair first, then a scoop of honey, and then blood? I can't stop thinking about how cool this book could have been instead of how mediocre it was. I don't know why authors insist on having super long books now when so much filler gets stuffed in. The parents seem so important at first and by the end of the book, the protagonist just leaves the town despite spending the entire book not leaving said town so she can wait for her parents and take care of her father's prized bees. Why make that the crux of her staying if you let go of it last second?
There is something here, but I wish it were something else.
katikins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I spent the whole book mad at the characters for making bad choices but I finished it in 24 hours so clearly I enjoyed it.
tell_them_stories's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
I have no idea how I missed this book. I loved the author's first novel, based on the twelve dancing princesses, especially because the way she described the atmosphere was amazing. So, when I discovered last week that this book existed too, I had to order my copy right away. I actually wanted to read some other books first, but once this book came in it was the only book I could think about. So, I just gave in and started reading.
This book was everything I had hoped it would be and loads more. It's hard to describe, but this book might be among the scariest books I've ever read, but mostly because the scary parts of this story were mostly human. Humans wanting for something so badly they were willing to trade too much for it. Humans drawing conclusions and losing their temper over everything. Humans confusing justice with vengeance.
And this all worked because of the setting of this book. The entire book takes place in a small, Amish like town. The people live distanced from the rest of the world, supplies are scarce and without each other's help and support they don't survive. In a way their lives are simple, but when trouble knocks on their doors even the simplest things become hard. The heroine is dealing with so much. You almost wish for her to leave this place behind and find her happiness elsewhere.
Although there is a fantasy element in this story, we learn quite soon that something weird is going on here, the focus isn't on the fantasy elements. They mostly come into play in the finale. Just like the fairytale retelling part. This story is slightly inspired by Rumplestiltskin, but don't expect this book to follow the well known elements of the fairytale. It borrows elements, twists them and creates a unique, intriguing and atmospheric new tale.
I've read her next book is gonna be based on Godfather Dead and I can't wait to read it!
This book was everything I had hoped it would be and loads more. It's hard to describe, but this book might be among the scariest books I've ever read, but mostly because the scary parts of this story were mostly human. Humans wanting for something so badly they were willing to trade too much for it. Humans drawing conclusions and losing their temper over everything. Humans confusing justice with vengeance.
And this all worked because of the setting of this book. The entire book takes place in a small, Amish like town. The people live distanced from the rest of the world, supplies are scarce and without each other's help and support they don't survive. In a way their lives are simple, but when trouble knocks on their doors even the simplest things become hard. The heroine is dealing with so much. You almost wish for her to leave this place behind and find her happiness elsewhere.
Although there is a fantasy element in this story, we learn quite soon that something weird is going on here, the focus isn't on the fantasy elements. They mostly come into play in the finale. Just like the fairytale retelling part. This story is slightly inspired by Rumplestiltskin, but don't expect this book to follow the well known elements of the fairytale. It borrows elements, twists them and creates a unique, intriguing and atmospheric new tale.
I've read her next book is gonna be based on Godfather Dead and I can't wait to read it!
swampbooks's review against another edition
5.0
DAAAAAANG. She did it again, folks! She gave us a book filled to the brim with the perfect mix of mystery, thrill, romance, family, and more.
You are taken on a roller coaster of emotions through the year of horror that plagues Amity Falls. It absolutely lived up to the hype and branded Erin A. Craig as an auto-buy author for me.
You are taken on a roller coaster of emotions through the year of horror that plagues Amity Falls. It absolutely lived up to the hype and branded Erin A. Craig as an auto-buy author for me.
cmdufresne's review against another edition
3.0
The House of Salt and Sorrows was one of my favorite books last year. So I went in with very high expectations and am not sure of my feelings.
The writing is lovely.
The characters are well-rounded.
The world is interesting.
I learned a lot about bees.
I was just a little underwhelmed. I felt it was too slow of a burn, the twists were expected, and there were a lot of unanswered questions. I'm also a giant chicken when it comes to scary and didn't think it was the least bit "horror".
I was sure that something more was going on with the pregnancies and her brother. Her mom and friend both find out they are pregnant unexpectedly on basically the same day and all these horses had immaculate conceptions, and yet there is nothing wrong with the pregnancies? Her brother insists the baby CANNOT be his, and turns overnight from being totally head over heels for Rebecca to hating her....and it turns out it is his and he is just scum? There seemed to be no reason for her brother to be so evil, and I kept waiting for something to be like "oh this is what happened to him", but nope, just one summer he fell in love with a girl, got her pregnant, and turned into a bastard who no longer cares about anyone.
I get the dad would want to stay with the mom, but if she really is safe at a hospital he is going to just stay there and leave his kids to fend for themselves, knowing they don't have enough food for the winter? And winter ends and he is not there immediately?? And why on earth did they all not just go? The bees were already locked down for the winter, there wasn't going to be enough supplies for anyone who stayed. Load the family up in the wagon and get to the hospital.
She's mad at Whitaker for a lot of things, but never makes any mention of him luring her out to burn down the school? And if he really cared for her, why did he take her blood. He literally says, "don't say you'll do anything, anyone could be listening, but also make a promise you'll do anything for me." It seems like he keeps saying he would only do things to others, never to her.....be she's the only one he traps....
And for a girl who cares about the greater good, it seemed super short-sighted to just send the queen off to destroy more towns. And she left all the rest of those people under her control. That was her chance to stop her forever and instead she just said "go away". It may have been too late for her town, but it wasn't too late for others.
Was the fabric stolen? Did he actually get her parents to the hospital? How did the men in the woods actually die? He said it wasn't wolves, but then the queen said she saved her brother from the wolves.
All that being said, I still enjoyed it. I just wish there were not so many holes.
The writing is lovely.
The characters are well-rounded.
The world is interesting.
I learned a lot about bees.
I was just a little underwhelmed. I felt it was too slow of a burn, the twists were expected, and there were a lot of unanswered questions. I'm also a giant chicken when it comes to scary and didn't think it was the least bit "horror".
I was sure that something more was going on with the pregnancies and her brother. Her mom and friend both find out they are pregnant unexpectedly on basically the same day and all these horses had immaculate conceptions, and yet there is nothing wrong with the pregnancies? Her brother insists the baby CANNOT be his, and turns overnight from being totally head over heels for Rebecca to hating her....and it turns out it is his and he is just scum? There seemed to be no reason for her brother to be so evil, and I kept waiting for something to be like "oh this is what happened to him", but nope, just one summer he fell in love with a girl, got her pregnant, and turned into a bastard who no longer cares about anyone.
I get the dad would want to stay with the mom, but if she really is safe at a hospital he is going to just stay there and leave his kids to fend for themselves, knowing they don't have enough food for the winter? And winter ends and he is not there immediately?? And why on earth did they all not just go? The bees were already locked down for the winter, there wasn't going to be enough supplies for anyone who stayed. Load the family up in the wagon and get to the hospital.
She's mad at Whitaker for a lot of things, but never makes any mention of him luring her out to burn down the school? And if he really cared for her, why did he take her blood. He literally says, "don't say you'll do anything, anyone could be listening, but also make a promise you'll do anything for me." It seems like he keeps saying he would only do things to others, never to her.....be she's the only one he traps....
And for a girl who cares about the greater good, it seemed super short-sighted to just send the queen off to destroy more towns. And she left all the rest of those people under her control. That was her chance to stop her forever and instead she just said "go away". It may have been too late for her town, but it wasn't too late for others.
Was the fabric stolen? Did he actually get her parents to the hospital? How did the men in the woods actually die? He said it wasn't wolves, but then the queen said she saved her brother from the wolves.
All that being said, I still enjoyed it. I just wish there were not so many holes.
m_poisson's review
I knew nothing of the book before starting it. Didn't know it was kind of a horror story😅 not for me
ketutar's review against another edition
4.0
It was hard to read. Especially toward the end, with all the chaos and hatred and anger around.
I don't understand how Sam became so twisted.
But I liked it. And I kind of want to know the continuation.
I don't understand how Sam became so twisted.
But I liked it. And I kind of want to know the continuation.