Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Wow, does Roshani Chokshi know how to write a beautiful sentence. You can really feel the world she crafted, which is no small feat as she jumps between whimsical and brutal realities. I love a coming of age story. I love a dark fairy tale. I love a personified house. I love a weird marriage with secrets.

As always, check the TW's. There's nothing overly graphic, but plenty of unsettling, nasty things.

1 star docked because while this was stunningly beautiful and filled with fairy tale lore from around the world, the plot was quite slow and sometimes got lost in all the metaphors and similes. Because of that, I think it dragged and it took me a while to get through (though I am silly, silly busy right now). I'm a bit torn saying this, though, because I adored the character development in the backstory and am unsure if this could've been done at a faster pace. I wasn't as interested in the present-day story in the book, though the twists and turns hit some emotional slam-dunks.

I will absolutely be reading more from Chokshi. Her writing is gorgeous! Highly rec if you like dark fairy tale, slow-burn, coming of age stories.

Content Warnings

ducky_momo's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

No me estaba gustando del todo hasta que en el último cuarto del libro todo cobra sentido, y no me puedo resistir a un cuento de hadas perfectamente construido. La verdad es que el libro me ha generado desasosiego mientras lo leía, y como no lo he "disfrutado" no le pongo más nota. Aún así, es una novela autoconclusiva tan buena, está tan bien articulada, que el final salva muchas partes intermedias y el hecho de que se pase un poco mal leyéndolo.

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enchanteddroppings's review

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This is not Fantasy. The fact that the Fae were mentioned is probably why it is listed as Fantasy, but it has nothing in it related to the genre of Fantasy.

This is Gothic Magical Realism Coming-of-Age Psychological Thriller. I might even throw in Paranormal, but I feel like calling it Gothic Magical Realism overlaps with the genre.

This book is not for me. I’m done with Litfic type coming-of-age stories or toxic friendships. The book felt so slow and wrapped in mystery only to have a big twist at the end. The twist wasn’t the problem. It was the journey to get there. There was no plot; just dripping and crumbs of clues to lead to the twist at the end. It was basically like reading a person’s diary. If I wasn’t listening to an audiobook, I would have DNF the book in the first 1/3 of the book.

Another thing about this book is that if you think in logical terms, then the genre “Magical Realism” can be removed and this is just a Gothic Coming-of-Age Psychological Thriller. What comes off as magic can be replaced with psychological disorders or personality disorders. If you want to live in a magical world and believe in magic, then this is a Gothic Magical Realism Coming-of-Age Thriller. The book spends most of its time walking on the line between the two sets, the same way certain people in the book walk the line between the two worlds or mental states.

Content Warnings

stormeno's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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