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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
reread. very fun i loved this as a kid. lot of potential here
This book has such a cool premise and some really good elements, but the execution was unfortunately disappointing. The writing style is very casual and a bit cheeky, which was sometimes fun, but mostly it ended up hindering understanding. I frequently didn’t know when the author switched character perspectives, there was little sense of atmosphere, the world building was a bit slap-dash and left much to be desired, and character development felt really uneven and flat. Sophie and Agatha were the only characters who felt real at all, and even they felt like something was missing. The ending was predictable, but there were a lot of weird twists and turns in the brittle skeleton of a plot that, while surprising, were not rewarding and didn’t make much sense.
Additionally, the book makes multiple claims related to the themes of good and evil and appearances that…directly contradict each other. By the end of it, I was entirely befuddled, not at all certain what this book is trying to say. As they say in The Great British Bake-Off, “it’s a bit of a mess.”
I wanted to like this, but it just fell short of what could have been a fascinating story exploring the complex relationship between morality and appearances. On a superficial level, it was entertaining enough (hence two stars instead of one), but I’ve read many an amateur fanfic that was worlds better in character development, world-building, tone, and overall consistency.
Additionally, the book makes multiple claims related to the themes of good and evil and appearances that…directly contradict each other. By the end of it, I was entirely befuddled, not at all certain what this book is trying to say. As they say in The Great British Bake-Off, “it’s a bit of a mess.”
I wanted to like this, but it just fell short of what could have been a fascinating story exploring the complex relationship between morality and appearances. On a superficial level, it was entertaining enough (hence two stars instead of one), but I’ve read many an amateur fanfic that was worlds better in character development, world-building, tone, and overall consistency.
Rating: 3.75/5
While the overall premise was cute, this book came off as incredibly heavy handed. I'm fairly certain this book was made for a middle-grade audience, but this book hammered on the message WAY too strong. This book had an interesting concept and play on the fractured fairytale and a pretty solid narrative. I really enjoyed the chapters from Agatha's perspective, but it wasn't until the end that I started to enjoy Sophie's chapters. I do plan on reading the next book, hoping that the narrative improves. I can see how people would like this story, especially fans of The Descendants, but it just didn't do it for me.
While the overall premise was cute, this book came off as incredibly heavy handed. I'm fairly certain this book was made for a middle-grade audience, but this book hammered on the message WAY too strong. This book had an interesting concept and play on the fractured fairytale and a pretty solid narrative. I really enjoyed the chapters from Agatha's perspective, but it wasn't until the end that I started to enjoy Sophie's chapters. I do plan on reading the next book, hoping that the narrative improves. I can see how people would like this story, especially fans of The Descendants, but it just didn't do it for me.
This book was SO cute! My sister had recommended it to me before my library had received it, and we weren’t sure if it was a novel or a graphic novel, but I thought “what the heck”. Boy, am I glad that my sister found this one!
I really can’t get enough of the new “classic fairy tale gone wrong” stories. This one, you can kinda see where things are gonna go, but the actual journey of the characters is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I grew super attached to the main characters and believed with all my heart in the happily ever after that I wanted to come in the story.
The story was super well written, and the setting was so unique. I loved the different schools and the different characters inside them, but not so much the teachers. My only complaint was the relations between the teachers and the students, but I don’t know if that is just because I wanted the “Harry-Dumbledore” kind of relationship. Otherwise, I loved the story and there better be another one coming…soon!
I really can’t get enough of the new “classic fairy tale gone wrong” stories. This one, you can kinda see where things are gonna go, but the actual journey of the characters is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I grew super attached to the main characters and believed with all my heart in the happily ever after that I wanted to come in the story.
The story was super well written, and the setting was so unique. I loved the different schools and the different characters inside them, but not so much the teachers. My only complaint was the relations between the teachers and the students, but I don’t know if that is just because I wanted the “Harry-Dumbledore” kind of relationship. Otherwise, I loved the story and there better be another one coming…soon!
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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