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pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Classism, Sexism, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia
user8432's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Death
Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Child death
rachaelvo4's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abortion, Car accident, Death of parent, Rape, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Classism
pertlek's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Moderate: Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage
dontwritedown's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's a nice retelling of Cinderella, except the Fairy Godmother is evil, the stepfather is evil, and there are no stepsisters, just a stepbrother that knocks Ella up, and a couple of lesbian maids.
Honestly this book works both as a standalone or the first books in a series of retellings.
Definitely worth a read.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Murder, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
madarauchiha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
If you're expecting a blow by blow, connect the dots retelling of Cinderella, this isn't really it. This is more a dark, fictional historical fantasy story that kind of has similarities to Cinderella.
The writing is quite pretty so far. The detail in environments is pretty but not overwhelming. At times it does feel like traumaporn / torture porn. There is something like a payoff to it, but it may not please everyone.
Honestly I hate the presence / use of ingrained societal misogyny and patriarchal systems in fantasy. For one it just feels unimaginative on the typically white authors part. That they cannot imagine any other type of social setting but the one that white people have created and enforced and benefit from.
And often it's a cheap, overused tactic to cause trouble for the mc or the cast of characters, especially when something else could be the cause of impulsion or difficulty to overcome. This book has that. So far the writing does make me forgive it enough to continue reading it. The plot twist of faustian deals soothes having a misogynistic social background. So far, anyhow.
I'm conflicted on the fairy godmother parts as I do loathe when mental illness is misrepresented is this manner. It was an interesting twist on the godmother character, making them into a darker Faustian specter.
I kind of question the ending because it reminds me of tolkien's use of master and servant, and how the servant character should remain a servant to the master character always, because that's how things should be, oi guvnah! And all that.
Content warnings:
minor single use of the anti Rromani g slur, human trafficking, unsanitary, poisoning, emetophobia, abortion, rape?, sexual harassment, blood, body horror, catholicism, religious bigotry,
medium emetophobia, death, orphaning / parental death, pregnancy, sexual harassment, child abuse, amputation, gore, drowning, alcohol, animal death, alcohol abuse,
major misogyny, victim blaming, parental death, orphaning, death, gore, animal death, police, child death, abuse, pregnancy, menstruation, abortion, police,
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Gore, Alcoholism, and Animal death
Minor: Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Body horror, and Blood
inkslinger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Putting a delightfully morbid twist on the age old Cinderella story, the book follows a lowly maid named Eleanor.. 'Ella'.. as she struggles in the wake of loss. Having fallen into service after the passing of the only person who looked out for her after her mother's death, Ella's left with a licentious man who she once called stepfather.
Secreting herself away in the late Mistress' library whenever she can manage, Ella escapes through the stories tucked along the shelves. One night, a fairy godmother hears her pleas and makes her an offer that will change her life immeasurably. Ella gets seven wishes, but each comes at a price.. and the cost is steep.
Honestly, the retelling is such a strong story on its own that it was easy to forget its origins. Though there are obvious connections like the main character's nickname and a distinctive detail at the very end of the book, it just doesn't really read like a Cinderella story unless you go in looking to match things up.
From a presentation standpoint, if I hadn't known the premise.. the fairy godmother and evil stepfather are almost unrecognizable. I was so caught up in the familial logistics and the defining traits of the author's creations.. that for much of the book if the synopsis hadn't told me who these people were, I probably wouldn't have seen the correlation until the end.
The storytelling is gritty and magnificent. From the opening pages, there's an undercurrent of something bad on the horizon. It isn't spelled out right away, but like a classic Poe story.. your instincts pick it up and you can just feel the tension building with dreadful slowness. You can see what lies in the road ahead once things get going and it feels like it just might swallow you whole.
There's something special about an author who can make you feel like you're slowly marching to your own end, while simultaneously keeping your hope alive that just maybe you'll be wrong. That someone or something will avert the crisis in your path.
Harwood has just such a gift. If you're a fan of eerie Gothic tales, don't miss this one. Since it's only her debut novel, I'll be eagerly watching to see what else she might have up her proverbial sleeve.
(I received this title as an ARC, but also purchased a copy. All opinions are mine and freely given.)
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Miscarriage
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Violence
sheryl_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Miscarriage, and Sexual content