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divergent159's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
emilyhooie22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.0
💘"Perhaps it was the loss of her husband and her loneliness that brought her to the mirror each day, but she felt there was something else that compelled her to seek her father’s approval and love. Sometimes she felt she had to look in the mirror simply to reassure herself she was in the world. That she was human and not simply a floating gray mist haunting the walls of the castle. She felt real and alive when she looked into the mirror; she felt empowered by her beauty."💘
➡️➡️ The message of this book is... Never let others define you. Never get addicted to praise because lack of it can destroy you in a second.
I definitely think I'll read more of this series in the future. It gives backstory to a well-known and beloved fairytale quite well without overdoing it. It reminds me of the storytelling style of "Once Upon a Time" which I love so much.
Hatred turns people evil and against those we love...and that is a great loss in itself. 🥺
➡️➡️ The message of this book is... Never let others define you. Never get addicted to praise because lack of it can destroy you in a second.
I definitely think I'll read more of this series in the future. It gives backstory to a well-known and beloved fairytale quite well without overdoing it. It reminds me of the storytelling style of "Once Upon a Time" which I love so much.
Hatred turns people evil and against those we love...and that is a great loss in itself. 🥺
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Violence
reading_books_as_escapism_lol's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Torture, Grief, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting
shannasbooksnhooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
"The Queen opened her arms to the child, and with Verona's gentle encouragement, Snow moved forward to accept the Queen's embrace. Snow was a little bird of a girl, such a lovely creature."
This. Book.
Part of me wants to leave my review at that, but at the same time, I want to leave a more in-depth review. So here we are.
I read one chapter the night of June 27 before going to bed, and the next day, I just devoured it. I loved this book so much. Although I do understand where some of the lesser-star-rating reviews came from. It was a bit hard to decipher her whole villain arc since the book did give the Queen a more sympathetic personality. However, this was something I was okay with and something that worked well within the story - the Queen was pushed to madness and obsession by grief and possible PTSD, but definitely trauma, to the point of being an evil queen and fulfilling the whole "evil stepmother" trope. (Also, there were some reviews that mentioned the Queen not having a name. This didn't bother me because the King didn't have a name either, so...I don't quite understand why people were bent out of shape because of this.)
Part of me also feels hypocritical for enjoying this because when the 2021 Cruella came out, I was not for it, and I couldn't make it past 50% of the way through the movie. And my reasoning for this is that Disney's trying to give a sympathetic backstory to a character (Cruella) who really didn't need it. I could argue the same with this book - an attempt to give a sympathetic backstory to a Disney villain who really didn't need it. However. I feel like it's important to note how the actual stories are handled. On one side, the 2021 Cruella movie: a mess of a story, the cast was meh at best, and Emma Thompson and the costuming were the only saving graces. On the other hand, the 2009 Fairest of All book: story is well put together while harking back to the source material, a more understandable, relatable reason for the villain arc, and overall decent character arcs and stories. I do recommend this book because it's a great take on the Evil Queen's backstory and it's so cohesive, both as its own story and standing with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. If you're a child and/or not comfortable with swearing, read the spoiler at your own risk.
This. Book.
Part of me wants to leave my review at that, but at the same time, I want to leave a more in-depth review. So here we are.
I read one chapter the night of June 27 before going to bed, and the next day, I just devoured it. I loved this book so much. Although I do understand where some of the lesser-star-rating reviews came from. It was a bit hard to decipher her whole villain arc since the book did give the Queen a more sympathetic personality. However, this was something I was okay with and something that worked well within the story - the Queen was pushed to madness and obsession by grief and possible PTSD, but definitely trauma, to the point of being an evil queen and fulfilling the whole "evil stepmother" trope. (Also, there were some reviews that mentioned the Queen not having a name. This didn't bother me because the King didn't have a name either, so...I don't quite understand why people were bent out of shape because of this.)
Part of me also feels hypocritical for enjoying this because when the 2021 Cruella came out, I was not for it, and I couldn't make it past 50% of the way through the movie. And my reasoning for this is that Disney's trying to give a sympathetic backstory to a character (Cruella) who really didn't need it. I could argue the same with this book - an attempt to give a sympathetic backstory to a Disney villain who really didn't need it. However. I feel like it's important to note how the actual stories are handled. On one side, the 2021 Cruella movie: a mess of a story, the cast was meh at best, and Emma Thompson and the costuming were the only saving graces. On the other hand, the 2009 Fairest of All book: story is well put together while harking back to the source material, a more understandable, relatable reason for the villain arc, and overall decent character arcs and stories. I do recommend this book because it's a great take on the Evil Queen's backstory and it's so cohesive, both as its own story and standing with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. If you're a child and/or not comfortable with swearing, read the spoiler at your own risk.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: War, Abandonment, and Violence
z_thatsit's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Addiction, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gaslighting, Infertility, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Pregnancy, and War
syd991's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m not exactly sure what to say about this book. I generally enjoy the idea of twisted fairytales and retellings, but I didn’t love this one.
I didn’t overly enjoy any of the characters or story. I do feel intrigued enough to perhaps pick up another book in the series someday.
I feel like the thing that really turned me off of this book was the style, it’s very straight to the point, and I feel like I would have loved it more if there was a bit more expressiveness in the writing.
So overall, not my personal cup of tea, but I still somewhat enjoyed it, so maybe you will too.
I didn’t overly enjoy any of the characters or story. I do feel intrigued enough to perhaps pick up another book in the series someday.
I feel like the thing that really turned me off of this book was the style, it’s very straight to the point, and I feel like I would have loved it more if there was a bit more expressiveness in the writing.
So overall, not my personal cup of tea, but I still somewhat enjoyed it, so maybe you will too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, and Child abuse
Minor: War and Violence
jessicaoreads67's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Wasn’t what I expected. It was good but I wanted a bit more than the story we already know just told slightly different.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Violence, War, and Murder
It has brief possible triggers however nothing goes into much detail.bananareader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
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