Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
What a strange collection of stories. I'm gonna have to split this book right down the middle. I absolutely loved some of the stories...The Daughter Cells (a gory re-telling of The Little Mermaid)...Fear Not (I read and loved Good Omens, so this was pretty funny)...The Rabbit (this f-ing story is gonna give me nightmares)...The Six-Boy Coffins (this was a great story that was very reminiscent of a Grimm Fairytale).
Other stories were just ok...The Merry Spinster (this was a strange take on Beauty and the Beast)...The Thankless Child (a Cinderalla-ish story that was good, but very strange).
Then there were the stories that I either didn't like or flat-out had no friggin clue what was going on...The Wedding Party (no clue what this was about or what was even happening)...and all the rest.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I don't know that I would recommend it to everyone as this type of storytelling appeals only to some, but for those who enjoy the strange and the twisted, this book is definitely for them
Other stories were just ok...The Merry Spinster (this was a strange take on Beauty and the Beast)...The Thankless Child (a Cinderalla-ish story that was good, but very strange).
Then there were the stories that I either didn't like or flat-out had no friggin clue what was going on...The Wedding Party (no clue what this was about or what was even happening)...and all the rest.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I don't know that I would recommend it to everyone as this type of storytelling appeals only to some, but for those who enjoy the strange and the twisted, this book is definitely for them
Really disappointing. The two good stories were based on The Velveteen Rabbit and The Wind in the Willows. The stories based on fairy tales didn't have the same creepy element bc the original stories are already creepy and weird, so it felt more like a normal retelling.
Allow me to share with you what I have gleaned from this collection of short stories, based off of the stories themselves: people suck and will take advantage/abuse you because they can. That's it.
Look, I don't want to give this collection two stars because "Six-Boy Coffin" and "The Rabbit" were both terrific stories. However, I can't justify giving even three stars to this collection for when only two out of eleven were good. Sorry, two stories can't carry an entire collection no matter how good they are. But because I wanted to rage-quit reading this collection due to the other nine stories, prepare for one hell of a rant:
"Daughter Cells" and "The Thankless Child" both left me with two questions upon completion: what did I just read and what was the point? Seriously, can anyone tell me what the actual point of these stories were? "Daughter Cells" honestly made no sense to me and was not entertaining at all and "The Thankless Child" was like reading a retelling of Cinderella if the fairy godmother was a cult leader forcing the three girls to worship her. Again, what was the point of these stories? To be so weird that they bordered on nonsensical? No clue, didn't like them, moving on.
"Fear Not: An Incident Log" was so dry and uninteresting I skimmed through it. I have zero shame doing so because it preserved my sanity. Deal with it.
Already said what I wanted to say about "Six-Boy Coffins" and "The Rabbit". Well-written, disturbing, entertaining.
"The Merry Spinster" tried way too hard to be funny, witty, clever, etc but came across as uninteresting, unengaging, and ultimately pointless.
You know what sounds like a great idea? Let's write a story about two engaged people talking for 90% of the story about weird shit and call it a story. Just summed up "The Wedding Party" for you, you're welcome.
"Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad" and "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" were both good portraits of abusive friendships/gaslighting but were so woeful depressing and repetitive that I quickly lost interest in them.
"Cast Your Bread Upon the Water" was dull and pointless. Super religious and the narrator was obnoxious.
"The Frog's Princess"-Hey, did you like the on-the-nose theme of female beauty being the only thing men are after in "Six-Boy Coffins"? Well, aren't you in luck! Because apparently the author of this collection was so FUCKING OBSESSED with this concept that they felt the need to have A WHOLE FUCKING STORY surrounding it but EVEN LESS SUBTLE than the previous one! Oh fucking boy, aren't I glad I read it, I didn't think I could fathom men fixating on a woman's beauty, making unwanted advances, and pressuring women into making promises for the sole purpose of exploiting said beauty, thank you so FUCKING MUCH for shoving it so hard in my face I could feel my face imploding.
Those are my thoughts. Read "Six-Boy Coffins" and "The Rabbit", everything else is a waste of time.
Look, I don't want to give this collection two stars because "Six-Boy Coffin" and "The Rabbit" were both terrific stories. However, I can't justify giving even three stars to this collection for when only two out of eleven were good. Sorry, two stories can't carry an entire collection no matter how good they are. But because I wanted to rage-quit reading this collection due to the other nine stories, prepare for one hell of a rant:
"Daughter Cells" and "The Thankless Child" both left me with two questions upon completion: what did I just read and what was the point? Seriously, can anyone tell me what the actual point of these stories were? "Daughter Cells" honestly made no sense to me and was not entertaining at all and "The Thankless Child" was like reading a retelling of Cinderella if the fairy godmother was a cult leader forcing the three girls to worship her. Again, what was the point of these stories? To be so weird that they bordered on nonsensical? No clue, didn't like them, moving on.
"Fear Not: An Incident Log" was so dry and uninteresting I skimmed through it. I have zero shame doing so because it preserved my sanity. Deal with it.
Already said what I wanted to say about "Six-Boy Coffins" and "The Rabbit". Well-written, disturbing, entertaining.
"The Merry Spinster" tried way too hard to be funny, witty, clever, etc but came across as uninteresting, unengaging, and ultimately pointless.
You know what sounds like a great idea? Let's write a story about two engaged people talking for 90% of the story about weird shit and call it a story. Just summed up "The Wedding Party" for you, you're welcome.
"Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad" and "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" were both good portraits of abusive friendships/gaslighting but were so woeful depressing and repetitive that I quickly lost interest in them.
"Cast Your Bread Upon the Water" was dull and pointless. Super religious and the narrator was obnoxious.
"The Frog's Princess"-Hey, did you like the on-the-nose theme of female beauty being the only thing men are after in "Six-Boy Coffins"? Well, aren't you in luck! Because apparently the author of this collection was so FUCKING OBSESSED with this concept that they felt the need to have A WHOLE FUCKING STORY surrounding it but EVEN LESS SUBTLE than the previous one! Oh fucking boy, aren't I glad I read it, I didn't think I could fathom men fixating on a woman's beauty, making unwanted advances, and pressuring women into making promises for the sole purpose of exploiting said beauty, thank you so FUCKING MUCH for shoving it so hard in my face I could feel my face imploding.
Those are my thoughts. Read "Six-Boy Coffins" and "The Rabbit", everything else is a waste of time.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I didn't understand most of the stories. The author tried to retell them but ended up with stories without coherence or a plot and every time I finished reading one, I would just ask myself "What?"
For me, this book didn't live up to its reputation. I liked the retelling of Beauty and the Beast and 'The Six Boy Coffins'. Many of these tales are incredibly dark but not in a fun entertaining way. One positive of the book is the way the author plays with gender. Non-binary folks or people tired of gender roles may find it a breath of fresh air.
Can you take the Real out of a boy, then? Can you take his heart into your own self and leave him stuffed with sawdust on the nursery floor in your place?
The Velveteen Rabbit story is the golden star of this book. Good god.
I have a certain affection for fairy tales. I love them all, from the dark original versions to the colorful and happy Disney films all the way to the retellings, like The Lunar Chronicles. The stories are so familiar, but each has their own tiny spin. I can't ever really get enough of them.
The stories in this book are their own retellings, but they're dark retellings of the original dark stories. Unfortunately, they're not all winners. Most....are not winners, actually.
We start with The Little Mermaid and end with The Fisherman and the Fish. Both of these are favorites of mine (Disney version of the former, original of the latter), and I am especially disappointed that the last is so intensely disappointing. It...there's no magic here. There's no witty turn on the classic tale.
And that happens a lot throughout. And at least one, I have literally no idea what fairy tale it's based off of. Seemingly it's The Goose Girl, but the ending...makes no sense? I've googled the tale repeatedly and still can't figure out WTF is happening here.
I'm so disappointed. Especially because The Rabbit is so fucking creepy, it deserves an award of its own. I would give that story 5 stars, but the rest of the book has dragged the overall rating down to a 2.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review
The Velveteen Rabbit story is the golden star of this book. Good god.
I have a certain affection for fairy tales. I love them all, from the dark original versions to the colorful and happy Disney films all the way to the retellings, like The Lunar Chronicles. The stories are so familiar, but each has their own tiny spin. I can't ever really get enough of them.
The stories in this book are their own retellings, but they're dark retellings of the original dark stories. Unfortunately, they're not all winners. Most....are not winners, actually.
We start with The Little Mermaid and end with The Fisherman and the Fish. Both of these are favorites of mine (Disney version of the former, original of the latter), and I am especially disappointed that the last is so intensely disappointing. It...there's no magic here. There's no witty turn on the classic tale.
And that happens a lot throughout. And at least one, I have literally no idea what fairy tale it's based off of. Seemingly it's The Goose Girl, but the ending...makes no sense? I've googled the tale repeatedly and still can't figure out WTF is happening here.
I'm so disappointed. Especially because The Rabbit is so fucking creepy, it deserves an award of its own. I would give that story 5 stars, but the rest of the book has dragged the overall rating down to a 2.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
A bit disappointed in this as I was expecting classic fairy tales redone with a horror twist. Some of these did make good on that but most of them I just found confusing.
I should have read the subtitle. I should have read the subtitle. I should have read the subtitle. I was expecting fairy tale retellings taken slightly darker, with ambiguous endings. Instead, I shall have nightmares with amoral, possibly omnipotent beings staring over my shoulders. Some of them are human. Many are not. They are very well-done nightmares.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A