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shnndd's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ladytiara's review
3.0
The Cold Is in Her Bones has been touted as a retelling of the myth of Medusa, but that's bit misleading. Other than some snakes in hair, this book doesn't have much to do with the myth.
I had a little trouble getting into this book. The first 60 or so pages are slow, and the main character, Milla, didn't grab me at first. She's very sheltered and naive, and frankly a bit boring. She lives alone with her parents and brother, and she's never left her family's farm, not even to go to the nearby village. Things change with the arrival of Iris, who is sent to live at the farm in preparation for eventually marrying Milla's brother. Milla and Iris quickly become friends, and Milla's whole world is opened up. But Iris fears that she's becoming a demon, and Milla soon finds that she's changing as well.
The Cold Is in Her Bones an interesting exploration of how society treats women and the restrictions that are placed on them. It's also a story of revenge and forgiveness and friendship. The part of the story that dealt with the demons and why the girls are changing didn't quite work for me, but the friendship aspect was much more interesting, and I enjoyed the writing.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
I had a little trouble getting into this book. The first 60 or so pages are slow, and the main character, Milla, didn't grab me at first. She's very sheltered and naive, and frankly a bit boring. She lives alone with her parents and brother, and she's never left her family's farm, not even to go to the nearby village. Things change with the arrival of Iris, who is sent to live at the farm in preparation for eventually marrying Milla's brother. Milla and Iris quickly become friends, and Milla's whole world is opened up. But Iris fears that she's becoming a demon, and Milla soon finds that she's changing as well.
The Cold Is in Her Bones an interesting exploration of how society treats women and the restrictions that are placed on them. It's also a story of revenge and forgiveness and friendship. The part of the story that dealt with the demons and why the girls are changing didn't quite work for me, but the friendship aspect was much more interesting, and I enjoyed the writing.
I received an ARC from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
gcinc's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
tippyloohoo's review
4.0
After reading The Beast is an Animal I knew I would have to read all of Peternelle van Arsdale's books so I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of The Cold is in Her Bones. I was not disappointed. Much like her debut this is a slow burn that really makes you think about what you are reading. I've heard this called a retelling of the Medusa myth and while I can see the correlation the story is so much more than that. It's haunting and beautiful and utterly unlike anything else I have read.
sunshine169's review
3.0
One girl must uncover secrets of the past to save her friend from a terrible curse in this dark and mesmerizing story of love, revenge, and redemption inspired by the myth of Medusa.
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If you are going into this book thinking it will be about Greek mythology this is not the book for you... however, if you enjoy a creepy fairy tale like story than I recommend you pick this up.
The story is strange but it kept my attention all the way through because I needed closure! I found it very odd that Milla did not freak out when two snakes grew out of her head. She took everything in stride! There is definitely a need for suspended belief when reading this book.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the friendship between Milla and Iris. It is wonderful to read strong female bonds!
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If you are going into this book thinking it will be about Greek mythology this is not the book for you... however, if you enjoy a creepy fairy tale like story than I recommend you pick this up.
The story is strange but it kept my attention all the way through because I needed closure! I found it very odd that Milla did not freak out when two snakes grew out of her head. She took everything in stride! There is definitely a need for suspended belief when reading this book.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the friendship between Milla and Iris. It is wonderful to read strong female bonds!
winterfeyforever's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
jazzblades's review
I have mixed feelings on this one. It's kind of hard to pinpoint my feelings about it. This has been on my tbr for a long time so I am glad I finally got to it. It's also pretty short so I was able to get through it fairly quickly. I did enjoy parts of it and thought it was interesting in terms of the premise and the world. It does have very strong folktale vibes to it. I wasn't really a fan of the pacing, things felt a little disjointed or disconnected maybe. I did like the discussion about expectations that are put on women and how certain communities enforce these expectations and standards and if you stray from them you are punished and seen as bad, wrong, sometimes even evil. I thought that aspect was interesting and was done well in the story. This was fine. Not bad but not a stand out either.
emmasdilemma's review
4.0
I definitely appreciate the vibe of the book reading it I felt like I was emerged in a simpler world. I loved the aspect of girls who aren't perfect - 'wild' or 'out of the ordinary' - as demon possessed as a view on society for women. Unfortunately, I couldn't fully get myself into it. I felt like I needed a bit more character depth overall since the structure of the characters were quite lovely.
ellie_gonzalez's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75