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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This is a story about fairy tales if they were what they used to be: dark and dangerous.
Our main protagonist goes through her own story, filled with clues and references to fairy tales.
It was entertaining. Though, in my opinion, at times, the journey felt a little boring.
Our main protagonist goes through her own story, filled with clues and references to fairy tales.
It was entertaining. Though, in my opinion, at times, the journey felt a little boring.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very slow to start- almost quit 70 pages in. After seeing other reviews that said the plot picks up around pg 150, I stuck with it, and Iām glad I did. Once it got going, it was a good take on fairy tales
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*** SPOILERS BELOW ***
This had everything for me to love it; dark fairytales, a mystery, semi-reluctant partners. But something just kinda fell flat for me š It took so long for me to get into the story, but the audiobook narrator did a good job. Ugh Alice was so unlikeable at so many times and her 'sassy quips' were eye rolling at times. Then her and Finch don't even end up together??? Dude spent years watching her and trying to save her from her story and he just says "deuces, I got a new un-named girl āļø"??? Wholeheartedly disagree with that move.
This had everything for me to love it; dark fairytales, a mystery, semi-reluctant partners. But something just kinda fell flat for me š It took so long for me to get into the story, but the audiobook narrator did a good job. Ugh Alice was so unlikeable at so many times and her 'sassy quips' were eye rolling at times. Then her and Finch don't even end up together??? Dude spent years watching her and trying to save her from her story and he just says "deuces, I got a new un-named girl āļø"??? Wholeheartedly disagree with that move.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars, definitely an interesting read but I felt myself getting a little confused with the lore here and there
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book as a prequel to the "The Night Country," releasing Jan. 7., 2020. This is a fantasy and Alice-in-Wonderland fairy tale retelling. The story follows Alice a teenage girl living in New York whose mother is mysteriously kidnapped. Now Alice, with the help of her friend Finch, must track down her mother in the Hazel Wood. The story is fast paced with plenty of twists and turns. The story is a darker shade of fairy tale with Grimm Brother's taste in storytelling. I found the story interesting and well written. The writing style is atmospheric and detailed which is what I enjoy in these types of stories. The ending caught me off guard and was unexpected. It did a nice job of prompting for the next book in the series. I liked the storyline and it was unique in nature which I appreciate. Overall, I gave it three stars because I don't think I like the book enough for a reread.
The story was really not half-bad, even if there were some unnecessary characters and developments in the beginning (Harold and Audrey and everything happening with them, the bookseller episode that feels like the author just got tired of the idea -- while obviously it is not supposed to be but it felt like it). But the fairytale part of it (not just the end, but how she slowly sew it to the whole texte) was really nicely creepily done.
My main problem is how she handled both racism and sexism all of it coming to a blob in the only scene she talked about racism, while one of her main character (Finch) is black (which is barely aknowledge through the color of his mother's skin once before in the book). It's also a scene where the protagonist (Alice) is treated with the most vile sexism. While he's right to call on the heroine's (and the reader's) white privilege, he also completly waves away any kind of discussion about sexism and misogyny, and no, in the end racism is not worse than sexism and misogyny because the both kill, and black women gets it a lot worse than anyone else, even black man, because of the double toll. It cannot be the kind of subjects you treat in badly written scene out of nowhere in a YA fantasy book.
It all lefts a dusty taste on the mouth, because, well, it would take a much better writer to move through the murky waters of a difficult prejudices-filled scene like that and make it significant and not gimmicky.
My main problem is how she handled both racism and sexism all of it coming to a blob in the only scene she talked about racism, while one of her main character (Finch) is black (which is barely aknowledge through the color of his mother's skin once before in the book). It's also a scene where the protagonist (Alice) is treated with the most vile sexism. While he's right to call on the heroine's (and the reader's) white privilege, he also completly waves away any kind of discussion about sexism and misogyny, and no, in the end racism is not worse than sexism and misogyny because the both kill, and black women gets it a lot worse than anyone else, even black man, because of the double toll. It cannot be the kind of subjects you treat in badly written scene out of nowhere in a YA fantasy book.
It all lefts a dusty taste on the mouth, because, well, it would take a much better writer to move through the murky waters of a difficult prejudices-filled scene like that and make it significant and not gimmicky.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes