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shannonvonpesach's review against another edition
It skipped too much for me between the real Cinderella and the whole fairy think. I couldn't wrap my head around it and did not enjoy the book at all.
Ash was not a likable character for me.
Ash was not a likable character for me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
enbylievable's review against another edition
4.0
Always refreshing to enjoy a queer love story that has a happy ending. All too often, things end with someone dying, or a violent breakup, or a s*icide, etc. This is a retelling of the story of Cinderella through a queer, pagan lens -- I read Lo's "Huntress" quite a few years ago and I really enjoyed it! This one was really lovely too. Ah, to be young and bisexual, rebuffing the advances of fairies and escaping abuse to mack on a pretty girl. Love it.
fargiloses's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
drridareads's review against another edition
1.0
I feel like a deserve a medal for finishing this lacklustre (in my opinion) book!
I read 2 books specifically for Pride Month this year: Ash and What if it's us and sadly I wasn't a fan of either. But this one was especially boring.
I'm down for a lesbian retelling of Cinderella but this book was snooze fest. I don't understand how people actually liked this book. There was a great idea and I would've loved it had it not all felt so flat. Disney's Cinderella has more depth to it's characters than this; evil the Stepmother was more evil in that one.
It's one of those times I wished 0 stars existed. Guess I'll have to go with 1.
I read 2 books specifically for Pride Month this year: Ash and What if it's us and sadly I wasn't a fan of either. But this one was especially boring.
I'm down for a lesbian retelling of Cinderella but this book was snooze fest. I don't understand how people actually liked this book. There was a great idea and I would've loved it had it not all felt so flat. Disney's Cinderella has more depth to it's characters than this; evil the Stepmother was more evil in that one.
It's one of those times I wished 0 stars existed. Guess I'll have to go with 1.
chrystalo's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 out of 5 (rounding up). This book was not what I was expecting, and there were some interesting literary choices that I really appreciated. The one main issue I had with this book was how it flowed from beginning to end - it felt a bit choppy in some places and far too long and drawn out in others. But it's nice to see that a book like this exists and is available for young adults to read.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
For some reason this book had never really crossed my path and I have no idea where it has been hiding all the time. It's a book containing each and every element that I love: the backbone of the Cinderella tale, a magical influence from the faerie world, an enchanting writing style and some very unexpected twists and turns.
The more I read, the better I'm starting to understand what kind of books I like. I'm therefore not surprised that I love this book, but I'm surprised that the element that really stood out, wasn't the plot or the original take on the Cinderella tale. The element that stood out the most was the atmosphere. I always call Maggie Stiefvater the queen of creating said atmosphere, but this book really mastered the art of it too.
From the very beginning the story seems to have an extra layer, always present and lingering in the background, once in a while showing itself in plain sight and then going back into hiding again, but never truly disappearing. The constant push and pull between our world and the faerie world, the search from Ash for where she actually belongs and wants to be. It's magical and it's what truly makes this story.
Because where a lot of stories are about the character growth and where they eventually end up. Or where a lot of stories build towards an epic conclusion and showdown, this book never truly is about the ending. It's about the road towards that ending, it's about stories and the power they have and the truths they entail. It's about the climb to eventually watch the view, even if we fall down a few times along the way. It's about all those scenes eventually bringing the character to that end.
And although Ash never gets that much depth, she still feels unique and it's easy to love her and give her a place in your heart. She captures the traits of Cinderella perfectly, but she also adds a few of her own and a few flaws too. And even though I don't feel like I truly know her, I doubt Ash feels like she truly knows her, I was constantly rooting for her, only wanting the best for her.
Reading this book has been a unique and lovely experience.
The more I read, the better I'm starting to understand what kind of books I like. I'm therefore not surprised that I love this book, but I'm surprised that the element that really stood out, wasn't the plot or the original take on the Cinderella tale. The element that stood out the most was the atmosphere. I always call Maggie Stiefvater the queen of creating said atmosphere, but this book really mastered the art of it too.
From the very beginning the story seems to have an extra layer, always present and lingering in the background, once in a while showing itself in plain sight and then going back into hiding again, but never truly disappearing. The constant push and pull between our world and the faerie world, the search from Ash for where she actually belongs and wants to be. It's magical and it's what truly makes this story.
Because where a lot of stories are about the character growth and where they eventually end up. Or where a lot of stories build towards an epic conclusion and showdown, this book never truly is about the ending. It's about the road towards that ending, it's about stories and the power they have and the truths they entail. It's about the climb to eventually watch the view, even if we fall down a few times along the way. It's about all those scenes eventually bringing the character to that end.
And although Ash never gets that much depth, she still feels unique and it's easy to love her and give her a place in your heart. She captures the traits of Cinderella perfectly, but she also adds a few of her own and a few flaws too. And even though I don't feel like I truly know her, I doubt Ash feels like she truly knows her, I was constantly rooting for her, only wanting the best for her.
Reading this book has been a unique and lovely experience.
crimsoncor's review against another edition
3.0
Liked it, didn't love it. Interesting reading it right after Spear. Ash is the book that historically really paved the way for the acceptance of queer novels like Spear, but when reflecting back on it, I don't think it holds up as well.
nyxonyxdust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Physical abuse