Scan barcode
monkeywaffle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jesseyarnall's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Did not enjoy. Characters were not interesting and overall was boring.
blueberryhotel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
so glad i finally got around to reading a kelly link book because this was brilliant! doing a short story collection of reimagined fairy tales could easily veer into cliche or heavy-handed, but link has such a prolific imagination and expansive way of approaching this retelling concept. i think she succeeds in that she works from the perspective of considering each original fable’s themes and overall tone rather than trying to replicate exact plotlines or transpose age-old stories into modern-day iterations. so cleverly written, so haunting; her writing propels the reader forward, hungry to uncover the secrets in the story. the twists are never easily predictable, the prose is vivid and creative. i love that one of the authors who blurbed the book on the back cover called these “Linkian fairy tales” because they truly feel singular and i’m excited to read more of kelly link’s work to hear more of her voice and style.
sequentialstate's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
katebushofficial's review against another edition
5.0
reminded me of this series of spooky short stories we had in primary school that i was obsessed with … spooky and fun and whimsical !!!
hmcendree's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
jordanian_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully weird and darkly whimsical short stories inspired by fairy tales? Count me in!
Not only was this premise 100% my jam, but I think Kelly Link executed it beautifully. My favorite were the stories that read like mysteries as I slowly came to understand the worldbuilding, especially the Station Eleven-esque story, “The White Road.” I do have a few lingering questions about this collection, so –quick, go read this– so we can discuss!
Not only was this premise 100% my jam, but I think Kelly Link executed it beautifully. My favorite were the stories that read like mysteries as I slowly came to understand the worldbuilding, especially the Station Eleven-esque story, “The White Road.” I do have a few lingering questions about this collection, so –quick, go read this– so we can discuss!
kdawn999's review against another edition
4.0
These stories were astonishingly good--very clever takes on the fairy tales that inspired points of character and plot. Rather than retellings of fairy tales, the best of these are more like incredibly witty analytical pieces on fairytale structure--the absurdities, the acts in 3s, the casual defiance of physics, the arbitrary rules, and the inevitably harsh and wonderfully mysterious lessons. You really feel like you're being taught something about the mechanisms behind fairy tales. If not for a few weaker stories in the middle, this collection would be a full 5 stars for me. I listened to the audiobook voiced by accomplished celebrity readers. Dan Stevens really knocked his out of the park.