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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
It's always difficult rating an anthology, because one story may really be wonderful, others are "meh" and one really stink. That's not the case here, with several hitting the "wonderful" mark ("Beauty and Chad", I'm looking at you especially) and most being better than average. Does it matter if you don't know the lesser-known stories being retold? Not really. They're enjoyable on their own.
If only my students enjoyed story collections more... maybe this'll help.
ARC provided by publisher.
If only my students enjoyed story collections more... maybe this'll help.
ARC provided by publisher.
Several good re-tellings in this anthology, particularly "The Key," "Figment,' "Thinner Than Water," and "A Real Boy."
Loved this short story! Definitely got me interested in reading more by Jackson Pearce
Merged review:
Loved the stories, and definitely has got me interest in reading some of the authors' other work. I think my favorite of all the stories was Untethered by Sonia Gensler.
Merged review:
Loved the stories, and definitely has got me interest in reading some of the authors' other work. I think my favorite of all the stories was Untethered by Sonia Gensler.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hate giving a rating to an anthology like this because there were stories in here that, standing alone, would only get 2 stars from me, and a couple (especially Figment) that would not only get a five star, but a plea for more, more, more! I really wanted the collection as a whole to be more dark and creepy--the cover, the title, and book trailer really built up that dark aspect, but many of the stories were fairly straight-forward retellings.
One of the things that I love to hate about short stories is that I always want more. More character development, more world building, more depth. Sometimes this can be effective. Leaving a reader with longing after they walk away can be a sign of success. But some of these stories needed more to give them the emotional oomph they needed to stick with me.
That said, there are moments of brilliance in this book. If, like me, you are looking to discover some new favorites in the YA genre, this anthology is worth a read. Most of the stories, even the ones that felt too brief/abrupt to me, had something interesting enough for their authors to end up on my To Read list!
One of the things that I love to hate about short stories is that I always want more. More character development, more world building, more depth. Sometimes this can be effective. Leaving a reader with longing after they walk away can be a sign of success. But some of these stories needed more to give them the emotional oomph they needed to stick with me.
That said, there are moments of brilliance in this book. If, like me, you are looking to discover some new favorites in the YA genre, this anthology is worth a read. Most of the stories, even the ones that felt too brief/abrupt to me, had something interesting enough for their authors to end up on my To Read list!
This is a collection of short stories based on fairy tales written by a number of different authors. Some of the retellings are quite obvious but some of the stories are based on fairy tales that I have never heard of which was quite interesting.
I liked this collection- there were some good stories but there were also some that I didn't really like. However, overall I think that the stories were quite forgettable and nothing really stood out to me.
The Key by Rachel Hawkins- 3
Figment by Jeri Smith-Ready-4
The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo- 3.5
The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron- 3
Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell-3
Before the Rose Bloomed by Ellen Hopkins- 2
Beast/Beast by Tessa Gratton-2
The Brothers Piggett by Julie Kagawa- 3
Untethered by Sonia Geniser- 2
Better by Shaun David Hutchinson- 3
Light It Up by Kimberley Derting- 2
Sharper Than A Serpent's Tongue by Christine Johnson-2
A Real Boy by Claudia Gray- 3
Skin Trade by Myra McEntire- 2
Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan- 3
The Pink by Amanda Hocking- 3
Sell Out by Jackson Pearce- 2
I liked this collection- there were some good stories but there were also some that I didn't really like. However, overall I think that the stories were quite forgettable and nothing really stood out to me.
The Key by Rachel Hawkins- 3
Figment by Jeri Smith-Ready-4
The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo- 3.5
The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron- 3
Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell-3
Before the Rose Bloomed by Ellen Hopkins- 2
Beast/Beast by Tessa Gratton-2
The Brothers Piggett by Julie Kagawa- 3
Untethered by Sonia Geniser- 2
Better by Shaun David Hutchinson- 3
Light It Up by Kimberley Derting- 2
Sharper Than A Serpent's Tongue by Christine Johnson-2
A Real Boy by Claudia Gray- 3
Skin Trade by Myra McEntire- 2
Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan- 3
The Pink by Amanda Hocking- 3
Sell Out by Jackson Pearce- 2
Diverse cast of characters:
No
We originally meant to read this around Halloween...and then, well, we're how far into this pandemic now? I'm sure it read differently in January than it might have in October, but I'm still glad I worked my way through the collection. I think a really well-crafted short story is one of the hardest kinds of writing, and there were a few here that were executed particularly well. (There were also definitely some duds, but that's just part of most anthologies, right?)
Anyway. Even when I was familiar with the Grimm tale being reworked, I mostly enjoyed these and there are a few pieces I'm going to think about for some time. Fun!
Anyway. Even when I was familiar with the Grimm tale being reworked, I mostly enjoyed these and there are a few pieces I'm going to think about for some time. Fun!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love short stories and am a fanatic regarding fairy tales so this book is a winner for me. Most of the stories were really good but I think some of them are definitely geared for the High school audience.