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littlewit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
the_ghost_penguin_reader's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
clumsyqueenie's review
4.0
“Alliana raised her chin, regal as Queen Natsumi. ‘I may be a girl of dust, but that’s not all there is to me. Remember this: I am a girl of dust and dragons, and I will not let myself be treated like this a moment longer.’”
Rating: 4.5/5.0
★★★★✩
Thank you Netgalley, TBR and Beyond Tours and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange of a honest review!
check out my review, along with five reasons to read this book on my blog!
In short, Alliana was everything whimsical. A retelling of the Japanese Cinderella, it wastes no time in pulling you into the story, leaving you gaping at the magical world of witches and dragons.
Like Cinderella, Alliana starts off an ordinary girl, orphaned at a tender young age, now forced to do her stepmother’s endless list of chores to fulfill her “debt”. But her life takes a complete turn when a nightdragon and a young witch enter her life, rendering Alliana and the readers curious for more!
The twist here though, is that our Cinderella here isn’t out for her Prince Charming, but to enrol in the prestigious Royal Academy. I went into this book not expecting to like it very much, but I’m so glad to say that I loved reading this! (No, we will not be blaming it on my recent love for middle grade releases).
So if this isn't reasons enough for you to pick up Alliana, Girl of Dragons, then obviously, check out my blog post linked above that has five reasons you need to pick this up!
nausicaa_requiem's review
Picked it up cuz I was in the mood for some MG Fantasy. Was super excited for it. It sucked. I think this is a lower middle grade book. Like ages below 10. Should have been careful about that.
rodanoar's review against another edition
4.0
This time around, the coziness came from the characters! Seeing them navigate their younger lives was such a delight! Maybe I found this comforting because I already knew them from the "Eva Evergreen" books.
I enjoyed seeing how people work on retellings, and this "Cinderella" retelling was well executed, in my opinion. I was completely invested, and I think this was one of the most dramatic books that Abe has written. I cannot stress enough how much I was rooting for Alliana and her friends. I love the found family trope, and how you choose to love the people who love you back, even if they are not related to you. And if you add dragons to the mix, the recipe can only be successful!
Maybe it was the Grandmother Mari figure, but I think this book had many teachings that felt like a grandma's lesson, to be honest. But in a good, nostalgic, and cozy way. I even noted some quotes that marked me, and this one stands out by far:
"We think we trade in gold and silver, but words are the true currency of our lives."
WOW.
But, ultimately, I didn't give this 5 stars because my blood pressure was too high after reading this. I mean, it's part of the deal, especially with the stepmother and stepsiblings, but oh boy, wasn't I worked up every time I read... But maybe that's what pulled me in in the first place... THE DRAMA!
Despite liking to see how people work on retellings, I think it would be cool not to depend on the base story or even market the book as a retelling. I couldn't stop comparing the narratives, picking what was going along with the original story and what was not... I mean, that's how you differentiate the book from the tale, but why not work on it on its own? Even if people see the resemblances, are the public accusations (and fear of them) heavier so authors sell their stories as retellings to protect themselves? Maybe I am going too deep already, but my point remains: I wasn't reading original content™.
I enjoyed seeing how people work on retellings, and this "Cinderella" retelling was well executed, in my opinion. I was completely invested, and I think this was one of the most dramatic books that Abe has written. I cannot stress enough how much I was rooting for Alliana and her friends. I love the found family trope, and how you choose to love the people who love you back, even if they are not related to you. And if you add dragons to the mix, the recipe can only be successful!
Maybe it was the Grandmother Mari figure, but I think this book had many teachings that felt like a grandma's lesson, to be honest. But in a good, nostalgic, and cozy way. I even noted some quotes that marked me, and this one stands out by far:
"We think we trade in gold and silver, but words are the true currency of our lives."
WOW.
But, ultimately, I didn't give this 5 stars because my blood pressure was too high after reading this. I mean, it's part of the deal, especially with the stepmother and stepsiblings, but oh boy, wasn't I worked up every time I read... But maybe that's what pulled me in in the first place... THE DRAMA!
Despite liking to see how people work on retellings, I think it would be cool not to depend on the base story or even market the book as a retelling. I couldn't stop comparing the narratives, picking what was going along with the original story and what was not... I mean, that's how you differentiate the book from the tale, but why not work on it on its own? Even if people see the resemblances, are the public accusations (and fear of them) heavier so authors sell their stories as retellings to protect themselves? Maybe I am going too deep already, but my point remains: I wasn't reading original content™.
zanjabeel_z's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Not me almost crying while reading this book.
Wow such a beautiful book. Brimming with hope and love, I loved this!
4 stars!
Not me almost crying while reading this book.
Wow such a beautiful book. Brimming with hope and love, I loved this!
4 stars!
aprilthelibrarian's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
girlpuck's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
alexalovesbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I went with my gut when picking out my first read of 2023, and this middle grade fantasy from Julie Abe (which came out last summer) was the perfect choice. It allowed me to revisit a world that I love dearly, and to experience it through the eyes of a brand new main character; this mix of familiar and new worked perfectly in engaging me as a reader all throughout. Unlike the <i>Eva Evergreen</i> duology, this tale took a little more time for me to warm up to (which probably has more to do with my feelings about the <i>Cinderella</i> type tale on the whole). Slow burn to start it may have been, but by the end, I was all in with Alliana and her companions... to the point where the last couple of chapters made me very teary-eyed. If you're looking for a charming, lovely middle grade read, this will absolutely be a book for you. Julie Abe is, by far, one of my favorite middle grade novelists and I look forward to reading all of the books she has in store for us in the future!
ljrinaldi's review
5.0
Oh my gosh, I wish I had written this novel. But I am so glad that Julie Abe did.
You have got to put this on your TBR shelf. You have got to pre-order this. Yes, it is that good.
This has all the pain and heartache of a good Cinderella story, but with dragons. Isn’t that what you always wanted in a Cinderella story, well, other than space ships, I guess.
The basic story is of Alliana who lost her father when she was six years old, when he went to the abyse which is an area where magical creatures live, but are kept back from the general public by a magic barrier. However, there is a gap near the inn where Alliana and her father live by, and adventurers go there in search of riches.
And like any good Cinderella story, there is the cruel step-mother who she is left with after her father dies, who uses her like a scullery maid, at the inn.
And instead of mice, this Cinderella character befriends a night dragon, saves his life, and they bond.
And yes there is a “ball” that Alliana wants to go to, but not to meet a prince, per se, but to gain entry to the royal academy.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. I kept wanting to finish, and yet not finish, because I loved Alliana so much. So much heartache, so much pain. This book had me in tears, I as I raced to read it, staying up into the wee hours.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
You have got to put this on your TBR shelf. You have got to pre-order this. Yes, it is that good.
This has all the pain and heartache of a good Cinderella story, but with dragons. Isn’t that what you always wanted in a Cinderella story, well, other than space ships, I guess.
The basic story is of Alliana who lost her father when she was six years old, when he went to the abyse which is an area where magical creatures live, but are kept back from the general public by a magic barrier. However, there is a gap near the inn where Alliana and her father live by, and adventurers go there in search of riches.
And like any good Cinderella story, there is the cruel step-mother who she is left with after her father dies, who uses her like a scullery maid, at the inn.
And instead of mice, this Cinderella character befriends a night dragon, saves his life, and they bond.
And yes there is a “ball” that Alliana wants to go to, but not to meet a prince, per se, but to gain entry to the royal academy.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. I kept wanting to finish, and yet not finish, because I loved Alliana so much. So much heartache, so much pain. This book had me in tears, I as I raced to read it, staying up into the wee hours.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.