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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I loved the ending and the story was great, but McKinley doesn't know how to edit out all her descriptions. Don't get me wrong, her descriptions are beautiful, but there are just way too many. They make it hard to remember the story.
I didn't like this as much as a grown-up as I think I did when I was younger. But I still didn't put it down.
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
It's such a lovely feeling to come back to a favorite of 10 or 15 years ago and discover that I still really love it. Not only is everything about it just perfect, from the characters, to the setting and world building, to the relationships and interaction, but it also brings a certain nostalgia of remembering what parts I related to more back then than I do now.
Content issues are very low. There is enough danger, to both animals and humans, that it could be tense or frightening, but all of such a magical/curse variety that I wouldn't call anything that happens 'violence'. Sex or breeding are briefly mentioned a couple of times, but only in the context of animals. Kisses are mentioned a couple of times, and there's some romantic subplot, which is secondary to the storylines about family and friendship. Magic is pervasive through the whole book, in a very natural, 'this is just how the world works here' kind of way. Depending on sensitives, I could see some very young advanced readers enjoying this book.
Content issues are very low. There is enough danger, to both animals and humans, that it could be tense or frightening, but all of such a magical/curse variety that I wouldn't call anything that happens 'violence'. Sex or breeding are briefly mentioned a couple of times, but only in the context of animals. Kisses are mentioned a couple of times, and there's some romantic subplot, which is secondary to the storylines about family and friendship. Magic is pervasive through the whole book, in a very natural, 'this is just how the world works here' kind of way. Depending on sensitives, I could see some very young advanced readers enjoying this book.
4.75 STARS!!
I finished this a couple days ago and I'm STILL thinking of it. I can't even describe how absolutely gorgeous the world-building and magic system in Spindle's End is. The whole book I felt like I was sinking into a soft cloud, or maybe wandering through magical forest with cozy cottages sprinkled throughout.
The writing is "flowery," (sometimes abundantly so) so if you're not a fan of descriptions, this might not be the book for you. But the writing and details of everything are SO PERFECT that I could read a textbook just on this world, with absolutely no plot, and still enjoy it.
But luckily, this book is NOT just a textbook, and does have a plot - and oh, what a plot. I absolutely love retellings and this one was done even better than most. It's not just "another retelling of Sleeping Beauty," it truly feels like the people and places are REAL. I adored all the characters, especially the main trio - Katriona, Rosie and Peony - and Rosie and Peony's best friendship was one of my favorite things in the whole book.
I marked it a down .25 of a star because the writing sometimes (rarely, but still) is SO detailed and dense that I got slightly confused with what was being said/what was happening. However, this hardly ever happened and the uniqueness of the book made up for it. Overall the writing is awesome and the characters are awesome and EVERYTHING IS AWESOME.
Final recap: read this book. It's immersive and gorgeous!
I finished this a couple days ago and I'm STILL thinking of it. I can't even describe how absolutely gorgeous the world-building and magic system in Spindle's End is. The whole book I felt like I was sinking into a soft cloud, or maybe wandering through magical forest with cozy cottages sprinkled throughout.
The writing is "flowery," (sometimes abundantly so) so if you're not a fan of descriptions, this might not be the book for you. But the writing and details of everything are SO PERFECT that I could read a textbook just on this world, with absolutely no plot, and still enjoy it.
But luckily, this book is NOT just a textbook, and does have a plot - and oh, what a plot. I absolutely love retellings and this one was done even better than most. It's not just "another retelling of Sleeping Beauty," it truly feels like the people and places are REAL. I adored all the characters, especially the main trio - Katriona, Rosie and Peony - and Rosie and Peony's best friendship was one of my favorite things in the whole book.
I marked it a down .25 of a star because the writing sometimes (rarely, but still) is SO detailed and dense that I got slightly confused with what was being said/what was happening. However, this hardly ever happened and the uniqueness of the book made up for it. Overall the writing is awesome and the characters are awesome and EVERYTHING IS AWESOME.
Final recap: read this book. It's immersive and gorgeous!