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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Why aren't more people talking about this book? Or at least I haven't seen anyone talking about it!
Ashley Poston might have done a Beauty and the Beast retelling but she did it in such an original and refreshing way!! BATB is one of the stories I see most often being retold and they always are pretty similar but Ashley took BATB and truly made it her own!
First I would like to say I think I loved this book because Cerys, our 16(?) year old main character, was not an annoying teenage girl. So many books that have teenage girls as their leads make the MC out to be an annoying, spoiled, difficult to read and like character. Yes, I know some teenagers are like that but not all are!! We need to stop with the annoying teenage MCs!! I've started to not like reading books where the characters are in high school because of the way the author portrays the MC.
Cerys was such a nice change of pace for a teen MC. This may be because ATBAB was set not in our current time with cell phones and Tik Tok but in the past (at least I think it was set in a past time? The time period was never said that I remember but I know it wasn't current or future!).
I also loved the magic world that Ashley created.
This book left me thinking about so much of the magic and it's magical world I low-key wanna read it again!! OH! Maybe I'll listen to it on audiobook!!!
ANYWAY, go read Among the Beasts & Briars!! It will not disappoint!!
Ashley Poston might have done a Beauty and the Beast retelling but she did it in such an original and refreshing way!! BATB is one of the stories I see most often being retold and they always are pretty similar but Ashley took BATB and truly made it her own!
First I would like to say I think I loved this book because Cerys, our 16(?) year old main character, was not an annoying teenage girl. So many books that have teenage girls as their leads make the MC out to be an annoying, spoiled, difficult to read and like character. Yes, I know some teenagers are like that but not all are!! We need to stop with the annoying teenage MCs!! I've started to not like reading books where the characters are in high school because of the way the author portrays the MC.
Cerys was such a nice change of pace for a teen MC. This may be because ATBAB was set not in our current time with cell phones and Tik Tok but in the past (at least I think it was set in a past time? The time period was never said that I remember but I know it wasn't current or future!).
I also loved the magic world that Ashley created.
Spoiler
I now cannot stop thinking about black seeds and how oh I probably shouldn't touch those or omg what poor person is stuck in that fox body?? Where is our Lady and where is she stuck and how do I free her!!This book left me thinking about so much of the magic and it's magical world I low-key wanna read it again!! OH! Maybe I'll listen to it on audiobook!!!
ANYWAY, go read Among the Beasts & Briars!! It will not disappoint!!
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Imagine a One Dark Window written for elementary school. There’s a cursed wood that borders the kingdom of Aloriya and those who travel into the fog can become afflicted with the wildwood curse. “Ancients” live in the wood, large deer-like bone creatures that release wildwood seeds like spores. These seeds float in the air and plant in a human victim’s body, inflicting the curse: the seed takes root and grows and turn the victim into a bone eater, a mindless monster driven by hunger. The monarch of Aloriya wears a crown to keep the curse at bay as long as it is on their head. It had been granted to the first King of Sunder after he travelled into the Wildwood and received it from the Lady of the Wild. However, the curse is getting stronger, and during the next coronation the crown is separated from the next in line. It’s up to Cerys, a gardener’s daughter with power from the wildwood in her blood, to save her best friend, her father and the rest of her town after the they all succumb to the curse.
The premise was intriguing and that is obviously why I picked it up, but it fell flat on the execution. The atmosphere is dark and melancholic with the descriptions of the Wildwood and its cursed ruin and creatures, but the characters who carry us through as we read these descriptions do not match them. They themselves are very plain and the dialogue is cringy and immature—they are making bear puns in the middle of the forest when they could be eaten at any moment. The only layer of depth is that Cerys had survivor’s guilt and believes she is just a “gardener’s daughter” meant to be restricted to familiarity behind garden walls, and therefore she can’t be the hero she needs to be. And then our second character is cowardly and can’t decide between helping Cerys or just running away to save himself the risk. The stakes are high, but the way the protagonists approach the issue is underwhelming. It definitely reads way younger than I thought it would. Perhaps elementary school me would have enjoyed it more.
The premise was intriguing and that is obviously why I picked it up, but it fell flat on the execution. The atmosphere is dark and melancholic with the descriptions of the Wildwood and its cursed ruin and creatures, but the characters who carry us through as we read these descriptions do not match them. They themselves are very plain and the dialogue is cringy and immature—they are making bear puns in the middle of the forest when they could be eaten at any moment. The only layer of depth is that Cerys had survivor’s guilt and believes she is just a “gardener’s daughter” meant to be restricted to familiarity behind garden walls, and therefore she can’t be the hero she needs to be. And then our second character is cowardly and can’t decide between helping Cerys or just running away to save himself the risk. The stakes are high, but the way the protagonists approach the issue is underwhelming. It definitely reads way younger than I thought it would. Perhaps elementary school me would have enjoyed it more.
This was a very satisfying read as far as YA goes. A tad repetitive at times, but overall some interesting worldbuilding, good character development, and a solid ending. Read past the acknowledgements section at the end, there are a couple "Marvel-esque" post-credit scenes that are good fun.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this was such a good story and was written so well. the reason i subtracted .75 stars was bc i could see every “shocking” plot twist from a mile away. but it was still cute as hell.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Good concept and generally a good story. However, the writing itself feels a little young. There are a lot of good ideas and beginnings of concepts that don’t go anywhere and the dialogue is a little awkward. Kind of gave wattpad writing at some parts.