Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

151 reviews

rainbopagn's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I am not one for fairy tale retellings, but this was long enough to deliver. Looking at incurable or terminal illness as a curse allows so many people to feel seen. I did knock this down a star for SPOILERS BELOW. I do love the way it was written, very much like a fairy tale. 



This was knocked down from 4 to 3 stars because of the quasi cure the main character gets at the end. Miracle cures are still firmly in the world of fiction, especially for genetic mutations like hers. I cannot get behind that notion.  
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emzhay's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This book screams 2015 Tumblr from its humor, references and characterization to its feminism, narrative critique, and logic. 
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eni_iilorak's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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crunchycrystals's review against another edition

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adventurous
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.75

the humor was a bit cringey at times but i thought the message behind it was really nice and the descriptions of the characters emotions made me genuinely cry its fun. also i love fairytale retellings and thought the way those aspects were incorporated were really cool especially in the last half and enjoyed zinnia's personality i really like her
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gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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witcheep's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This novella is a fresh take on fairytale retellings: it not only retells a classic tale of the Sleeping Beauty, but also acknowledges that there already are numerous iterations of the same story. If you are interested in folklore, you'll enjoy the witty commentary on traditional roles of fairytale characters, agency, and other tropes in this novella.

The main character Zinnia has a rare medical condition that makes her life expectancy only 21 years ("the curse"). This has made her relate to the tale of Sleeping Beauty and even get a degree in folklore to dive deeper in all it's iterations. Zinnia's interest in the tale makes her likeness to it explicit.

And maybe the dying girl rules are garbage, and in stead of us trying not to die, we should be trying to live.

On her 21st birthday, a drunken dare has Zinnia prick her finger on a spike of a spindle, and she finds herself transported to another dimension.
Zinnia discovers a multiverse of Sleeping Beauties from every retelling imaginable, from the classics to scifi-Beauties. And together, they agree that sometimes
there are faiths worse than a century of sleep. If the curse is a blessing in disguise, and the curse is taken away from the girl, what other options are there left?
Zinnia is resolved to find those options, and not only for herself.
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risten's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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strewnsunlight's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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? Yes

4.0

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asahome's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring

4.75

TL;DR: A dying girl retells her story by grabbing it by the horns.
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craftysnailtail's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This is the first novella of Harrow's I've read and it was pretty enjoyable! Her style of writing here is quite different and much more casual compared to Ten Thousand Doors of January. 

The storyline was fun and Zinnia managed to draw me in as a fellow chronically ill woman. The disabled representation was well done, in my opinion. The grief, hope, and unfairness of it all felt realistic. 

As Harrow says, it's very much spider-verse meets fairytale (with an extremely feminist twist). Felt a bit like a well written fanfic, and the pop culture references weren't for me, but overall, it was the perfect length and vibe for a whimsical afternoon. I was satisfied with the ending and am looking forward to more novellas by her.
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