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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It has been a few years since I read Briar Rose, but the muddled mind of the Briar Rose character has stayed with me. I believe that the book is narrated by the daughter of a woman who suffered under the Nazi Germany regime. It was a bitter, sad story, but still very beautiful. I don't give 5 stars lightly.
This book is my introduction to fairy tale twist stories, and I have to say, I am now very interested in exploring this sub-genre. Jane Yolen did a fantastic job with crafting this story and blending it with historical events from the past century in Europe and the US. Her research for this book paid off very well; her inclusion of the tidbit with the blue jeans as well as her ability to write bilingual characters really impressed me. I also really enjoyed how she structured the book. Reading bits of the tale that Gemma told her granddaughters throughout their lives in between chapters describing Becca's journey set the whole thing up well. I was able to more or less predict the origin behind the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale roughly halfway through the book, but that didn't take away from it in my opinion. I actually don't really think that Yolen intended the reader to truly believe in the fairy tale as it was told. I also think that Yolen did a great job at writing characters as people, and I especially think she did a great job at portraying the experience of dealing with grief and loss.
Overall I really enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of how surprisingly unique and refreshing it all was. It told a familiar story from an entirely new perspective, and I liked that very much.
Overall I really enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons, but mostly because of how surprisingly unique and refreshing it all was. It told a familiar story from an entirely new perspective, and I liked that very much.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-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
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nem nagyon olvastam még ehhez hasonló könyvet. Szinte vakon kezdtem bele, és nem számítottam rá, hogy arról fog szólni, amiről.
Hihetetlenül megrázó történet volt és néha meg kellett állnom olvasás közben, hogy feldolgozzam, amit olvastam. Néhány résznél elsírtam magam.
A történelem egyik legdurvább eseményét dolgozza fel, tündérmesének álcázva.
Hihetetlenül megrázó történet volt és néha meg kellett állnom olvasás közben, hogy feldolgozzam, amit olvastam. Néhány résznél elsírtam magam.
A történelem egyik legdurvább eseményét dolgozza fel, tündérmesének álcázva.
Néha az élethez több bátorság kell, mint a meghaláshoz.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Blood, Antisemitism, War
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit
Minor: Pregnancy
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Homophobia, Murder
Minor: Fatphobia, Pregnancy
I thought The Devil's Arithmetic was an amazing book so was looking forward to this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It was quite creative how Sleeping Beauty took place during World War II but aside from that did not enjoy this book. I had some real issues with certain scenes. I also did not get how the grandmother's story never ended happily but then as the grandmother is telling the final lines "they all lived happily ever after." Interesting in concept but not so much in execution.
About halfway through, I realized I had probably read this before, but I couldn't remember...... I don't know if that's a bad sign or what. I mostly like this - I adore Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series, so that's cool. I did wonder why the family was so slow to pick up on the clues in the story - I mean, there are certain things you can assume about a Jewish woman who left Europe in 1944, and I don't know why it doesn't seem to occur to them that the details in the story resonate with a certain experience of Nazis and the death camps. Overall, well done.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This will never be a favorite, but the author's note did bring me to tears. I love a good fairytale retelling, and while it's a slow start to get to the story within the story, it's worthwhile. Also, the frustration with the causes of that slow start is entirely relatable and realistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Antisemitism
Minor: Transphobia