Reviews

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

amy_readheadreviews's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was an absolutely, fantastic story that manages to address multiple serious issues without weighing you down or making you feel sad. Inspiring and beautiful. It’s only 3 hours, so it’s a little difficult to say much without revealing anything. The narrator did a magnificent job of bringing the characters to life and making them easily identifiable. The unique take provided on the fairytale was original and one I was very surprised by. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Alix E. Harrow for the opportunity to listen to an early release of this audiobook in consideration of a review. I listened to it 12/28/21. I checked it out from the public library for a reread and it was just as wonderful as I remembered. 5/4/24. 

ssmariof's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

elly29's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? No

3.5

A fast-paced Sleeping Beauty retelling, where the protagonist is a young woman with a developmental disease. I liked the questions she asks about who is saving whom, the twists were interesting annd engaging enough, and I’m a sucker for stories about the magic of stories.

thepaperbackplanner's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fun, quick little read that helped break me out of my recent reading slump! As you might imagine, “A Spindle Splintered” is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty in all its forms. Our main character, Zinnia, has a rare and mysterious illness that doesn’t give her long to live. As a child, she falls in love with Rapunzel’s story, then proceeds to study folklore during her college years. As she gets older and her future becomes more uncertain, she suddenly finds herself in a world beyond her wildest imagination. I will say that even though I enjoyed this novella as a whole and look forward to future entries in the series, it definitely can be difficult in These Times™️ to read things about illness and mortality. I mean, I have trouble with that kind of content in general sometimes — makes me sad! — but it hits a bit harder in the current climate. So if that’s not something you’re interested in, this might not be for you. But if you’re down for a twisted tale featuring independence, queerness, and taking back your own story, then you’re in the right place. 

worththecandle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

emily98griffin's review against another edition

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? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness

dsarbear's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

2.5

wwhimm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.5

missyh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

okevamae's review against another edition

3.0

Sleeping Beauty meets the multiverse. Zinnia has a terminal illness, and no one who has it has ever lived past twenty-one. She has always loved the tale of Sleeping Beauty, in part because she relates to the princess and in part because it provides a happy ending she can never have. But on her twenty-first birthday, Zinnia pricks her finger and finds herself falling through reality into a very familiar fairy tale world – or so it seems.

At first, this book seemed painfully predictable, with our heroine ending up in a real-life version of her favorite story, but it ended up going in some interesting directions. I loved the revelation of who the “wicked fairy” actually was. And the alternate-universe “princesses” were fantastic as well. The characters were great, but plotwise it was a little thin, in part because it was so short, and I kind of wished it had been longer and done more to subvert the tropes it played on.

Representation: Lesbian and bisexual characters, people of color as side characters

CW: minor mention of drug use

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.