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2.63 AVERAGE
2.63 AVERAGE
i hated this book
it was so repetative and boring.
it was so repetative and boring.
I have to say, after seeing some reviews I started reading this book with a VERY OPEN mind. And I was very tickled by this book.
Bitsy touches a spindle and is sent falling down to a land that she does not recognize. Bitsy wants to go home, but no one knows her land and cannot help her. She runs into a man who then takes her to his kingdom Alabastrine where they imbibe in a drink called Sapphire that makes everyone beautiful, and if you’re not beautiful or rich, you are sent to the Sapphire Mines to mine the Sapphire. Bitsy wants to help the people in this world and also to escape and go home and it seems the only way to do either is to defeat The Veist.
So Bitsy may have pricked her finger on a spindle and is asleep, but this sounds more like Alice in Wonderland with the witty repartee, odd places and odd and eccentric people and word choices and phrasing. I really thought I would maybe dislike this book, but I think I needed a book filled with ridiculousness like this one because my mood said yes to this book! I truly enjoyed the hilariousness and quirkiness of this book. I swear I never knew what I was going to get. The world is so jumbled and random and the people so different. It’s interesting too because it’s funny satire and then towards the end, it became rather dark.
This book touched on some subjects and ideas that I think many need to think about today, it gets dark on some of those ideals, such as beauty, specifically on the outside. They took this substance called Sapphire that makes everyone stunningly and unnervingly beautiful. And if you’re not beautiful or rich an could not afford Sapphire, you’re kicked out and sent to the mines to mine for this stuff. It was horrible and yet, many today I think focus too much on the outside and superficiality that I could totally see people today wanting this Sapphire. There were other subjects, but I really went into this book for the story, so I went go into more detail.
Bitsy I was unsure of until the book progressed and she grew as a person from this princess who just nodded and smiled and said yes to whatever her parents said to basically a warrior and focused more on natural beauty and helping those in need, not worrying about that she’s a princess and deserves everything. She after all was considered plain in her world and here she was viewed as beautiful, but she didn’t allow that to deter her desire to be a better person and help others and not focus on just herself.
We meet Count Peregrine, and the moment he came on the scene I loved him. He reminded me of Loki, charming, vain, handsome, a ball of sunshine, with some cunning ruthlessness thrown in there, thinking about himself, and yet there seems to be some insecurities there that make him the way he is. He is very endearing and relatable to a point. He was an absolute delight! An anti-hero if you will that was very happy, and yet cunning and looked out for himself, even with Bitsy and yet you could see how that ate at him. He surprised me, and I was rooting for him through the entire book, I was really hoping him and Bitsy would be endgame with their adorable banter, and his clear and obvious attraction and love for her.
Now, the reason this is 3.5 ⭐️, leaning more towards 3 ⭐️…two things….first, the romance. What on earth! There was a very good romance going on there and I just have no words for how that never really happened or ended, it just fizzled out and left me disappointed, severely disappointed. But the ending…the ending is an open ending, and I do enjoy open endings, but the implication of this ending makes no sense! Bitsy goes from listening to her parents all the time, to being her own person, to allowing another person to influence her and to do what!? I won’t say what it is, but it makes no sense! This was seriously going to be a solid 4 ⭐️ until that ending and how the romance just never played out. I cannot express my disappointment in both of these situations, and I have great ideas as to how that could have turned out differently!
Ah well, this was such an odd book and hilarious. If you need a good laugh and are in the mood for a fantasy that’s a bit odd, quirky, funny with a bit of darkness sprinkled in there, then read it, it won’t hurt you. I’m sure it’s supposed to be all over the place, I mean Alice in Wonderland was!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Bitsy touches a spindle and is sent falling down to a land that she does not recognize. Bitsy wants to go home, but no one knows her land and cannot help her. She runs into a man who then takes her to his kingdom Alabastrine where they imbibe in a drink called Sapphire that makes everyone beautiful, and if you’re not beautiful or rich, you are sent to the Sapphire Mines to mine the Sapphire. Bitsy wants to help the people in this world and also to escape and go home and it seems the only way to do either is to defeat The Veist.
So Bitsy may have pricked her finger on a spindle and is asleep, but this sounds more like Alice in Wonderland with the witty repartee, odd places and odd and eccentric people and word choices and phrasing. I really thought I would maybe dislike this book, but I think I needed a book filled with ridiculousness like this one because my mood said yes to this book! I truly enjoyed the hilariousness and quirkiness of this book. I swear I never knew what I was going to get. The world is so jumbled and random and the people so different. It’s interesting too because it’s funny satire and then towards the end, it became rather dark.
This book touched on some subjects and ideas that I think many need to think about today, it gets dark on some of those ideals, such as beauty, specifically on the outside. They took this substance called Sapphire that makes everyone stunningly and unnervingly beautiful. And if you’re not beautiful or rich an could not afford Sapphire, you’re kicked out and sent to the mines to mine for this stuff. It was horrible and yet, many today I think focus too much on the outside and superficiality that I could totally see people today wanting this Sapphire. There were other subjects, but I really went into this book for the story, so I went go into more detail.
Bitsy I was unsure of until the book progressed and she grew as a person from this princess who just nodded and smiled and said yes to whatever her parents said to basically a warrior and focused more on natural beauty and helping those in need, not worrying about that she’s a princess and deserves everything. She after all was considered plain in her world and here she was viewed as beautiful, but she didn’t allow that to deter her desire to be a better person and help others and not focus on just herself.
We meet Count Peregrine, and the moment he came on the scene I loved him. He reminded me of Loki, charming, vain, handsome, a ball of sunshine, with some cunning ruthlessness thrown in there, thinking about himself, and yet there seems to be some insecurities there that make him the way he is. He is very endearing and relatable to a point. He was an absolute delight! An anti-hero if you will that was very happy, and yet cunning and looked out for himself, even with Bitsy and yet you could see how that ate at him. He surprised me, and I was rooting for him through the entire book, I was really hoping him and Bitsy would be endgame with their adorable banter, and his clear and obvious attraction and love for her.
Now, the reason this is 3.5 ⭐️, leaning more towards 3 ⭐️…two things….first, the romance. What on earth! There was a very good romance going on there and I just have no words for how that never really happened or ended, it just fizzled out and left me disappointed, severely disappointed. But the ending…the ending is an open ending, and I do enjoy open endings, but the implication of this ending makes no sense! Bitsy goes from listening to her parents all the time, to being her own person, to allowing another person to influence her and to do what!? I won’t say what it is, but it makes no sense! This was seriously going to be a solid 4 ⭐️ until that ending and how the romance just never played out. I cannot express my disappointment in both of these situations, and I have great ideas as to how that could have turned out differently!
Ah well, this was such an odd book and hilarious. If you need a good laugh and are in the mood for a fantasy that’s a bit odd, quirky, funny with a bit of darkness sprinkled in there, then read it, it won’t hurt you. I’m sure it’s supposed to be all over the place, I mean Alice in Wonderland was!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really wanted to like this. The idea is so great! Why shouldn't Sleeping Beauty have had adventures in other worlds while she was waiting for her prince? Why shouldn't she earn her happy ending like most people have to?
Sadly, the execution is a mixed up mess. Bitsy meets a lot of people in her dream world, but it's tough to see how they fit into the narrative or move the story on. Since we're always in her head, we only know what she thinks of them, and it's difficult to get a real handle on anyone. I really did want to like this, but it's too mixed up and confusing.
However, the idea is clever, and some of the characters are really good. I think Andrea could be a wonderful writer; this book didn't suit me, but I'll be looking out for more by her, because she does have a brilliant imagination and I'm interested to see what else she comes up with in the future.
Sadly, the execution is a mixed up mess. Bitsy meets a lot of people in her dream world, but it's tough to see how they fit into the narrative or move the story on. Since we're always in her head, we only know what she thinks of them, and it's difficult to get a real handle on anyone. I really did want to like this, but it's too mixed up and confusing.
However, the idea is clever, and some of the characters are really good. I think Andrea could be a wonderful writer; this book didn't suit me, but I'll be looking out for more by her, because she does have a brilliant imagination and I'm interested to see what else she comes up with in the future.
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars!
I had a hard time writing this review, really because I was in two minds about this book. I liked it, but I also found myself struggling through it at times.
I enjoyed the concept of the story taking place in Bitsy’s dream world after pricking her finger on the spindle, a twist on the Sleeping Beauty story. It was one of the more unique takes that I’ve read. The world building was good, but I found myself having a hard time gelling with the MC, Bitsy (Elizabeth). The writing style was first person, which I don’t normally have any issue with, but when Bitsy broke the fourth wall and spoke to me (the reader) suddenly, I found that pulled me right out of the story.
There were some dark themes in this book, I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t a content warning in the beginning. I think with marketing this as YA, a content warning page wouldn’t have gone astray.
Having said all that, I liked the characters, and the spark between Bitsy and Peregrine. My adoration for the enemies to lovers trope is strong, so I found myself rooting for them!
I don’t enjoy giving lower ratings for books generously given as ARCs, but best to be honest I think. Plus there are lots of good things about this book, things I’m sure will vibe with the right readers. I’m sure many will enjoy this book, even if it wasn’t my favourite of the year. I mean look at the cover!
I had a hard time writing this review, really because I was in two minds about this book. I liked it, but I also found myself struggling through it at times.
I enjoyed the concept of the story taking place in Bitsy’s dream world after pricking her finger on the spindle, a twist on the Sleeping Beauty story. It was one of the more unique takes that I’ve read. The world building was good, but I found myself having a hard time gelling with the MC, Bitsy (Elizabeth). The writing style was first person, which I don’t normally have any issue with, but when Bitsy broke the fourth wall and spoke to me (the reader) suddenly, I found that pulled me right out of the story.
There were some dark themes in this book, I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t a content warning in the beginning. I think with marketing this as YA, a content warning page wouldn’t have gone astray.
Having said all that, I liked the characters, and the spark between Bitsy and Peregrine. My adoration for the enemies to lovers trope is strong, so I found myself rooting for them!
I don’t enjoy giving lower ratings for books generously given as ARCs, but best to be honest I think. Plus there are lots of good things about this book, things I’m sure will vibe with the right readers. I’m sure many will enjoy this book, even if it wasn’t my favourite of the year. I mean look at the cover!
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF @30%
I think I gave this more than a fair chance. Usually if I'm not into a story by 20% I know I won't enjoy the rest of the book.
I received the "audio" of Creeping Beauty on Netgalley. Apparently, it's not an actual audiobook, it's a "mechanized synthesized voice recording". So essentially, it's a half-step up from having Siri read for you.
There really wasn't anything I enjoyed. The sentence structures, characters, even the world didn't draw me in and bothered me.
The cover is pretty, and maybe and very young adult may enjoy this as a starter fantasy/retelling but this one isn't for me. I struck out hard with this one.
I think I gave this more than a fair chance. Usually if I'm not into a story by 20% I know I won't enjoy the rest of the book.
I received the "audio" of Creeping Beauty on Netgalley. Apparently, it's not an actual audiobook, it's a "mechanized synthesized voice recording". So essentially, it's a half-step up from having Siri read for you.
There really wasn't anything I enjoyed. The sentence structures, characters, even the world didn't draw me in and bothered me.
The cover is pretty, and maybe and very young adult may enjoy this as a starter fantasy/retelling but this one isn't for me. I struck out hard with this one.
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The characters felt flat and needed more filling out. The premise is cool, however the execution left a lot to be desired. The parts felt cobbled together because they never felt fully fleshed out. The princess being "not like other girls" and the inane cousins made me want to eyeroll. The fact they never explicitly told us what made her mother subservient and lose her spark (one could guess that she didn't want to end up like ex wife) or only made the king only write his journal because of his wife. Her seeki g comfort in what she knew made sense but she walked back into what she was running from, the exposition fairy in the form of the Count was too convenient. I did however like his plot twist and subsequent betrayal, him unexpectedly giving her information to help her was great but it was in no way able to redeem him in any way to make him a love interest (also how old is he actually?). Her being outraged by the treatment of the people was some character development and I get why the training arch was shortcut. The plan to use the Wraiths vices against them was a good one and the action scenes were cool. However the trope of the crazy woman not being crazy and having some magical powers could have been built up to better (show not tell hints of her power) and the Princess was to easily convinced she was mad when the whole world is full of unknowns. The whole chosen one prophecy, when we knew it was a dream kind of worked against it (was this a call out for self inserts?) The end of the story felt rushed (exposi ion fairy real mother and antagonist reveal) and the cliffhanger ending was too abrupt to feel any satisfaction for what had happened. However I was mostly disappointed because what could have been really good felt half done. Whilst I was routing for the main character it seemed like she learned nothing from her time, all of her braveness, cunning and warrior spirit seemed like it evaporated the moment she woke up. All in all I felt like if it has been a couple of more fleshed out and carefully plotted books I would have loved it.