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2.63 AVERAGE
2.63 AVERAGE
What did I just read??? Seriously, this book now has me questioning every fairytale and every retelling I've ever read, I need to go back and think about the why behind all of them.
We've all heard the story of Sleeping Beauty, locked in sleep until true love's kiss can wake her, but what about what's going on inside of that dream state? What is happening inside of her mind while the King and Queen are doing everything in their power to wake her?
In Creeping Beauty we get the story of the "dream" what happens to Bitsy, what she has to fight to get back to her world, and the pain and betrayal that can come with getting what you think you want in either of the worlds she's been part of.
With lush and vivid landscapes, characters that will thrill one moment and anger the next, and a story that gives new life to a favorite childhood story.
I will say the way multiple tales and lore were woven together had me mesmerized at points, completely engrossed in this tale of Bitsy and what will happen to her and all those around her.
This book checked all of my boxes, we had the beautiful castle, the princess that grows into the woman she's supposed to be, and just enough magic and mayhem to make this unique and spellbinding.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
We've all heard the story of Sleeping Beauty, locked in sleep until true love's kiss can wake her, but what about what's going on inside of that dream state? What is happening inside of her mind while the King and Queen are doing everything in their power to wake her?
In Creeping Beauty we get the story of the "dream" what happens to Bitsy, what she has to fight to get back to her world, and the pain and betrayal that can come with getting what you think you want in either of the worlds she's been part of.
With lush and vivid landscapes, characters that will thrill one moment and anger the next, and a story that gives new life to a favorite childhood story.
I will say the way multiple tales and lore were woven together had me mesmerized at points, completely engrossed in this tale of Bitsy and what will happen to her and all those around her.
This book checked all of my boxes, we had the beautiful castle, the princess that grows into the woman she's supposed to be, and just enough magic and mayhem to make this unique and spellbinding.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love the crazy world she went through and it doesn't make any sense! It's not supposed to be! This is an alternate reality reminiscent of Wonderland.
2. I love all the great cartoon characters and how different each one is. We don't know who she can trust and that's still very intriguing.
I especially like Peregrine and want them to end! He is cunning and cruel, but gentle with her when needed. I love their back and forth and really think they are the only ones who can appreciate each other the most and treat each other at their worst.
3. I love this world-wide myth of “the one who fell from the sky”. I also really enjoyed her personality development throughout this story, from a princess escaping difficult situations to becoming a warrior.
When stories start slowly, it's hard. When you add in poor character development and really no world building, problems arise from there. This story has its moments where it shines, but it never rises above the mediocrity and stereotype that the author suffers from. For example, Bitsy's character has fallen into the "damn me" stereotype of never being pretty, good enough, or smart enough. A place where she will either immerse herself in it or try to rise above it through diversity. The problem here is that a badly built world with nonexistent threats hasn't given any real weight to its supposed change, making it back to the way it was - as deep as a puddle. water.
Other frustrations grew when other characters that I considered important were missing additions and were never revisited. People like Peregrine made me wonder what was going on with the story, then I accepted the lead role, only to be thrown off a cliff in a flip-flop.
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2. I love all the great cartoon characters and how different each one is. We don't know who she can trust and that's still very intriguing.
I especially like Peregrine and want them to end! He is cunning and cruel, but gentle with her when needed. I love their back and forth and really think they are the only ones who can appreciate each other the most and treat each other at their worst.
3. I love this world-wide myth of “the one who fell from the sky”. I also really enjoyed her personality development throughout this story, from a princess escaping difficult situations to becoming a warrior.
When stories start slowly, it's hard. When you add in poor character development and really no world building, problems arise from there. This story has its moments where it shines, but it never rises above the mediocrity and stereotype that the author suffers from. For example, Bitsy's character has fallen into the "damn me" stereotype of never being pretty, good enough, or smart enough. A place where she will either immerse herself in it or try to rise above it through diversity. The problem here is that a badly built world with nonexistent threats hasn't given any real weight to its supposed change, making it back to the way it was - as deep as a puddle. water.
Other frustrations grew when other characters that I considered important were missing additions and were never revisited. People like Peregrine made me wonder what was going on with the story, then I accepted the lead role, only to be thrown off a cliff in a flip-flop.
#Ad #Advert #Advertising #Advertisement # AdvertisementFeature #bookreview #netgalley #creepingbeauty
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
The premise of this was more enjoyable than the book itself. A retelling of Sleeping Beauty crossed with Alice in Wonderland, this book promises a world-hopping adventure with a unique twist.
Bitsy, (WHY did the author choose that name? It reminds me of a tiny white purse dog - was that the intent?) far from the ideal princess, pricks her finger on a spindle and awakens but in a realm filled with danger. As she navigates this treacherous land, her fate and future rest solely in her hands.
While the concept of reimagining Sleeping Beauty in a darker, empowering light holds promise, "Creeping Beauty" stumbles in its execution. The narrative vacillates between feeling overly youthful and excessively dark. Multiple story arcs lack satisfying resolutions, leaving loose ends that detract from the overall experience. The romance, interestingly characterized by an unlikable love interest, concludes abruptly, leaving readers wanting more closure.
Although the premise hints at potential, the execution falls short of expectations. The book's oscillation between contrasting tones and unresolved storylines detracts from its overall impact. Despite its intentions, "Creeping Beauty" may struggle to engage readers consistently.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC. This is an honest review.
Bitsy, (WHY did the author choose that name? It reminds me of a tiny white purse dog - was that the intent?) far from the ideal princess, pricks her finger on a spindle and awakens but in a realm filled with danger. As she navigates this treacherous land, her fate and future rest solely in her hands.
While the concept of reimagining Sleeping Beauty in a darker, empowering light holds promise, "Creeping Beauty" stumbles in its execution. The narrative vacillates between feeling overly youthful and excessively dark. Multiple story arcs lack satisfying resolutions, leaving loose ends that detract from the overall experience. The romance, interestingly characterized by an unlikable love interest, concludes abruptly, leaving readers wanting more closure.
Although the premise hints at potential, the execution falls short of expectations. The book's oscillation between contrasting tones and unresolved storylines detracts from its overall impact. Despite its intentions, "Creeping Beauty" may struggle to engage readers consistently.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC. This is an honest review.
I was extremely excited to read this book with it being advertised as "a subversive and feminist take on Sleeping Beauty". What it actually is, is absurd and a combination of fairy tales- I saw bits of Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, the Princess and the Frog...along with Sleeping Beauty.
When I receive ARC copies, I try extremely hard to read them to completion but once I hit the 50% mark with this one- I skimmed the rest.
I think Andrea Portes was perhaps trying to cover too much ground with this one and there was no depth. Bitsy is an unlikeable Goody Two-Shoes protagonist. There are so many opportunities to discuss rascism, classism, etc. but I feel these things were used for sensation rather than anything more.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book!
When I receive ARC copies, I try extremely hard to read them to completion but once I hit the 50% mark with this one- I skimmed the rest.
I think Andrea Portes was perhaps trying to cover too much ground with this one and there was no depth. Bitsy is an unlikeable Goody Two-Shoes protagonist. There are so many opportunities to discuss rascism, classism, etc. but I feel these things were used for sensation rather than anything more.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book!
I was prepared to really hate or really love this book based on the reviews, but man was this bizarre. This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling but felt crossed with Alice in Wonderland and with some Wizard of Oz thrown in for good measure.
Bitsy is a princess who's criticized for her plain appearance and intelligence, both of which are really getting in the way of her marriage prospects. Independent thought? Total dealbreaker.
After doing the requisite finger-pricking on a spindle thing, Bitsy is dropped into another world, where some beings are heralding her as their prophesied savior while others want to kill her. She travels between cities, meeting various eccentric people and experiencing progressively stranger cultures as she goes. The way this portion of the story is written reminded me a lot of The Princess Bride or Monty Python and the Holy Grail--it was intentionally zany, and a lot of fun to read because I had no idea what was going to happen next. There were some hilarious elements of satire and lines showing the story wasn't taking itself too seriously, which I really appreciated.
It was the ending of this book that really threw me for a loop. Part of me appreciates how "WTF" it was, but I wish that the resolution itself had played out over more than a few pages to give me time to process the reveals as they came. It felt so abrupt as it was that I had to reread it a couple of times because I was so thrown off. I enjoyed this author's voice a lot and would be curious about other books from her, but I don't know if I'll ever know how to feel about the end of this one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is an interesting read but not in a good way. I just didn't vibe with this story. There are a lot of little things in this book that bothered me. Just not my taste.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC.
So, unfortunately, this was a DNF for me pretty quickly. The writing style felt childish even for the target audience, the "twist" of the main character being literally... able to... creep... felt silly, and every action the main character took made me resent her. There is nothing that I dislike more than a POV character who moans about people being judgmental of them then turns right back around and being judgmental themselves.
The minute we hit the alternate world or whatever it is that's going on there is when any interest was obliterated. I signed up for Sleeping Beauty, not whatever it is that's going on here.
I feel bad being so harsh but this feels like it has so little going for it beyond maybe the unconventional physicality of the heroine (but even that is cheapened by her being, as aforementioned, judgmental of other people).
So, unfortunately, this was a DNF for me pretty quickly. The writing style felt childish even for the target audience, the "twist" of the main character being literally... able to... creep... felt silly, and every action the main character took made me resent her. There is nothing that I dislike more than a POV character who moans about people being judgmental of them then turns right back around and being judgmental themselves.
The minute we hit the alternate world or whatever it is that's going on there is when any interest was obliterated. I signed up for Sleeping Beauty, not whatever it is that's going on here.
I feel bad being so harsh but this feels like it has so little going for it beyond maybe the unconventional physicality of the heroine (but even that is cheapened by her being, as aforementioned, judgmental of other people).
A big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy.
Book Reviews | Pillowfort | Twitter | Bookbub
Book Reviews | Pillowfort | Twitter | Bookbub
I'm not sure where to start with this review. I feel like I have a lot to say. Having read the synopsis of this book, I was excited for a fairytale retelling. For the most part, they've always proved to be fun. Unfortunately, this retelling was just not it for me.
Let's start with the characters. I don't feel any of them were fleshed out well. I wasn't able to connect with them. I wasn't a fan of the main character, Bitsy. I feel like there could have been so much more growth for her, but her story felt rushed. And her annoying way of speaking to the reader just did not work with the storyline. I feel fantasy books work much better in third person as you get so much more information about the characters. Her talking to the audience was almost childlike, having to explain everything to the reader rather than showing it to the reader. The kind and Queen, too simple, not enough background. Peregrine was probably the most interesting, but he, too needed more background.
The plot left something to be desired. I didn't feel like it truly went anywhere and at the same time had so many plot lines drawn into it, it was hard to understand why they were even there. Why did we travel through these different Kingdoms? What did they lend to the story. I really liked the idea of the Sleeping Beauty story transforming into an alternate universe but it just didn't work with the writing and first person retelling. And the world building was lacking. Having shown me all these kingdoms, I would have thought to be able to picture them in my mind, but I could not.
The pacing, pretty fast, I will say, but I think it may have been more me rushing through it to get to the end rather than because I wanted to see where the story would take me.
Overall, this book missed the mark from me. The writing, the characters, the plot, all of it. I feel like it needed a huge amount of editing and ideas revamped. It does not live up to its synopsis.
Let's start with the characters. I don't feel any of them were fleshed out well. I wasn't able to connect with them. I wasn't a fan of the main character, Bitsy. I feel like there could have been so much more growth for her, but her story felt rushed. And her annoying way of speaking to the reader just did not work with the storyline. I feel fantasy books work much better in third person as you get so much more information about the characters. Her talking to the audience was almost childlike, having to explain everything to the reader rather than showing it to the reader. The kind and Queen, too simple, not enough background. Peregrine was probably the most interesting, but he, too needed more background.
The plot left something to be desired. I didn't feel like it truly went anywhere and at the same time had so many plot lines drawn into it, it was hard to understand why they were even there. Why did we travel through these different Kingdoms? What did they lend to the story. I really liked the idea of the Sleeping Beauty story transforming into an alternate universe but it just didn't work with the writing and first person retelling. And the world building was lacking. Having shown me all these kingdoms, I would have thought to be able to picture them in my mind, but I could not.
The pacing, pretty fast, I will say, but I think it may have been more me rushing through it to get to the end rather than because I wanted to see where the story would take me.
Overall, this book missed the mark from me. The writing, the characters, the plot, all of it. I feel like it needed a huge amount of editing and ideas revamped. It does not live up to its synopsis.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
⅖ Stars
I really wanted to give this book a chance, I really wanted to like this book but I just can’t.
What I did not like:
The main character talks to the reader as if she is Jane Eyre way too much. I felt like there were so many moments when the main character was in a situation where she needed to take action but the next 3 pages she would be talking to the reader about nothing, because of that I had to DNF it at 30%
What I liked:
The idea of a sleeping beauty that meets Alice in wonderland