Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an interesting book with an intriguing premise and a breathtaking cover, but honestly, I just kept getting bored. The main character is "not like other girls", consistently believing herself to be the Supreme Superiority on All Things, and won't listen to the advice of anyone else. The lore was fascinating to read, but we don't really get to explore it at all, we spend most of our time helplessly yanked around by our circumstances; one of which being a sister so madly in love with a man who stared intensely in her eyes without even speaking to her that she begins languishing immediately after being separated from his presence. All of the romances in the book happened so abruptly and baselessly that I was surprised when they came to fruition. It was an interesting, but poorly written and poorly executed read.
This was beautiful. Wonderful, heart-warming, well-drawn characters set in the most beautiful blend of fairytale and folktale I've read! I need to get my hands on a copy for my shelf, because this is definitely a book you need to own.
This was such a sweet book, and once again from a list of recommended seasonal reads. What really drew me to it was the fact that it's a story about five sisters, and how can I say no to that magical number? Obviously I can't.
This would be a fantastic book for any imaginative young girl. Rich descriptions of scenery, good array of characters, and a good fight against feelings of powerlessness. I thought about me at 11 - 14, and how I would've loved this book beyond all others then. As an older reader it was still engrossing, and I finished it in the span of a day, including staying up in bed reading and convincing myself I would stop after the next chapter was over. It's not just that there's fairies and hyper-romantic love stories in it. I would've loved the darkness of Romania, the dangers and the isolation that permeate it.
On the personal note, as far as sibling-order goes the third sister isn't the most flattering/relatable as far as I'm concerned, but I liked that the sisters all had different relationships to each other based on age or hobbies, and that although they were different they had the important things enough in common that it was believable.
This is one of those that I'm passing on to younger cousins because it's got Micha-Approved Values as well as a rich and engaging story.
This would be a fantastic book for any imaginative young girl. Rich descriptions of scenery, good array of characters, and a good fight against feelings of powerlessness. I thought about me at 11 - 14, and how I would've loved this book beyond all others then. As an older reader it was still engrossing, and I finished it in the span of a day, including staying up in bed reading and convincing myself I would stop after the next chapter was over. It's not just that there's fairies and hyper-romantic love stories in it. I would've loved the darkness of Romania, the dangers and the isolation that permeate it.
On the personal note, as far as sibling-order goes the third sister isn't the most flattering/relatable as far as I'm concerned, but I liked that the sisters all had different relationships to each other based on age or hobbies, and that although they were different they had the important things enough in common that it was believable.
This is one of those that I'm passing on to younger cousins because it's got Micha-Approved Values as well as a rich and engaging story.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
The ending was pretty disappointing. The set up and plot were great, but Tatiana just refuses to live because she’s so love sick? It would have made more sense if Sorrow really was enchanting her. It’s not romantic, it’s idiotic. Give girls a better role model of what love looks like.
This was a very strange book. Let's see . . how to describe it . . .
It was a fairy tale retelling mash of the "Frog Princess" and "Twelve Dancing Princesses" (but with only 5 girls instead of 12), mixed in with the world of the Fae, Fae court and all, and . . . wait for it . . . vampires. Yes, that's right, I said "vampires." It was weird.
Ever read a book and you're really not sure how you felt about it? Well, this was one of those for me.
It was a fairy tale retelling mash of the "Frog Princess" and "Twelve Dancing Princesses" (but with only 5 girls instead of 12), mixed in with the world of the Fae, Fae court and all, and . . . wait for it . . . vampires. Yes, that's right, I said "vampires." It was weird.
Ever read a book and you're really not sure how you felt about it? Well, this was one of those for me.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I'm a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings and this book takes on several. The characters are enchanting and engaging. I fell in love with the five sisters in the story, though only the two oldest are given any real page time. The writing is strong and descriptions vivid and lyrical. The overall tone of the book is lyric and reinforces the fairy-tale aspects. The plot, as with many fairy tale re-tellings is predictable and there are no real suprises. The characters and tone, rather than plot, are the stand-outs.
With that said, the main male protagonist struck me as bit weak in the final chapters. His hesitations and verbal stumbles, his tentativeness and passivity are not aspects I care for or that typically apply to a fairy tale hero. I still enjoyed the story, but that one aspect disappointed me. On reflection, it is the female characters who are the strongest in this book and the males take a back seat - the men are far more passive (with the exception of the villian of the piece) than the implied era and genre would lead me to expect.
SPOILERS BELOW
1
2
3
4
5
I also found the way Ceasar simply walks away in the end extremely unrealistic. We are shown throughout that he is becoming more violent, his sanity slipping. He feels cheated by the Wood Witch and yet in the end he slinks away with his tail between his legs. It doesn't seem true to character.
The lack of balance in characters, strong male & strong female characters is one of the few weaknesses of the book. I am not saying that Gogu had to be the typical prince charming who sweeps in saves the day and the poor pitiful female - but he was wishy washy and passive. He needed to be both strong and weak, flawed and real. But rather he is more 2-dimensional and, in many ways, takes on the more passive role that is typically given to females in fairy tales.
With that said, the main male protagonist struck me as bit weak in the final chapters. His hesitations and verbal stumbles, his tentativeness and passivity are not aspects I care for or that typically apply to a fairy tale hero. I still enjoyed the story, but that one aspect disappointed me. On reflection, it is the female characters who are the strongest in this book and the males take a back seat - the men are far more passive (with the exception of the villian of the piece) than the implied era and genre would lead me to expect.
SPOILERS BELOW
1
2
3
4
5
I also found the way Ceasar simply walks away in the end extremely unrealistic. We are shown throughout that he is becoming more violent, his sanity slipping. He feels cheated by the Wood Witch and yet in the end he slinks away with his tail between his legs. It doesn't seem true to character.
The lack of balance in characters, strong male & strong female characters is one of the few weaknesses of the book. I am not saying that Gogu had to be the typical prince charming who sweeps in saves the day and the poor pitiful female - but he was wishy washy and passive. He needed to be both strong and weak, flawed and real. But rather he is more 2-dimensional and, in many ways, takes on the more passive role that is typically given to females in fairy tales.
The top reason why I liked this book is that it was so different from the other young adults that I have been reading lately. Most were about teenagers vs. the world, but this one was just about a young woman that tries to manage a castle and her sisters, while simultanously discovering her strenghts and weaknesses (and true love). It's simple, elegent, likeable, and having a young sister myself, recognisable. The fantasy style felt quite unique, because it was more like a fairy tale and slightly written in the style of one. It did start out slow and I had trouble getting into it, but in the end I couldn't put it down anymore. I liked how it was basically pride and prejudice, but with fairytale elements like wise witches, fairies, nightcreatures, and talking frogs. Even though it easily could have been, I never felt like something was too ridiculous or too predictable. I want to believe this story happened long ago and it's where half of the fairytales originated from... Juliet Marillier is an amazing story teller.