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bookdragonkm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Drug use, Sexual content, Racial slurs, and Emotional abuse
rachel_here's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
rubybooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. This is an adult fantasy retelling of Cinderella where she has grown to hate her husband. Thirteen years after they married, she is considering killing her husband. At the beginning of the book, we don't know why she feels this way, but throughout the reader gets to piece together the story through flashbacks.
The Charmed Wife is bursting with fairytales that all intertwine in refreshing and modern ways - Cinderella struggles when she realises that happily ever afters aren't as simple as they seem. This book was honestly a lot stranger than I expected and it had a lot of twists and turns. It definitely felt like Cinderella was an unreliable narrator at times, which made it very interesting to read, as the reader finds out a lot of information through her eyes. It's a dark twist on the fairytale, and I also enjoyed the takes on the characters of the fairy godmother and the witch. A lot of other fairytales also appear, such as the twelve dancing princesses and sleeping beauty.
I loved the concept of this book, but I didn't enjoy the execution as much as I thought it would - it was quite confusing for me. It all seemed like a big jumble and I wasn't sure how everything fit together - I found myself having to reread parts. There were also some asides that I didn't really care about - at first I thought the parts about Brie and Nibbles were cool spins on the fairytale, but the sections got too long for my liking and I became uninterested after the first few. I did read it quickly because it's a short book, but the plot did drag for me. Cinderella was the only character I was really interested in so I didn't become fully invested in the story.
So I was grateful to receive a copy of this book, but unfortunately, I just didn't click with this book. I have no doubt that some people would enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me. I could see where Cinderella was coming from in her feelings, but in general, I didn't care much about the characters. However, this book was short so I got through it pretty quickly! Content warnings for discussion of murder, violence, infidelity, sexism, drug use, and mentions of fatphobia.
2.5/5 stars
The Charmed Wife is bursting with fairytales that all intertwine in refreshing and modern ways - Cinderella struggles when she realises that happily ever afters aren't as simple as they seem. This book was honestly a lot stranger than I expected and it had a lot of twists and turns. It definitely felt like Cinderella was an unreliable narrator at times, which made it very interesting to read, as the reader finds out a lot of information through her eyes. It's a dark twist on the fairytale, and I also enjoyed the takes on the characters of the fairy godmother and the witch. A lot of other fairytales also appear, such as the twelve dancing princesses and sleeping beauty.
I loved the concept of this book, but I didn't enjoy the execution as much as I thought it would - it was quite confusing for me. It all seemed like a big jumble and I wasn't sure how everything fit together - I found myself having to reread parts. There were also some asides that I didn't really care about - at first I thought the parts about Brie and Nibbles were cool spins on the fairytale, but the sections got too long for my liking and I became uninterested after the first few. I did read it quickly because it's a short book, but the plot did drag for me. Cinderella was the only character I was really interested in so I didn't become fully invested in the story.
So I was grateful to receive a copy of this book, but unfortunately, I just didn't click with this book. I have no doubt that some people would enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me. I could see where Cinderella was coming from in her feelings, but in general, I didn't care much about the characters. However, this book was short so I got through it pretty quickly! Content warnings for discussion of murder, violence, infidelity, sexism, drug use, and mentions of fatphobia.
2.5/5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Drug use, Violence, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia
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