Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - A Spindle Splintered

I really enjoyed the twists that Alix Harrow put on the classic Sleeping Beauty story. Zinnia Grey is a dying girl folklore major who is transported into a Sleeping Beauty story on her 21st birthday when she pricks her finger on a spindle as a dare.

In the fairy tale world, she finds herself trying to save the world's Sleeping Beauty while secretly hoping she can find a cure to her own disease.

I first read Alix Harrow's writing in the Thousand Doors of January. Reading this book solidified to me that Harrow is a new master of the Portal Fantasy. She deftly handles the mix of terror and fascination when a genre savvy protagonist finds themself in one of the worlds they imagined. I really enjoyed this one.

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takarakei's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? No

4.25

I'm not typically a big fairytale person, but this is a fun and modern retelling! I would definitely recommend it even if fairytales aren't your thing. Great narrator for the audiobook, and a quick read. Some badass women characters. LBGTQ+ rep.

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javafenn's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish this wasn’t a novella! It was fantastic and fun and exciting! I love how much you get out of just a couple hours of listening. The narrator was great and the story was just perfect!

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cyan_altaria's review against another edition

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dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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janicelikesstuff's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

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

3.5

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tabithahickman's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I quite enjoyed this book. The characters were loveable, there was a decent plot twist in the middle, and it was a very quick read. Only critiques I have are to maybe use a real diagnosis instead of a made up one to make it more relatable, and some of the dialouge seemed a little forced.

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victoriousbookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I went into this book hoping for a quick read. While that was true, I never thought 120 pages could elicit such a reaction and leave me speechless and ready to pick up the next book.
I loved how this story was empowering, giving the power back to the princesses (literally) and giving them the strength to try to change their story. The friendship between Zinnia and Charm was beautiful, while complicated. The trust and love between them brought me so much joy. And the ending was very satisfying. Did not feel like a short little read, but was so much more.

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