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marisamoo's review against another edition
3.0
It was good ? Well written, good characters, amazing setting. Just. Kinda. Boring.
It was important. Dealt with some important themes that I'll discuss in my review but. Idk. wasn't too great. ghosts were just...there
It was important. Dealt with some important themes that I'll discuss in my review but. Idk. wasn't too great. ghosts were just...there
reader_fictions's review against another edition
4.0
With The Steep & Thorny Way, I’ve read all of Cat Winters’ published novels, and I’ve been a big fan of every single one. The Steep & Thorny Way is no exception, cementing Winters even more firmly in my must-read author list. In some ways, The Steep & Thorny Way is my favorite of hers so far.
Winters tackles some seriously dark and painful subjects in The Steep & Thorny Way: racial tensions in Prohibition-era Oregon, the KKK, homosexuality, and eugenics to name the big ones. Obviously, I’m not in a position to where I can speak to how well Winters did with the biracial (Hanalee’s mama is white and her daddy was black) voice. From what I can tell, her treatment of everything seemed really good.
Hanalee’s the only non-white person in her hometown of Elston, Oregon (aside from the rumors that the Deputy might be secretly Jewish) and has been since her dad died two years before, killed by drunk driving Joe Adder. For the most part, that’s been okay; sure, some people stare but she has good friends and doesn’t spend much time around the hateful folks. With Joe’s release from prison, though, tensions in the town are increasing and Hanalee’s encountering more hate than she ever has before, while also dealing with the fact that her dad’s death may have been calculated and not Joe’s fault. Hanalee teams up with Joe to figure out what happened that night and prove his innocence.
Where this book is really brilliant is that all of that stuff is fit into a Hamlet retelling. Winters obviously has a thing for ghost stories, and Hamlet fits her wonderfully. This gender-flipped Hamlet isn’t a tight retelling, but it’s very clearly there, in Hanalee’s dad showing up as a ghost and her mother marrying her “Uncle” Clyde. Winters does an amazing job, because the Hamlet framing is a) very well done and b) actually helps to ratchet up the intensity of the book and make the ending more unpredictable, because you don’t know whether she’s going to follow that ending or not.
The only way that The Steep & Thorny Way missed for me was that I didn’t really get hit with the feels. I know that I should have, but somehow that was missing. That’s why on an emotional level, my favorite Winters book is her adult title, The Uninvited, as it’s the only one that’s really walloped my feels. However, I do think that, as a novel, The Steep & Thorny Way is stronger and more original.
Winters tackles some seriously dark and painful subjects in The Steep & Thorny Way: racial tensions in Prohibition-era Oregon, the KKK, homosexuality, and eugenics to name the big ones. Obviously, I’m not in a position to where I can speak to how well Winters did with the biracial (Hanalee’s mama is white and her daddy was black) voice. From what I can tell, her treatment of everything seemed really good.
Hanalee’s the only non-white person in her hometown of Elston, Oregon (aside from the rumors that the Deputy might be secretly Jewish) and has been since her dad died two years before, killed by drunk driving Joe Adder. For the most part, that’s been okay; sure, some people stare but she has good friends and doesn’t spend much time around the hateful folks. With Joe’s release from prison, though, tensions in the town are increasing and Hanalee’s encountering more hate than she ever has before, while also dealing with the fact that her dad’s death may have been calculated and not Joe’s fault. Hanalee teams up with Joe to figure out what happened that night and prove his innocence.
Where this book is really brilliant is that all of that stuff is fit into a Hamlet retelling. Winters obviously has a thing for ghost stories, and Hamlet fits her wonderfully. This gender-flipped Hamlet isn’t a tight retelling, but it’s very clearly there, in Hanalee’s dad showing up as a ghost and her mother marrying her “Uncle” Clyde. Winters does an amazing job, because the Hamlet framing is a) very well done and b) actually helps to ratchet up the intensity of the book and make the ending more unpredictable, because you don’t know whether she’s going to follow that ending or not.
The only way that The Steep & Thorny Way missed for me was that I didn’t really get hit with the feels. I know that I should have, but somehow that was missing. That’s why on an emotional level, my favorite Winters book is her adult title, The Uninvited, as it’s the only one that’s really walloped my feels. However, I do think that, as a novel, The Steep & Thorny Way is stronger and more original.
jamiebooksandladders's review against another edition
5.0
Actual Rating: 4.5*
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I will have a full review closer to the release date, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked that it was built out of the basic premise for Hamlet and that there were references to the play but it was entirely it's own story and one that needed to be told. I think the best part is that it was "accessible" to people because, even if you haven't read Hamlet, you know the general story line so you had a bit of an idea of what was going to happen. However, this story is so much more than just about Hanalee finding her father's killer and I highly recommend this one.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I will have a full review closer to the release date, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked that it was built out of the basic premise for Hamlet and that there were references to the play but it was entirely it's own story and one that needed to be told. I think the best part is that it was "accessible" to people because, even if you haven't read Hamlet, you know the general story line so you had a bit of an idea of what was going to happen. However, this story is so much more than just about Hanalee finding her father's killer and I highly recommend this one.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
divinefolly's review against another edition
4.0
4.3☆
Another one I am unsure about. Some elements of this book are amazing:
- the historical setting (1920s Oregon)
- social commentary (racism, homophobia)
- the murder mystery plot (a retelling of Hamlet)
I think what let me down was the main character, Hanalee. It irritates me when characters make dumb decisions and that is what she did for about 90% of the book. Yes, she is a teenager, and yes, she is emotionally motivated to find her father's killer. But a lot of the time I was asking myself, "Why the frack are you doing that?" And when compared to the character Joe, who felt incredibly real to me, she was just really lacking.
Another one I am unsure about. Some elements of this book are amazing:
- the historical setting (1920s Oregon)
- social commentary (racism, homophobia)
- the murder mystery plot (a retelling of Hamlet)
I think what let me down was the main character, Hanalee. It irritates me when characters make dumb decisions and that is what she did for about 90% of the book. Yes, she is a teenager, and yes, she is emotionally motivated to find her father's killer. But a lot of the time I was asking myself, "Why the frack are you doing that?" And when compared to the character Joe, who felt incredibly real to me, she was just really lacking.
lizzybennet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
difelicj's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing. The portrayal of a biracial main character was so well research and done so well. You can tell that Cat Winters did her research into what life was like in the 1920s in Oregon for black Americans and biracial people. It was super unsettling and disturbing to me that the world was like this before and the KKK existed and basically ran a state. It's quite horrifying what humans will do to each other if they look different or are different from you. This novel was so moving and I think the plot being inspired by Hamlet really worked. I loved the setting, the characters and the writing (it was very powerful).
Definitely recommend. 4.5/5 stars
Definitely recommend. 4.5/5 stars
jomarchkinnie's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the diversity and how the book was about Oregon in the early 1920's. It got dull at times, and some parts seemed pointless to me.
sunsoar25's review against another edition
4.0
Cat Winters is one of my favorite historical fiction writers who adds a dash of fantasy to her stories. The Steep & Thorny Way is no exception. I particularly love that her stories feel so real. It's clear that she does a lot of research to bring her characters and their world to life. I always enjoy reading her historical notes and looking at the photos she incorporates into the story. I'd say that Hanalee is her best character so far. She's brave and won't give up until she learns the truth. Plus, she's quite open-minded and always willing to listen to all sides and learn all she can before she makes decisions. This powerful story deals with tough topics and Winters handles them well and thoughtfully. Overall, I highly recommend The Steep & Thorny Way to those interested in this author's style, historical fiction, paranormal, and even Shakespeare's Hamlet. Next up, I'll need to pick up Odd & True and then her contribution to Slasher Girls & Monster Boys before I'll be all caught up on her work.
nexttotheblues's review against another edition
4.0
Sure, a retelling of Hamlet, but most importantly it's a perspective of race and sexuality that we haven't seen much of.