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burningupasun's review against another edition
5.0
I waited a day to review this because it was just SO GOOD and after all I could do was sit at my desk and go: gosh ... gosH ... gOSH .... GOSH ... G O S H.
Anyway I think I kind of hoped if I waited a day, I'd be able to review it better but nope, still all I can do is flail about how good it is. But honestly it really is good. Cat Winters is an amazing write, I've loved all her books, but I think this one is right up there with In the Shadow of Blackbirds for me. (Though that will always be my favorite, partially because it hit me so intensely.)
This book is well written, perfectly characterized, and so dutifully researched. The author even makes note in the back of how she felt unsure about writing a bi-racial character, being that she was a white woman. However I think she really took the time to thoroughly research this and to try as best she could to get it right, and that's how you should do it. Obviously I can't speak completely to the accuracy because I'm a white woman myself, but it seemed very well done in that regard. She also did a lot of research for the plot around a gay male character and what he would have faced at the time, and that was great too.
Oh and did I mention the book is physically beautiful? Because it is! The typography, the images, everything, it's just such a PRETTY book. I love that. I love all of it. So if you like YA, historical fiction, diverse characters, well-researched works, and PRETTY BOOKS.... definitely read this!
Anyway I think I kind of hoped if I waited a day, I'd be able to review it better but nope, still all I can do is flail about how good it is. But honestly it really is good. Cat Winters is an amazing write, I've loved all her books, but I think this one is right up there with In the Shadow of Blackbirds for me. (Though that will always be my favorite, partially because it hit me so intensely.)
This book is well written, perfectly characterized, and so dutifully researched. The author even makes note in the back of how she felt unsure about writing a bi-racial character, being that she was a white woman. However I think she really took the time to thoroughly research this and to try as best she could to get it right, and that's how you should do it. Obviously I can't speak completely to the accuracy because I'm a white woman myself, but it seemed very well done in that regard. She also did a lot of research for the plot around a gay male character and what he would have faced at the time, and that was great too.
Oh and did I mention the book is physically beautiful? Because it is! The typography, the images, everything, it's just such a PRETTY book. I love that. I love all of it. So if you like YA, historical fiction, diverse characters, well-researched works, and PRETTY BOOKS.... definitely read this!
gen_roth's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
i really enjoyed this! it drags a bit in the middle but man, those opening 75 pages? so good! also im a sucker for Shakespeare retellings so this was bound to be right up my alley.
i really enjoyed this! it drags a bit in the middle but man, those opening 75 pages? so good! also im a sucker for Shakespeare retellings so this was bound to be right up my alley.
hollymbryan's review against another edition
5.0
Phenomenal reimagining of Hamlet, with a biracial female lead in 1930s Oregon. Absolutely spectacular.
veronika_wordy_and_whimsical's review against another edition
5.0
Cat Winters is literally my favorite author at the moment. All her novels are magnificent, educational and I ABSOLUTELY ADORE her writing style.
And now the wait begins for Yesternight...
And now the wait begins for Yesternight...
inarizushiii's review against another edition
5.0
How Cat Winters isn’t the biggest name in YA fiction I will never understand. As with every one of her books I’ve read thus far, The Steep & Thorny Way is an absolute stunner of a book.
A retelling of Hamlet, if Hamlet were a biracial girl in the Pacific Northwest in the 20s and the real villain were bigotry all along, this book will grab you by the heart and refuse to let go. I devoured the entire book in a single sitting, in a way I haven’t since I was in middle school.
I could write more, but I honestly do not want anyone to spend any more time reading this review when that time would be better spent reading this book (and then the rest of Cat Winters’ oeuvre). Go. Now.
A retelling of Hamlet, if Hamlet were a biracial girl in the Pacific Northwest in the 20s and the real villain were bigotry all along, this book will grab you by the heart and refuse to let go. I devoured the entire book in a single sitting, in a way I haven’t since I was in middle school.
I could write more, but I honestly do not want anyone to spend any more time reading this review when that time would be better spent reading this book (and then the rest of Cat Winters’ oeuvre). Go. Now.
dms's review against another edition
4.0
http://dms.booklikes.com/post/1326439/review-the-steep-and-thorny-way
jessicabeckett's review against another edition
4.0
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Although Cat Winters has a steady flow of historical fiction under her belt, her newest release coming out this year, The Steep and Thorny Way is my first experience with her writing. And what a wonderful first dive it was! As a so-called retelling of the much beloved classic Hamlet, the story has a lot to live up and it did beautifully.
Electric, thoroughly mysterious and thrilling, The Steep and Thorny Way lives up to all you’d expect it to. Winters pens a tale that grips you from the first pages and refuses to let go. It’s a story about danger in historic time, prejudice that roots itself in a community and turns it sour. It’s a story of the friendship and the love and loyalty between family and friends.
In a time, the 1920s, where racial tensions are high and one mixed race girl is coming of age, one could expect a hitch or two in the way a story unfolds. There are many authors out there who could attempt such a tale but fail miserably in terms of accuracy. The Steep and Thorny Way is not one of those stories. Once it captures your attention, it keeps you in place and grips onto your soul with an inevitable twist.
Continued: BOOKEDJ.
Although Cat Winters has a steady flow of historical fiction under her belt, her newest release coming out this year, The Steep and Thorny Way is my first experience with her writing. And what a wonderful first dive it was! As a so-called retelling of the much beloved classic Hamlet, the story has a lot to live up and it did beautifully.
Electric, thoroughly mysterious and thrilling, The Steep and Thorny Way lives up to all you’d expect it to. Winters pens a tale that grips you from the first pages and refuses to let go. It’s a story about danger in historic time, prejudice that roots itself in a community and turns it sour. It’s a story of the friendship and the love and loyalty between family and friends.
In a time, the 1920s, where racial tensions are high and one mixed race girl is coming of age, one could expect a hitch or two in the way a story unfolds. There are many authors out there who could attempt such a tale but fail miserably in terms of accuracy. The Steep and Thorny Way is not one of those stories. Once it captures your attention, it keeps you in place and grips onto your soul with an inevitable twist.
Continued: BOOKEDJ.
librandian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0