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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
For being listed as appropriate for ages 12-17, I was surprised there was such a dark turn.
The story is good and entertaining, but be warned, there is no happy ending here.
The story is good and entertaining, but be warned, there is no happy ending here.
2 1/2 stars
This book started off beautifully. I loved the food, and the characters, and the strangeness of the world. It went downhill from the time of the mockturtle. I found that I couldn't understand how Cath, sweet, irritating and indecisive as she was, could turn so far as to become the nasty Queen of Hearts. Not without the man she loved--Jest--betraying her, which he did not. While at the end she certainly did act like the Queen of Hearts, there was far too much of a gap between the two personalities, without seeing her character growth (shrinking) into that role. I still am a fan of Marissa Meyer, but this wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be.
This book started off beautifully. I loved the food, and the characters, and the strangeness of the world. It went downhill from the time of the mockturtle. I found that I couldn't understand how Cath, sweet, irritating and indecisive as she was, could turn so far as to become the nasty Queen of Hearts. Not without the man she loved--Jest--betraying her, which he did not. While at the end she certainly did act like the Queen of Hearts, there was far too much of a gap between the two personalities, without seeing her character growth (shrinking) into that role. I still am a fan of Marissa Meyer, but this wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be.
im at a loss of words :(
(i expected a happy ending)
(i expected a happy ending)
I’m giving this 3 stars because while I love the story. The beginning was really hard to get through. It took me over a year to actually get through the book. Very slow start.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the first half or 2/3 of this novel. Meyer has laid out a fully developed world inspired by Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, where she expands on the original work in a thoughtful and meaningful way. She is just so great at fairy-tale retellings.
Catherine is well-developed if a little boring. I loved her dream of becoming a baker but wanted more from her decision-making. In addition, the instalove between Catherine and Jest was not appreciated, and I was disappointed with Meyer in the evolution of the romance.
Further, the last bit of the plot was underwhelming. There was this slow building and then suddenly it was all over. And it was sad! I like sad books but I was hoping it wouldn't turn out the way it did. The pacing as well was wonky: the first half was so slow and then the last bit flew by, to the extent that I had to second-guess what had happened and go back to re-read.
So overall, the world-building was great, great, great. But the characters, pacing, and last bit of plot were unsatisfying.
Catherine is well-developed if a little boring. I loved her dream of becoming a baker but wanted more from her decision-making. In addition, the instalove between Catherine and Jest was not appreciated, and I was disappointed with Meyer in the evolution of the romance.
Further, the last bit of the plot was underwhelming. There was this slow building and then suddenly it was all over. And it was sad! I like sad books but I was hoping it wouldn't turn out the way it did. The pacing as well was wonky: the first half was so slow and then the last bit flew by, to the extent that I had to second-guess what had happened and go back to re-read.
So overall, the world-building was great, great, great. But the characters, pacing, and last bit of plot were unsatisfying.
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
No está mal. No es lo que esperaba, pero me parece original. Me gusta conocer una version de cómo podría haber sido el origen de la horrible reina de corazones, y me encanta la moraleja de que el malo no es tan malo, todo tiene un motivo.
I didn’t fully finish it. I made it to chapter 3 and just couldn’t do it anymore. It was soo not my cup of tea. I love Wonderland stories, even ones that are different from the original; so I thought I would like this one, but nope not for me.
Another great reselling by Marissa Meyer. Captivated my imagination. Cath's character is my favorite and the author captures her journey from hopeful teenager to angry adult beautifully.