Scan barcode
robyndansereau's review against another edition
4.0
I've had this book on my shelves for a long time, and I decided to make it a book club selection so I could finally cross it off my to-read list. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to! I really liked Fine's writing style and the magical world she created in modern-day England. Maisie's isolated world is turned upside down when her father goes missing, and I loved the heart-pounding adventure she went on to find him. I would happily read another of Fine's books!
marmarlad's review against another edition
2.0
Started off strong, then utterly tanked for me. The middle was overwritten and contrived, and the ending was anti-climatic and I thought a little sloppy, given the painstaking and delightful set-up of the first part of the book. I also didn’t find this book particularly feminist. It is SO stiflingly heteronormative (she literally trades her father for her male romantic interest at one point) and the book spends an inordinate amount of time on stories of men brutalizing women — I recognize and respect that many folx feel differently, but to me that is just centering men, once again.
sunflowerscottie's review against another edition
4.0
"They grew me inside of my mother, which was unusual, because she was dead. I developed in a darkness that was not the eager swaddled of her enveloping organs, a heat that was not the heat of her heart-pumped blood. My mother's life burst like a fruit in its fecundity and it was only after, once she was rotter and hollow and still, that I was born."
{There are light spoilers below.}
Maisie Cothay's birth was an unusual start to an unusual life. Her touch holds death and life, a curse that keeps her from physical contact with anyone and anything lest she change its state of being. Her father, an anthropologist who is constantly distracted by research into her condition, sees her more as an experiment than child, though never to her harm. Maisie can turn only to her dog, Marlowe, for physical comfort, as he is immune to Maisie's condition.
When Peter Cothay goes missing, Maisie goes on a journey to find him with the help of Matthew, the nephew of her housekeeper and pseudo-mother, and Rafe, a mysterious man who claims to be a colleague of Maisie's father. The search for Peter brings up questions about Maisie's mother's ancestry, the strange nature of the forest bordering the Urizon estate where Maisie grew up, and the women in her family who've gone missing in the woods.
I would one hundred percent categorize this novel as a dark fairy tale. It's brimming with old magic, natural magic, and is centered on matrilineal connection. The imagery attached to the magic is gorgeous and at times gruesome, but it never feels as though it's done for the shock factor. The story takes on a very natural flow, even as it travels back and forth in time and switches between points of view to give the stories of Maisie's ancestors. The main focus remains on Maisie and her growth.
The novel's pacing is a little slow at times as Fine goes into the Blakely family history and world-building, but it was never so slow that I lost interest. The only part that felt unnecessary was when Maisie was left alone with Coulton while Rafe attempted to open the way into the forest.
However, overall, this story is fascinating and gorgeous. The visuals are amazing and Maisie is a marvelous character. I enjoyed almost every minute of it and definitely recommend if you enjoy dark fairytales and stories that have a heavy emphasis on women and the expectations that have been placed upon the gender in the past and the present.
{There are light spoilers below.}
Maisie Cothay's birth was an unusual start to an unusual life. Her touch holds death and life, a curse that keeps her from physical contact with anyone and anything lest she change its state of being. Her father, an anthropologist who is constantly distracted by research into her condition, sees her more as an experiment than child, though never to her harm. Maisie can turn only to her dog, Marlowe, for physical comfort, as he is immune to Maisie's condition.
When Peter Cothay goes missing, Maisie goes on a journey to find him with the help of Matthew, the nephew of her housekeeper and pseudo-mother, and Rafe, a mysterious man who claims to be a colleague of Maisie's father. The search for Peter brings up questions about Maisie's mother's ancestry, the strange nature of the forest bordering the Urizon estate where Maisie grew up, and the women in her family who've gone missing in the woods.
I would one hundred percent categorize this novel as a dark fairy tale. It's brimming with old magic, natural magic, and is centered on matrilineal connection. The imagery attached to the magic is gorgeous and at times gruesome, but it never feels as though it's done for the shock factor. The story takes on a very natural flow, even as it travels back and forth in time and switches between points of view to give the stories of Maisie's ancestors. The main focus remains on Maisie and her growth.
The novel's pacing is a little slow at times as Fine goes into the Blakely family history and world-building, but it was never so slow that I lost interest. The only part that felt unnecessary was when Maisie was left alone with Coulton while Rafe attempted to open the way into the forest.
However, overall, this story is fascinating and gorgeous. The visuals are amazing and Maisie is a marvelous character. I enjoyed almost every minute of it and definitely recommend if you enjoy dark fairytales and stories that have a heavy emphasis on women and the expectations that have been placed upon the gender in the past and the present.
melanieloyola_'s review against another edition
2.0
no, just no. it had so many good plot ideas and instead of enforcing them, she made me jump around from flashbacks to future to a sex dream to pure and utter confusion. maybe ill reread it later to see if I actually understand it
shawcrit's review against another edition
4.0
Very well done, and steadily improves. Fine does a decent job pulling together a weird assortment of genres: fairytale, horror, bildungsroman, dark comedy, romance, and fantasy. I felt that there were some issues with pacing, and sometimes the mash-up of styles and characters felt a bit disjointed, but in the end, it all comes together. For that reason, I strongly suggest sticking it out, even if you're not feeling it at the beginning. The ending is truly beautiful, and that is where Fine's writing shines the most.
In terms of the novel's themes, I loved being introduced to the various "women of the wood" who are all, in some way or another, cast out of society because of their various forms of unruly ("wild") femininity. The feminist themes are pretty basic here, as issues of race and queer identity are not addressed (which I found a bit strange and disappointing). The lesson is basically: women have been hurt by patriarchal rules that tell them to behave, to conform to traditional feminine roles, and to repress the "wild" parts of themselves. A good message, but I think this novel could have done a lot more if it took an intersectional feminist approach.
In terms of the novel's themes, I loved being introduced to the various "women of the wood" who are all, in some way or another, cast out of society because of their various forms of unruly ("wild") femininity. The feminist themes are pretty basic here, as issues of race and queer identity are not addressed (which I found a bit strange and disappointing). The lesson is basically: women have been hurt by patriarchal rules that tell them to behave, to conform to traditional feminine roles, and to repress the "wild" parts of themselves. A good message, but I think this novel could have done a lot more if it took an intersectional feminist approach.
thyme2sage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kammigurl423's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture
jbellomy's review against another edition
the love interests are both so annoying and they take up so much space. But more importantly -- and I don't feel bad saying this because it's so buckwild -- why is the girl who did incest in the forest? Like clearly the women in the forest are those who have been particularly affected by patriarchy, but then there's just sexy incest girl. It'd make sense if she'd been subjected to horrible treatment because of her libido/promiscuity, but no, she did incest. And also, why is this book obsessed with underaged boobs?? Gives me, as the youths say, the ick. I cannot continue
justbeth's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0