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fionasfairytales's review against another edition
5.0
The most haunting, mind bending book I have ever read. I’m certain it will stay with me for years to come, and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out—and for me to muster up the courage to read it!
wardcl86's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars! The Brothers Grimm would be so proud! RTC!
carebcut's review against another edition
2.0
Beautiful writing and strong sense of place. But fantasy horror is just not my favorite.
zoe_money's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
thebookpantheon's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't enjoyed a book so much in a long while. It makes me feel the love of reading I felt back at the height of YA in the 2010s. The writing style is so nostalgic and well done I can't help but be so pleased knowing I would have enjoyed this in high school as I do now.
It was everything I expected from a fairytale retelling and much more. The author builds worlds so beautifully (similarly to Small Favors); I had no trouble immediately throwing myself into the world they created (which isn't hard for me as a reader but you wouldn't imagine the horrible books I've read that make it so). The story is a bit slow-paced for most of the book but it picked up right at the end, and like Annaleigh, my head was spinning as everything unraveled and came to light. I'll admit, this isn't a revolutionary piece of literature (the fairytale retelling is an exceedingly common trope) but I never expected it to be something that it wasn't. The book was, however, incredibly entertaining and managed to unsettle me and also feed my romantic heart.
Speaking of romance, it was well done... as far as the individual scenes go. Annaleigh and (no name, no spoiler) were so incredibly darling I couldn't help kicking my feet every time they had a tender moment together. However, the overarching timeline of their relationship was a bit too "instant-love" for me. Their love unraveled so quickly that it almost made it a bit unbelievable and had me rooting for the other romantic interest until they weren't an option anymore.
The plot twists were almost a bit too obvious and I while I figured it out fairly quickly, it was great to watch the author drop hints here and there, as well as the million red herrings she left throughout the book too! This book has definitely cemented my love for the author's works, and they're now resolutely in my "if they publish it, I'll read it" list.
It was everything I expected from a fairytale retelling and much more. The author builds worlds so beautifully (similarly to Small Favors); I had no trouble immediately throwing myself into the world they created (which isn't hard for me as a reader but you wouldn't imagine the horrible books I've read that make it so). The story is a bit slow-paced for most of the book but it picked up right at the end, and like Annaleigh, my head was spinning as everything unraveled and came to light. I'll admit, this isn't a revolutionary piece of literature (the fairytale retelling is an exceedingly common trope) but I never expected it to be something that it wasn't. The book was, however, incredibly entertaining and managed to unsettle me and also feed my romantic heart.
Speaking of romance, it was well done... as far as the individual scenes go. Annaleigh and (no name, no spoiler) were so incredibly darling I couldn't help kicking my feet every time they had a tender moment together. However, the overarching timeline of their relationship was a bit too "instant-love" for me. Their love unraveled so quickly that it almost made it a bit unbelievable and had me rooting for the other romantic interest until they weren't an option anymore.
The plot twists were almost a bit too obvious and I while I figured it out fairly quickly, it was great to watch the author drop hints here and there, as well as the million red herrings she left throughout the book too! This book has definitely cemented my love for the author's works, and they're now resolutely in my "if they publish it, I'll read it" list.
annakars17's review against another edition
4.0
Loved: What an exciting story! Mystery, darkness, romance, magic and madness. Good times. Heart was definitely pounding during multiple chapters/moments. Read it in 2 days, very fun.
Dislike: Falls into some clichés, but not enough to make me like it less.
Overall, would recommend. Had a great time reading this and didn't want to put it down
Dislike: Falls into some clichés, but not enough to make me like it less.
Overall, would recommend. Had a great time reading this and didn't want to put it down
copascribe's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
This was a fun read that I devoured in one sitting. I hoped this YA would be a good introduction to mystery for my young teen, but the end got pretty dark, and I've seen some reviewers call this YA horror, in which I agree.
There were some cringe moments and some plot twists that seemed like they could've been executed better, but I'm not the target audience and still had a good time reading.
Due to some of the content, I'd recommend to older teens.
This was a fun read that I devoured in one sitting. I hoped this YA would be a good introduction to mystery for my young teen, but the end got pretty dark, and I've seen some reviewers call this YA horror, in which I agree.
There were some cringe moments and some plot twists that seemed like they could've been executed better, but I'm not the target audience and still had a good time reading.
Due to some of the content, I'd recommend to older teens.
daviesam's review against another edition
3.0
3.75.
The first 200 pages were a little slow and initially I thought drifting completely away from the advertised plot. That being said, the last 200 pages? I said WTF out loud to myself 3 times.
If you can get through the first half, I recommend the back half of the book. The book is well written I just found the plot to be a slow start.
Interesting take on light fantasy. Ending confused me slightly, half recommend, will probably read the sequel being published.
The first 200 pages were a little slow and initially I thought drifting completely away from the advertised plot. That being said, the last 200 pages? I said WTF out loud to myself 3 times.
If you can get through the first half, I recommend the back half of the book. The book is well written I just found the plot to be a slow start.
Interesting take on light fantasy. Ending confused me slightly, half recommend, will probably read the sequel being published.
taythebibliophile's review against another edition
It felt like there was so much and also so little happening. What was the main plot???