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emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition
5.0
A chilling story steeped in fairytales and the Australian bush.
kusine's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
adamsrib's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i really liked this book. the prose was interesting, and the use of narrative in the book is something that i found really nice. spoilers ahead: the use of language as a form of Nerida, Bettina's mother, keeping control over her daughter was a poignant metaphor for how domestic and emotional abuse are perpetuated and upheld. the writing was well written and never bored me. when characters inside of the story told stories, there was some level of differentiation.
the story was also really nice. at the end of the book i found myself going 'oh, OH' as more and more loose ends began to wrap up and form a coherent story. this is most definitely a book you have to pay attention to to really understand: it's not something you can just breeze through. overall, i really liked it, and if you're interested in more domestic thriller-type books, then i recommend it for you.
the story was also really nice. at the end of the book i found myself going 'oh, OH' as more and more loose ends began to wrap up and form a coherent story. this is most definitely a book you have to pay attention to to really understand: it's not something you can just breeze through. overall, i really liked it, and if you're interested in more domestic thriller-type books, then i recommend it for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Body horror
Minor: Car accident and Abandonment
stardustrain's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book takes the guts and wiring of familiar fairytales and twists them into something new and exciting. The piped piper in a desert town, the Six Swan brothers stitched together with word-magic, Aladdin and the Lamp in an abandoned sawmill, all set against the backdrop of dying small town in the Australian outback. All this while exploring coming-of-age friendships, intergenerational stories, duty and grief and memories.
This could have been a longer book, with more fleshed-out characters and family backstories, but I enjoyed its brevity and ambiguity and how it trusts the reader to piece things together.
This could have been a longer book, with more fleshed-out characters and family backstories, but I enjoyed its brevity and ambiguity and how it trusts the reader to piece things together.
backpackfullofbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jessethereader's review
2.0
How can a book be so enchanting yet so confusing at the same time? That sums up my experience with this book. I loved the fairytale dream like tone of this book, but it was dry in terms of the plot and the characters. I needed those elements to be stronger in order to end up in a love scenario.
jimothyjumbles's review
3.0
Absolutely love the concepts but I was confused for so much of the book that I'm a bit embarrassed! I'm a rural-born Australian, so I loved the settings and atmosphere a lot - and the last quarter or so of the book really got me. The cover art (which I believe is also by the author?) is gorgeous too.
mischagal's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to this on audio, and I think that may have hindered the experience. While the narration was decent, I found the story a bit more challenging to immerse myself into in this format. Probably a 3.5 for me. Interesting, unique and well written. Maybe just not 100% what I needed.
teaturtlesandbooks's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75