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maeverose's review against another edition
3.0
Gratuitous violence. Mostly from Wendy and Stepon’s povs, where they had to bring up at every opportunity that their father abused them. It felt like the author was just throwing it in there to keep the book feeling dark and gritty but there was no real purpose to it. We already know from the first few chapters that their father is a despicable human being, it didn’t need to be mentioned repeatedly every single time it switched to one of their povs.
The multiple povs. I only cared about Miryem’s and Irina’s a little bit towards the second half of the book. However I wouldn’t say the others were unnecessary (well, Magreta’s maybe) or couldn’t be interesting to other readers. I felt that it was usually pretty clear who’s pov it was right away, but the book does switch povs multiple times in every chapter, so it could get annoying.
Bad autism rep? I wanted to talk about one of the perspectives in particular: Wanda’s younger brother Stepon. His narrative voice is especially different from the others and I can’t tell if it’s just supposed to be that he’s young, abused and had a very isolated upbringing, or if he’s autistic coded. He has sensory issues with noise too, which could be a trauma response from his abuse, I’m not sure, but it felt like an attempt at a very stereotypical representation of autism, and if it was I don’t like that. It’s a very narrow minded interpretation of autism, not to mention it was just so tedious to read.
It’s overwritten. It definitely could’ve (should’ve, imo) been at least 100 pages shorter. Maybe its just because I wasn’t enjoying it that much but it felt like a drag to get through. I was bored for a lot of it.
The writing. Her style just doesn’t work for me. I liked the winter descriptions, and the folktale style of it, but I found certain sentences to be worded awkwardly to where I’d have to read them multiple times to get what she meant. It was the same with Uprooted for me. Like she’s trying to make it sound pretty but it’s just awkward to read. Could just be me. I did find some sentences that were actually grammatically incorrect though…
Homophobic?? This one was easy to miss, but the only - very minor side character - that’s gay has a crush on his own cousin. I feel like I don’t need to explain how that’s problematic.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Body horror, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Classism, Incest, and Miscarriage
Graphic: Eye trauma Moderate: mentioned child rapegoizi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Death of parent
rafafinhass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Abortion, Violence, Misogyny, and Alcoholism
Minor: Rape, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
naomi_k's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Violence, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Misogyny, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Classism, Animal death, Death of parent, and Miscarriage
maziodynes's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The main heroines are all openly flawed or have massive obstacles to overcome. Seeing these women change for the better (but sometimes a little worse!) as the story progressed was an absolute joy. Not to be corny, but I think female empowerment really resonates here. These characters felt incredibly realistic to their unique circumstances. And the last chunk of the story was one of the most satisfying endings I have read in a long time!
A masterpiece standalone fantasy that everyone who loves fantasy and fairy tale retellings needs to read! full stop!!!
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, War, Antisemitism, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
sapphicsoilscientist's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death
amkleio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It is a tale of debts unpaid and compensated; of friendships and families powerful enough to conquer trials and misfortunes; of women who are forces to be reckoned with and aren’t just women—they contradict men’s beliefs that a woman’s purpose is only to marry and bring life and they’re much more than how the society sees them. This is about strong women who aren’t afraid of facing challenges on their own.
Miryem has grown tired of their poor life, and also of her father’s inability to collect debts from the people whom they lent their money with. She started doing things on her own by taking over her father’s job and collecting debts. But gossips scatter so easily that the Staryk king awaits her on their doorsteps.
The book is said to be a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, but honestly, it felt very subtle. It wasn’t a lot like the original fairytale—which I, indeed, quite expected—as it was almost entirely different. The only similar elements were one character has the ability to turn things (silver) into gold, a plot where there is a greedy king who tests a young maiden’s abilities and then marries her after, and the huge importance of names. Yet those were enough. I loved that Novik didn’t stick a lot with the original tale, and she created a unique story with great representations and exquisite storytelling.
There are six POVs, which were confusing (if you don’t pay much attention), but I quickly identified them, as each character has their own voice. For example, when it’s Wanda or Stepon’s POV, it usually has the word “Da” in it (a term they use for their father).
Spinning Silver has three main protagonists: Miryem, Wanda, and Irina. Miryem is smart. I loved her ways of getting a good bargain and being merciless to bring back a comfortable life for her family. Irina is tough. Her determination to protect Magreta is admirable. Wanda is strong. To be honest, she’s the character who touched me the most. Dealing with an abusive father and taking care of her other siblings made me think, “I wish I'm as strong as her.” I love these characters. No matter how hard and terrible their life can be, they always find ways to get out of any unfortunate events. And if it’s anything, I find the novel “female-empowering”, which is a great aspect since the female characters here share the same challenging life.
This was such an escapism! It was as if I felt the winter season through this book. I was easily swept along the extraordinary world together with the charm of the characters, magical mirrors, and the never-ending winter world. Novik, you have my heart.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment
soundlysmitten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Something I admired about this novel is the variety of myths it draws from while still maintaining a distinct narrative. To name a few: Miryem’s trials with the Staryk King channel the tales of Rumpelstiltskin and Hades & Persephone, Irina’s predicament with Mirnatius incorporates aspects of Bluebeard and One Thousand and One Nights, and Wanda’s story seems to involve elements of Hansel and Gretel as well as The Juniper Tree.
However, if you enjoy an abundance of action, this might not be the book for you. The content is complex but the pace is more leisurely and the quaint language and spellbinding imagery are best appreciated unhurried. With a myriad of POVs to boast, the story does meander quite a bit, but I personally enjoyed the way it goes. Some people mention disliking how the author chose to use the symbol of a spinning wheel to signify a change in perspective rather than label each section by name. But again, I found the spinning wheel charming and thought there was always enough context to properly glean who was speaking.
As the most popular narrative still seems to imply a heroine must be of ‘unparalleled beauty’ or whatever, I appreciated that the women in Spinning Silver are not prized for their appearance, but for their agency, loyalty, and resoluteness. They each have some questionable moments, but it seems natural for a person’s flaws to flare dramatically in survival mode. And by the end, Irina learns to wield a balance of cunning and compassion, Wanda pairs her newfound independence with fierce devotion, and Miryem is both empowered and humbled at once. Even though there’s a bit of romance in the conclusion of the story, I was glad to see each character’s personal journey played out independently first. And I loved that the story emphasizes family more than romance. Let sisterhood and found families abound 😽
Most notably, I’d like to acknowledge the portrayal of Jewish heritage in Spinning Silver. To me, one of the most beautiful parts of the book involves the gifting of a Jewish name. Of course, there’s also mentions of hatefulness which point to the history of antisemitism. But in retrospect, I see how Miryem playing Rumpelstiltskin, specifically, may further serve to challenge antisemitic stereotypes. This connection was lost on me initially because I was ignorant till just now of the roots of the fairytale I grew up hearing. And turns out this is not the only tale by the Brothers Grimm inspired by antisemitism… Is this common knowledge?
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
a_new_elisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
No, it's actually because the logic and writing style are not entirely 5 stars, but that name thing is slightly irritating.
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death