Scan barcode
nutmegandpumpkin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
At first it was hard to keep track of all the names because there were 12 sisters plus more characters (though four of the sisters are dead from the beginning). Although I liked having a large cast of characters, it was a bit confusing for a while.
There were also some cliché romance moments and a bit of instalove which isn’t my favorite but didn’t ruin the whole thing.
It felt like it was trying to be a little too much all at once: a psychological thriller, horror, fairy tale retelling, fantasy, romance, family drama, mystery. I think this might be why it felt a little all over the place and rushed in some areas.
HOWEVER, I really just loved the ~vibes~ of the whole book and I did NOT expect it to get so dark and unsettling but I enjoyed that (despite it being a shock). I had also totally thought I guessed the twists but BOY was I WRONG lol.
The description was lovely and the tension, suspense, and mystery definitely kept me intrigued.
would recommend!
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Murder and Self harm
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, and Vomit
onthesamepage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and it is pretty dark. The author's writing is very atmospheric, and I was easily sucked into the story. Thinking back on it, the pacing was probably a bit slower than it needed to be, but I barely noticed. I was invested and creeped out and curious to see how everything would play out.
That said, this book is not without flaws. The explanation at the end throws several incidents that happen earlier on into question, because in hindsight, they don't make much sense.
There's some really weird characterization of the father, and his personality seems to undergo a radical change out of nowhere. It mostly felt like a way to move the plot along. The main romance is also very insta-love. The world isn't explained much either--there are apparently deities, and they walk among humans at least part of the time, but we don't get much more information about them or about how religion and magic work in this world. Last but not least, the ending wraps up a bit too nicely and definitely makes the book lose a bit of impact.
I really enjoyed the writing however, and I appreciate this type of horror, so I'll definitely pick up more by the author.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, and Pregnancy
zoepagereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol and Cursing
shirlioved's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Gore
Minor gore towards the enddirectorpurry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Gore, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent
madelynfrank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Child death, Body horror, Pregnancy, Gore, and Grief
robin_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
afterall's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
While at times the writing seemed rushed, like characters were doing one thing and suddenly another with no connection in between, I thoroughly enjoyed the atmospheric description and the seemingly effortless way that words turned to pictures in my mind. I experienced this book with all five of my senses. The environments were beautifully described.
There was so much lore that sometimes I felt like the world had been thoroughly built but there wasn’t enough book to explain enough of it to me. I found myself confused and re-reading some parts just to make sure I understood what was happening regarding the myths, legends, and gods in the story. Despite the confusion at times, I felt like it was all pretty well explained and wrapped up in the end. I guess ultimately I would rather it be this way then be OVER explained. It’s a fast paced story set in a world that is clearly big enough for multiple stories.
The horror aspect of this book was so intriguing. I didn’t expect it to get as dark and frightening at some parts, but I loved the way I could see the scenes play out in my mind.
I felt like the romance was almost unnecessary in this story. Perhaps if it had been more believable, I’d appreciate it a little more. But the couple seemed to fall in love instantly for no real reason other than to have a romance in the story. The love between the sisters was enough to carry the story for me.
This book has the near perfect amount of happy, sad, and purely horrific moments, and while it wasn’t perfect, it was so refreshing to read a unique story like this.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
mktaylor15's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Gore
missmollyreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Vomit