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The Girl Who Became a Goddess: Folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China by Theresa Fuller
alongreader's review
3.0
A retelling of selected Asian folktales, along with author's notes explaining some of the history and why these particular stories were chosen. It's an interesting read; I knew a couple of them under other titles, but the others are new and this retelling adds a lot of details that were missing from my knowledge.This is a great read for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of folktales to more unusual ones. I love reading folktales and I'll be recommending this to others.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
louandlife's review
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I saw this book on NetGalley and what really drew me in was the cover. Then I saw the title and my mind was blown. I thought that this book could be everything that I fancied in an Asian fantasy novel. But then I read the description and I realised that it was a collection of Asian short stories or retellings done by Theresa Fuller. That really intrigued me so I requested the book and then I started to read it.
I think the best story was The Girl Who Became A Goddess. It did take up like at least 50% of the book. I wanted the story to go in a completely different way then it did. In regards to the other short stories, I feel like I knew them from either the short stories that I grew up with or from the TV show Supernatural.
Overall, I didn’t mind reading the stories but I don’t think I’ll particularly remember any one apart from The Girl Who Became A Goddess, but I didn’t love them yet I didn’t hate the short stories either. I felt very indifferent to this book, hence my average rating.
I don’t think I would recommend this book just because it was such an average collection of folk tales. I feel like I learnt a bit about the cultures that the short stories are from, but overall, it was just an average read that won’t leave me with any profound impressions.
I saw this book on NetGalley and what really drew me in was the cover. Then I saw the title and my mind was blown. I thought that this book could be everything that I fancied in an Asian fantasy novel. But then I read the description and I realised that it was a collection of Asian short stories or retellings done by Theresa Fuller. That really intrigued me so I requested the book and then I started to read it.
I think the best story was The Girl Who Became A Goddess. It did take up like at least 50% of the book. I wanted the story to go in a completely different way then it did. In regards to the other short stories, I feel like I knew them from either the short stories that I grew up with or from the TV show Supernatural.
Overall, I didn’t mind reading the stories but I don’t think I’ll particularly remember any one apart from The Girl Who Became A Goddess, but I didn’t love them yet I didn’t hate the short stories either. I felt very indifferent to this book, hence my average rating.
I don’t think I would recommend this book just because it was such an average collection of folk tales. I feel like I learnt a bit about the cultures that the short stories are from, but overall, it was just an average read that won’t leave me with any profound impressions.
lexyg's review
3.0
The cover is gorgeous, and that’s what got my attention first, I must say that I was hoping to love it but that didn’t happen. The stories were good but nothing resonate a lot with me. The writing was excellent so I’m kinda disappointed in myself for not being able to connect the way that I wanted.
becandbooks's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This book reads like a collection of classic bedtime tales.
Fuller retells a number of folktales from the Singapore, Malaysian and Chinese regions. While they are adapted retellings, they maintain the atmosphere of a story that is based on some type of moral or cultural background, rather than a modern-day story. The cultural and personal context for each of the stories were a really nice touch as well.
Most of the stories are very short, with the exception of the folktale the book is named after, The Girl Who Became a Goddess. This book is told in several chapters and absolutely was my favourite. Fuller manages to instil the story with more depth and character than (I assume) the original tale would have.
I honestly wish more of the stories had been done this way. Despite a little delve into another culture, I felt I didn't gain a huge amount from the other stories.
Overall, however, I recommend this if you are looking for an introduction to the stories founded in these cultures.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book reads like a collection of classic bedtime tales.
Fuller retells a number of folktales from the Singapore, Malaysian and Chinese regions. While they are adapted retellings, they maintain the atmosphere of a story that is based on some type of moral or cultural background, rather than a modern-day story. The cultural and personal context for each of the stories were a really nice touch as well.
Most of the stories are very short, with the exception of the folktale the book is named after, The Girl Who Became a Goddess. This book is told in several chapters and absolutely was my favourite. Fuller manages to instil the story with more depth and character than (I assume) the original tale would have.
I honestly wish more of the stories had been done this way. Despite a little delve into another culture, I felt I didn't gain a huge amount from the other stories.
Overall, however, I recommend this if you are looking for an introduction to the stories founded in these cultures.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
spookshow's review
2.0
You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Bare Bear Media, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 2.5
The Girl who became a Goddess is a collection of folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China, this collection has been brought together by Theresa Fuller, with three of the tales being written as retellings and a couple of the others just having brief explanations about them as well as a simple telling that the author remembers hearing as a child. Fuller wanted to collate some of her favourite childhood stories, so she collected her favourites and the most memorable ones, from the first story which is about the mousedeer and his escape through the rainforest, to a boy who wants to help his father anyway that he can in hard times, to the final story which is the longest of the bunch, which is a story following Chang E who is betrothed to Hou Yi, however the day before their wedding, the land is scorched by unknown means. Chang E runs away on a quest to speak to the Gods about what is happening to their home, Hou Yi soon joins her to travel on her quest and hopefully keep her safe.
I found the stories interesting, even the ones that weren't retold as such, the three main stories that were retold by Fuller are mentioned above, the other stories in this collection were more of an explanation of the story that Fuller had heard as a child and just the way that she remembered hearing them. I did enjoy that after the final story, there was a big explanation as to the changes that Fuller made as well as the differences between the many versions of the story itself. This was also the case for the two retold stories about the Mousedeer and The Cricket Boy. It was interesting reading about the basis of the stories included in this collection as well as the fondness that Fuller had when she wrote about them, it really came through when I was reading through the book.
I did enjoy the stories, but I also didn't LOVE them. It's one of those hard ones where I enjoyed it enough, but I wouldn't re-read it. The book is very short, it comes in at around 115 pages long, so it didn't take long for me to get through it at all. If it had've been any longer, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. I'm honestly not sure why that is though. I just can't put my finger on what bugged me. I think part of it was, while Fuller retold three of the stories, it still came across as though they had been translated from their native tongue by someone who doesn't speak that language. In a retelling I would expect that the author would take artistic licence and write the story so that there was a lovely flow to the words. This wasn't exactly the case here. Especially in the final story about Chang E, there were many time when I was annoyed at the words used, or the lack of flow through the story itself. Even if Fuller isn't a native speaker of all the languages where the stories originated from (I know that her mother was from..Singapore? Please correct me if I'm wrong) I still feel that she could have injected the stories with more emotions and in turn enabled her voice to flow a lot better.
I'm a sucker for anything that is steeped in Asian or South East Asian legend, so when I saw this book on netgalley I got so excited. I was just a bit disappointed with the execution. I feel like it needed another round or two of editing to iron out the kinks and flow problems. And I also got the feeling that it was very thrown together, there didn't seem to be any structure as such to the book which was a little disappointing.
All in all, I did enjoy the stories and reading about where they originated and such as well as the many different versions of them, I just wish that this was a bit more polished.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Bare Bear Media, and the author via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 2.5
The Girl who became a Goddess is a collection of folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China, this collection has been brought together by Theresa Fuller, with three of the tales being written as retellings and a couple of the others just having brief explanations about them as well as a simple telling that the author remembers hearing as a child. Fuller wanted to collate some of her favourite childhood stories, so she collected her favourites and the most memorable ones, from the first story which is about the mousedeer and his escape through the rainforest, to a boy who wants to help his father anyway that he can in hard times, to the final story which is the longest of the bunch, which is a story following Chang E who is betrothed to Hou Yi, however the day before their wedding, the land is scorched by unknown means. Chang E runs away on a quest to speak to the Gods about what is happening to their home, Hou Yi soon joins her to travel on her quest and hopefully keep her safe.
I found the stories interesting, even the ones that weren't retold as such, the three main stories that were retold by Fuller are mentioned above, the other stories in this collection were more of an explanation of the story that Fuller had heard as a child and just the way that she remembered hearing them. I did enjoy that after the final story, there was a big explanation as to the changes that Fuller made as well as the differences between the many versions of the story itself. This was also the case for the two retold stories about the Mousedeer and The Cricket Boy. It was interesting reading about the basis of the stories included in this collection as well as the fondness that Fuller had when she wrote about them, it really came through when I was reading through the book.
I did enjoy the stories, but I also didn't LOVE them. It's one of those hard ones where I enjoyed it enough, but I wouldn't re-read it. The book is very short, it comes in at around 115 pages long, so it didn't take long for me to get through it at all. If it had've been any longer, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. I'm honestly not sure why that is though. I just can't put my finger on what bugged me. I think part of it was, while Fuller retold three of the stories, it still came across as though they had been translated from their native tongue by someone who doesn't speak that language. In a retelling I would expect that the author would take artistic licence and write the story so that there was a lovely flow to the words. This wasn't exactly the case here. Especially in the final story about Chang E, there were many time when I was annoyed at the words used, or the lack of flow through the story itself. Even if Fuller isn't a native speaker of all the languages where the stories originated from (I know that her mother was from..Singapore? Please correct me if I'm wrong) I still feel that she could have injected the stories with more emotions and in turn enabled her voice to flow a lot better.
I'm a sucker for anything that is steeped in Asian or South East Asian legend, so when I saw this book on netgalley I got so excited. I was just a bit disappointed with the execution. I feel like it needed another round or two of editing to iron out the kinks and flow problems. And I also got the feeling that it was very thrown together, there didn't seem to be any structure as such to the book which was a little disappointing.
All in all, I did enjoy the stories and reading about where they originated and such as well as the many different versions of them, I just wish that this was a bit more polished.
pip94's review
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This is a short story collection of folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China. A few are told as retellings, while others are outlines of the stories. Fuller has brought together the stories from her childhood in this collection. While I enjoyed this book overall, I wanted more depth to the stories. It would have been interesting to include some more history of the stories and I wanted some of them to be more fleshed out. At roughly 115 pages, this collection doesn't have the length to really explore these folktales. The title story is by far the strongest, in my opinion, and it is also the most fleshed out (and longest). Overall I enjoyed this short story collection, but it had a lot of potential to be even better. If you enjoy folktales/retellings then you may what to check this out.
This is a short story collection of folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China. A few are told as retellings, while others are outlines of the stories. Fuller has brought together the stories from her childhood in this collection. While I enjoyed this book overall, I wanted more depth to the stories. It would have been interesting to include some more history of the stories and I wanted some of them to be more fleshed out. At roughly 115 pages, this collection doesn't have the length to really explore these folktales. The title story is by far the strongest, in my opinion, and it is also the most fleshed out (and longest). Overall I enjoyed this short story collection, but it had a lot of potential to be even better. If you enjoy folktales/retellings then you may what to check this out.
fuzaila's review
3.0
When you read a book that tells folktales, you don't expect much. But this book was so well-written and the narrative so personal that it broke my expectations. I loved reading how Theresa Fuller explains her childhood and listening to folktales from an early age. Being an Asian myself, I'm familiar with most of the stories and I've heard or read renditions of a few of them myself. It was really refreshing to read the same stories with Asian characters, in an Asian setting. This book mainly takes inspiration from Singaporean/Malay and Chinese folktales, but I'm sure most of us would have heard one or two of these stories growing up.
However, the reason for my lower rating is that I couldn't enjoy the final story, The Girl Who Became a Goddess, all that much. The author explains how this story is her favorite and that she has taken liberties with narrating it her way. It also takes up about half the book and is the only story that spans more than one chapter. But I found Chang E's story of the ten sons a little too underwhelming for my liking, even though it was written quite well.
This book is short and quick. Anybody who enjoys some good folktales and a nostalgic ride through their childhood of believing in the impossible would definitely like this book.
However, the reason for my lower rating is that I couldn't enjoy the final story, The Girl Who Became a Goddess, all that much. The author explains how this story is her favorite and that she has taken liberties with narrating it her way. It also takes up about half the book and is the only story that spans more than one chapter. But I found Chang E's story of the ten sons a little too underwhelming for my liking, even though it was written quite well.
This book is short and quick. Anybody who enjoys some good folktales and a nostalgic ride through their childhood of believing in the impossible would definitely like this book.
mirificmoxie's review
3.0
3 Stars
*A rough around the edges collection of Asian folklore that needs more fleshing out*
ARC provided by Bare Bear Media via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was scrolling through Netgalley when this cover caught my eye. (Hello, gorgeous cover!) Then I saw the tagline “Folktales from Singapore, Malaysia, and China” and couldn’t click “request” fast enough. I love retellings of mythology and folklore especially when they are tales I don’t know as much about. And I’m still hungering for more of [b:The Night Tiger|39863482|The Night Tiger|Yangsze Choo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1554191365s/39863482.jpg|61052364], so the bit about Malaysian folktales definitely piqued my interest.
The Girl Who Became a Goddess is a collection of folktales that the author grew up hearing in Malaysia and Singapore. In-between the stories are reflections on Fuller’s memories of her childhood. The stories themselves range greatly in length and quality. The title story was by far the best. It also happens to be the story that is the most fleshed out. The other stories have good bones, but they didn’t have enough meat to them. And unfortunately, the writing style was rough and inconsistent. Even the shortest stories jump around in confusing ways. One randomly switches between third and second person narrative within the same story. And some of the stories skip around or end so abruptly that they weren’t very satisfying.
I really, truly wish I could give this book a better rating, but it’s so rough around the edges. I’m used to ARCs being in various stages of editing, but The Girl Who Became a Goddess really felt like a rough draft. I hope it goes through some thorough editing prior to publication because this book has the potential to be so much more.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 2 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
*A rough around the edges collection of Asian folklore that needs more fleshing out*
ARC provided by Bare Bear Media via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was scrolling through Netgalley when this cover caught my eye. (Hello, gorgeous cover!) Then I saw the tagline “Folktales from Singapore, Malaysia, and China” and couldn’t click “request” fast enough. I love retellings of mythology and folklore especially when they are tales I don’t know as much about. And I’m still hungering for more of [b:The Night Tiger|39863482|The Night Tiger|Yangsze Choo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1554191365s/39863482.jpg|61052364], so the bit about Malaysian folktales definitely piqued my interest.
The Girl Who Became a Goddess is a collection of folktales that the author grew up hearing in Malaysia and Singapore. In-between the stories are reflections on Fuller’s memories of her childhood. The stories themselves range greatly in length and quality. The title story was by far the best. It also happens to be the story that is the most fleshed out. The other stories have good bones, but they didn’t have enough meat to them. And unfortunately, the writing style was rough and inconsistent. Even the shortest stories jump around in confusing ways. One randomly switches between third and second person narrative within the same story. And some of the stories skip around or end so abruptly that they weren’t very satisfying.
I really, truly wish I could give this book a better rating, but it’s so rough around the edges. I’m used to ARCs being in various stages of editing, but The Girl Who Became a Goddess really felt like a rough draft. I hope it goes through some thorough editing prior to publication because this book has the potential to be so much more.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 2 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
ravenclawlibrarybooks's review
3.0
Having loved folktales of different cultures I wanted to pick this up. While I liked it I couldn't immerse myself in any of the stories so this isn't for me.
#TheGirlWhoBecameAgoddess #NetGalley
#TheGirlWhoBecameAgoddess #NetGalley
astraeal's review
3.0
A nice collection of folktales from Singapore, Malaysia and China, some retellings, some adaptations, but with always where it is from and the origin of the tale for the author which I quite liked. I enjoyed reading these different tales I had never heard about before, but the fact that some were pretty short (like two pages) and others really long (the last one was 50% of the book) I couldn't know when I began reading each how long it would be which could be disappointing when after reading two pages I found out the story was over. I think I would have liked for the tales themselves to be a little longer (especially the short ones), more explained, or more tales altogether, the book was a quick read and I would have liked to have more.