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A review by just_fighting_censorship
Goblinheart by Brett Axel
1.0
This one did not connect with me on any level.
First the story - I didn't get it. Julep is a fairy that is more interested in roots and digging, which are what Goblins are supposed to enjoy. In this world goblins and fairies are the same species but once they hit puberty they either grow wings or claws. Julep grows wings and decides to wear a vest to hide/hold her wings down. She crafts gloves to mimic claws so it is easier to dig with the goblins. I get the gloves, but I don't understand why she needs to cover up her wings. I would think that the best thing to teach children would be for them to learn to accept their bodies and not feel like they need to hide and change who they are in order to pursue their dreams and interests. I think a better approach would be that Julep is a fairy but is allowed to dig and eat roots with goblins, this makes more sense to me and better supports the message that you can follow your dreams and interests no matter what you look like.
There is a part where Julep is asked if she is a fairy, and she says no, I'm a goblin. So Julep has to completely disassociate from who she is in order to pursue her interests? I just think this is a terrible message, especially for children. This gave me Sandy at the end of Grease vibes.
The writing - I found it to be pretty choppy. Maybe part of the issue was the lack of pronouns which make the flow very clunky.
The illustrations - They are black and white and not very appealing for a children's book. However, maybe this was a choice made based on cost since this book seemed to be made on a budget. The publisher seems to mostly publish poetry/pamphlets.
First the story - I didn't get it. Julep is a fairy that is more interested in roots and digging, which are what Goblins are supposed to enjoy. In this world goblins and fairies are the same species but once they hit puberty they either grow wings or claws. Julep grows wings and decides to wear a vest to hide/hold her wings down. She crafts gloves to mimic claws so it is easier to dig with the goblins. I get the gloves, but I don't understand why she needs to cover up her wings. I would think that the best thing to teach children would be for them to learn to accept their bodies and not feel like they need to hide and change who they are in order to pursue their dreams and interests. I think a better approach would be that Julep is a fairy but is allowed to dig and eat roots with goblins, this makes more sense to me and better supports the message that you can follow your dreams and interests no matter what you look like.
There is a part where Julep is asked if she is a fairy, and she says no, I'm a goblin. So Julep has to completely disassociate from who she is in order to pursue her interests? I just think this is a terrible message, especially for children. This gave me Sandy at the end of Grease vibes.
The writing - I found it to be pretty choppy. Maybe part of the issue was the lack of pronouns which make the flow very clunky.
The illustrations - They are black and white and not very appealing for a children's book. However, maybe this was a choice made based on cost since this book seemed to be made on a budget. The publisher seems to mostly publish poetry/pamphlets.