A review by wardenred
Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • 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

4.0

There are rules, and I broke them. But the rules don’t matter in the market. They’re rules set by tricksters.

This was an enjoyable and highly atmospheric retelling with sone great ace and bi rep. It's worth noting that there are two storylines separate by eighteen years, and the one mentioned in the blurb that led me to pick up the book was the more boring one, tbh. I liked Lou well enough; I related to her struggle to find the balance between finding herself and belonging, and I found her relationship with her Mom, her aunt, and the rest of her family really interesting. However, May's story was simply more compelling. She had a more interesting deal right from the beginning, and while she had a somewhat similar conflict that's typical for YA ("what I want vs what my family needs me to be"), the way it unfolded against the backdrop of witchery and goblin murders was more compelling. I felt like it showcased the vibe of the whole story better, too. That whole thing about already living on the border of a mundane world and a magical one full of withcraft, and then stepping over yt another threshold into the goblin market? Beautifully done and instantly engrossing. Lou's journey was a more typical "I'm just a kid figuring myself out and overlooking some weirdness in my family, and now I've learned that a world of magic exists" one, and it was more predictable and less novel for me.

I felt like the first half of the novel was a lot stronger than the second one. In both storylines, there was some great build-up with big promises, and then the pay-off kind of... fell a little short. Looking back, perhaps it was actually a problem with the first half, too, at least in May's part; by the time we get to the most high-stakes parts, it's already way too clear how most of the big stuff is going to play out. Still, at least the thick atmosphere of beautiful terrors—the undeniable strength of this book—was very much there, whereas in Lou's story it falls a bit to the side. Upon some thinking, I actually like the blatant difference in how May and Lou interacted with the Market: May was strongly susceptible to its draw whereas Lou entered it with a single-minded purpose to find Neela, stuck to it throughout, and distanced herself from all the weirdness to some extent. She overlooked the addictive beauty all the horror was wrapped in and went straight for the horror, whereas May allowed herself to be drawn into the beauty first.

Speaking of horror: there was less of it than I expected from the way the book was presented. The story is definitely more on the fantasy side. But all the body horror bits were appropriately chilling, and everything about the Market, with the constant addictions and abductions it provides, was terrifying, and really, I just need to mention again how atmospheric Bovalino's writing is. Despite some of the book's weaknesses, I really want to read more by this author, especially if the later books end up going even deeper into the horror territory!
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