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A review by spinesinaline
Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had had this novella on my TBR for some time before realizing this year that it was available for free on Tor.com! It was so much more devastating and disturbing than I ever anticipated.
It’s almost a familiar tale with this more historical take on Rumpelstiltskin. I don’t know how much of this version comes from actual shared tales but in this version the “Rumpelstiltskin” character is a demon who the family have managed to make deals with in order to keep their descendants safe. Taking these more fantastical aspects, the author also creates a traumatic story of a family experiencing the Jewish pogroms in Europe and their difficulties in immigrating to a new home.
I would not say this was a feel-good story and I’m not sure I would’ve read it if I’d known where it was going but it certainly gave some interesting additions to what I knew of this tale and the more real history.
It’s almost a familiar tale with this more historical take on Rumpelstiltskin. I don’t know how much of this version comes from actual shared tales but in this version the “Rumpelstiltskin” character is a demon who the family have managed to make deals with in order to keep their descendants safe. Taking these more fantastical aspects, the author also creates a traumatic story of a family experiencing the Jewish pogroms in Europe and their difficulties in immigrating to a new home.
I would not say this was a feel-good story and I’m not sure I would’ve read it if I’d known where it was going but it certainly gave some interesting additions to what I knew of this tale and the more real history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Death, and Miscarriage