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A review by lovelymisanthrope
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I selected this as my BOTM pick for December 2023.
"The Kingdom of Sweets" is a Nutcracker retelling that follows one sister trying to get out of the shadow of her twin. Clara has always been the most beautiful twin with all of the opportunities in the world at her feet. Natasha has always lived in her shadow and seems to live more like a peasant than a princess. One fateful Christmas Eve, Drosselmeyer, a mysterious sorcerer, brings a special gift to their home: an enchanted nutcracker that takes the girls to the Kingdom of Sweets. While exploring this mythical land, Natasha finally gets her chance at revenge, and she may finally get to live the life she has always dreamed of.
I am not familiar with the original Nutcracker story, so I cannot attest to how well this book did at a retelling, but regardless, I really enjoyed this story. Natasha's envy of her sister was so relatable and although she made poor choices and really wreaked havoc on Clara's life, I still felt sorry for Natasha. Clara's life has always felt so much easier than Natasha's, and everyone has made Natasha know that she is less than Clara. That has got to be rough for anyone.
The Sugar Plum Fairy is sickeningly sweet, and Natasha's entanglement with her was enticing. I really enjoyed seeing the pair interact throughout the story, and I enjoyed even more the ultimate resolution they made by the end of the story.
This story was so atmospheric, and I loved reading about the Kingdom of Sweets. This is the perfect story to read in the winter, especially to get you in a festive spirit for the holiday season. I do wish I read it last month, but I still really enjoyed this story and I appreciated the ambience.
I really appreciated the overall message of this story. There are a few lessons to be learned throughout the duration of this story, but none of them felt presented to the reader in a heavy-handed way.
My one critique of this story is that the book ends up jumping ahead many years a few different times throughout the story. The time jumps made the pacing feel a little stop and go.
I highly recommend adding this to your holiday TBR for 2024!
"The Kingdom of Sweets" is a Nutcracker retelling that follows one sister trying to get out of the shadow of her twin. Clara has always been the most beautiful twin with all of the opportunities in the world at her feet. Natasha has always lived in her shadow and seems to live more like a peasant than a princess. One fateful Christmas Eve, Drosselmeyer, a mysterious sorcerer, brings a special gift to their home: an enchanted nutcracker that takes the girls to the Kingdom of Sweets. While exploring this mythical land, Natasha finally gets her chance at revenge, and she may finally get to live the life she has always dreamed of.
I am not familiar with the original Nutcracker story, so I cannot attest to how well this book did at a retelling, but regardless, I really enjoyed this story. Natasha's envy of her sister was so relatable and although she made poor choices and really wreaked havoc on Clara's life, I still felt sorry for Natasha. Clara's life has always felt so much easier than Natasha's, and everyone has made Natasha know that she is less than Clara. That has got to be rough for anyone.
The Sugar Plum Fairy is sickeningly sweet, and Natasha's entanglement with her was enticing. I really enjoyed seeing the pair interact throughout the story, and I enjoyed even more the ultimate resolution they made by the end of the story.
This story was so atmospheric, and I loved reading about the Kingdom of Sweets. This is the perfect story to read in the winter, especially to get you in a festive spirit for the holiday season. I do wish I read it last month, but I still really enjoyed this story and I appreciated the ambience.
I really appreciated the overall message of this story. There are a few lessons to be learned throughout the duration of this story, but none of them felt presented to the reader in a heavy-handed way.
My one critique of this story is that the book ends up jumping ahead many years a few different times throughout the story. The time jumps made the pacing feel a little stop and go.
I highly recommend adding this to your holiday TBR for 2024!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Murder and Death