A review by daniellereadslikealot_
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough

dark emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m a huge fan of retellings, reimaginings or just new takes on classic stories, especially when characters get to reclaim their narrative and explore different choices in their stories. This book was a perfect example of that. I absolutely loved it. The way Cordelia, Ophelia, Juliet and Lavinia examine their stories together and how they were used as props for their fathers, lovers, brothers and other male characters and decide to retell their stories the way they want was so incredibly beautiful. I loved the Trap Door scenes where the girls just talked to each other, trying to understand each other’s motivations and choices and dreams. I loved the bond of sisterhood they created, seeing all the similarities between them. I loved how each girl was written, but especially Juliet. So many times, she and her story are dismissed as two ridiculous teenagers who couldn’t control their hormones and while she is definitely written as a thirteen year old girl, there’s an optimism and clarity of her feelings that I really enjoyed seeing. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves new takes on female characters and seeing them have some agency in their stories. 
CW: references and mentions of sexual assault, mutilation, death


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