Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by rattletheshelves
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen, Terri Windling
2.0
When you write about the Holocaust, you should either do it well or don't touch it with a five-meter-stick. Otherwise you end up insulting everyone. (Just FYI? The concentration camps weren't Polish. They weren't German either. They were Nazi. End of story, it's pretty simple. And it's not denial but a simple historical fact.)
When you decide to use oh-so-many words in a foreign language, you might want to double-check them. Or employ an editor who knows said language. Otherwise, they might all be spelled wrong. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Like the one word you repeat only 10000000 times, Księźniczka? It's actually Księżniczka. And yes, yes, it makes a difference.
While we are at it, when you want to introduce foreign terms, you should make your decisions and stick to it - put all or none in italics, use foregin symbols in all or in none. Otherwise, it's messy and irritating. And please, don't use Americanised words for Polish food. Especially not when your characters visit Poland.
(I mean, wtf is galumpkis?! Like if I say it out loud three times in a row, really fast, then it vaguely sounds like gołąbki, but wtf... Also, it's already plural, no need to put "s" at the end)
Also, unless you are American-born-to-Polish-immigrants, female surnames end in A. Not I. At least in the case of "Magda Bronski."
The last 50 pages saved this book, otherwise it would have been one star.
I'm so upset with this book. It was so promising. I love the idea of the Sleeping Beauty retelling that's based on WWII history and I really liked all the parallels - the princes, the castle, the prince. It's just that everything else about this book was horrible. Let's look at the main character - she called herself a feminist but she LOVED her boss being sexist about her and had some serious female-on-female hate issues. Also, it's not YA. The main character is 23, works in a newspaper, and has this weird sexual chemistry with her boss.
As you have probably figured out by now, I don't recommend it. There are plenty better Holocaust/WWII fiction books out there.
Read for #aroundtheworldin100days challenge - Poland (it even takes place in my hometown! it's the first book I've ever read that takes place there)
When you decide to use oh-so-many words in a foreign language, you might want to double-check them. Or employ an editor who knows said language. Otherwise, they might all be spelled wrong. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Like the one word you repeat only 10000000 times, Księźniczka? It's actually Księżniczka. And yes, yes, it makes a difference.
While we are at it, when you want to introduce foreign terms, you should make your decisions and stick to it - put all or none in italics, use foregin symbols in all or in none. Otherwise, it's messy and irritating. And please, don't use Americanised words for Polish food. Especially not when your characters visit Poland.
(I mean, wtf is galumpkis?! Like if I say it out loud three times in a row, really fast, then it vaguely sounds like gołąbki, but wtf... Also, it's already plural, no need to put "s" at the end)
Also, unless you are American-born-to-Polish-immigrants, female surnames end in A. Not I. At least in the case of "Magda Bronski."
The last 50 pages saved this book, otherwise it would have been one star.
I'm so upset with this book. It was so promising. I love the idea of the Sleeping Beauty retelling that's based on WWII history and I really liked all the parallels - the princes, the castle, the prince. It's just that everything else about this book was horrible. Let's look at the main character - she called herself a feminist but she LOVED her boss being sexist about her and had some serious female-on-female hate issues. Also, it's not YA. The main character is 23, works in a newspaper, and has this weird sexual chemistry with her boss.
As you have probably figured out by now, I don't recommend it. There are plenty better Holocaust/WWII fiction books out there.
Read for #aroundtheworldin100days challenge - Poland (it even takes place in my hometown! it's the first book I've ever read that takes place there)