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serendipitysbooks 's review for:
The Charmed Wife
by Olga Grushin
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Charmed Wife picks up thirteen years after Cinderella married Prince Charming but they haven’t exactly lived happily ever after. In fact the opening scene has Cinderella stealing away in the night with a lock of her husband’s hair to visit a witch. And Cinderella isn’t after a potion to win back the prince, she wants him dead! What follows is a cleverly plotted story that moves between the present and the past, between fantasy and reality. It’s an exploration of marriage, motherhood and identity through the lens of the well-known fairy tale character but clearly applicable to the modern day woman. I loved the beginning, got a little confused in the middle but once I realised what was going on I settled in happily, and enjoyed the remainder of the book. It’s an unusual mix - singing teapots combined with therapists and custody battles - but if you are after something a little different this thought provoking fairytale fits the bill. And pay attention to the mice - they’ve got quite the story of their own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship