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the_bookish_chimera 's review for:

3.5
adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The Legend of The White Snake was a cute read. I discovered the story through the audiobook, and even though it took me a while to get used to the narrators at first, as much as words I’m not used to (in Chinese, I suppose, as English isn’t my language either), after a few minutes I got carried away by the whole. 
This is a retelling of the Legend of the same name. I discovered it through the book, so I (obviously) can't tell the differences. In any case, I loved the Ecology message as much as all the cultural references sprinkled here and there in the novel. The sacrifice theme was also interesting, even if it was a bit too much a one way road to my liking (I suppose it’s the original tale’s meaning too). 
Xian and Zhen’s story is super soft, like a vaporous cocoon, no matter all the twists and difficulties they have to go through. I loved that soft romanticism that was the perfect companion for the long car rides during which I listened to the book. Maybe I would have preferred more deep in the romance, less precipitation, but instalove is frequent in tales after all. The last 20% of the book taste the same, a bit rushed and lacking in explanation, for the action as much as for the characters’ motivations, where other parts of the story were a lot more sinuous and detailed (which corresponded more to the writing style and story). 
In the end, The Legend Of The White Snake remains a nice story, perfect to make a break during your day. 


Rate 3.5/5

Thank you Sher Lee, MacMillan UK audio and NetGalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own.