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literarystrawberry's reviews
1128 reviews
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
challenging
emotional
hopeful
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Bullying
Before the Ever After by Megan Miles
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Oh gosh, some of this hit pretty close to home. It wasn't a /rushed/ proposal for me, we did have much more than the two weeks or so poor Evelyn got to get to know each other, but I could definitely relate to the feeling of "I... Don't actually feel comfortable with this happening right now, but I know I love him and want to spend my life with him so I'm not going to say /no/, so... I guess this is happening?" And then Daniel being dismissive of her concerns, and getting annoyed like "Why didn't you just say something earlier?" when she tries to bring things up, and assuming she's just making a "rash" emotional decision when she starts backing out... Oof. Yeah. I'm just so, so grateful that I gave the ring back before too many people knew and that we never got to the point of actual wedding planning; I felt Evelyn's stress there so much, thank GOD I didn't have to do that part.
But yeah, personal experiences aside, I thought it was really cool that the author picked up the Cinderella retelling /after/ the ball instead of having that be the big climax everything leads up to. I haven't seen that before, and I thought it worked really well for the story she was telling here. I also think it's cool that she didn't take the easy out most Cinderella retellings do by killing off the dad; instead she kept that uncomfortable tension of "Why did her father marry such an awful person, and why doesn't he do anything about the way she's treating his daughter?" and explored it in a really interesting way.
I'm also SO GLAD that the author didn't end it the way that I, for a moment, was afraid she was going to. Major spoilers for the ending ahead: I was afraid for a moment that Evelyn really was going to run off with August when he offered and that would be the happy ending; I mean, obviously he was endgame, and I was /fine/ with that, but to just jump into another rushed engagement to escape from the other one would NOT have been a good idea. I'm very glad that Evelyn wisely turned him down instead; it reminded me of Jane Eyre sticking to her convictions even though a part of her was afraid she might be giving up her best chance at happiness.
I'm super happy that after that she got to strike out on her own (and stand up for herself against her stepmother!), and that the author was still honest about the homesickness and difficulties she encountered, but she wasn't just waiting for a guy to fix everything for her. But I'm also happy that she did get to be with August at the end; she doesn't have to do everything alone and just be a strong independent woman who doesn't need or want romance, but she isn't dependent on him to support or save her, and they can take more time getting to know each other and developing their relationship without that pressure to hurry. I think this was the exact best way for this story to end.
Overall, this was a very sweet, enjoyable read (even if it was a little stressful for me personally, lol). If you want a charming and wise faith-based Cinderella retelling set in the early 1900s, I'd highly recommend this one!
But yeah, personal experiences aside, I thought it was really cool that the author picked up the Cinderella retelling /after/ the ball instead of having that be the big climax everything leads up to. I haven't seen that before, and I thought it worked really well for the story she was telling here. I also think it's cool that she didn't take the easy out most Cinderella retellings do by killing off the dad; instead she kept that uncomfortable tension of "Why did her father marry such an awful person, and why doesn't he do anything about the way she's treating his daughter?" and explored it in a really interesting way.
I'm also SO GLAD that the author didn't end it the way that I, for a moment, was afraid she was going to. Major spoilers for the ending ahead:
I'm super happy that after that she got to strike out on her own (and stand up for herself against her stepmother!), and that the author was still honest about the homesickness and difficulties she encountered, but she wasn't just waiting for a guy to fix everything for her. But I'm also happy that she did get to be with August at the end; she doesn't have to do everything alone and just be a strong independent woman who doesn't need or want romance, but she isn't dependent on him to support or save her, and they can take more time getting to know each other and developing their relationship without that pressure to hurry. I think this was the exact best way for this story to end.
Overall, this was a very sweet, enjoyable read (even if it was a little stressful for me personally, lol). If you want a charming and wise faith-based Cinderella retelling set in the early 1900s, I'd highly recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5