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Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Trying to Live Happily Ever After in Books
Oct 8, 2019
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Booksirens and Clive Lilwall for this opportunity.
I was very intrigued by the concept of Trying to Live Happily Ever After: bringing fairytales into the modern age is right up my street and, on the whole, Clive Lilwall did not disappoint.
With 17 short stories in total I must admit I did not enjoy every tale.
Cinderella, in my opinion, was just as vapid as her stepsisters and it felt like her owning an old model of a mobile phone justified her to get "the prince". Granted, this may have been Lilwall's aim to show how we associate technology with social standing. However, I would have appreciated a stronger role model as opposed to the slightly kinder but still materialistic Cindy we received.
Unfortunately some of the fables were also lost on me but that may be because I am not familiar with the originals.
Nevertheless, some of Lilwall's tales will possibly stay with me forever. Red's granny getting saucy under a wolf skin; Hansel and Gretal getting fat and baked in a whole new way and, of course, the blunt, shameless, no-holds-barred adaptation of The Emperor's New Clothes, starring a certain "president".
The writing is overly simplistic at times but this only highlights the roots of these tales as stories and fables.
The writing does not need to be complex when human actions and consequences are under the spotlight in such a humorous, satirical and thought provoking manner.
These are not the fairy tales you remember, they're not even revolting-rhymes-sort-of-for-kids. Not in the slightest. You have been warned.
I was very intrigued by the concept of Trying to Live Happily Ever After: bringing fairytales into the modern age is right up my street and, on the whole, Clive Lilwall did not disappoint.
With 17 short stories in total I must admit I did not enjoy every tale.
Cinderella, in my opinion, was just as vapid as her stepsisters and it felt like her owning an old model of a mobile phone justified her to get "the prince". Granted, this may have been Lilwall's aim to show how we associate technology with social standing. However, I would have appreciated a stronger role model as opposed to the slightly kinder but still materialistic Cindy we received.
Unfortunately some of the fables were also lost on me but that may be because I am not familiar with the originals.
Nevertheless, some of Lilwall's tales will possibly stay with me forever. Red's granny getting saucy under a wolf skin; Hansel and Gretal getting fat and baked in a whole new way and, of course, the blunt, shameless, no-holds-barred adaptation of The Emperor's New Clothes, starring a certain "president".
The writing is overly simplistic at times but this only highlights the roots of these tales as stories and fables.
The writing does not need to be complex when human actions and consequences are under the spotlight in such a humorous, satirical and thought provoking manner.
These are not the fairy tales you remember, they're not even revolting-rhymes-sort-of-for-kids. Not in the slightest. You have been warned.
The Savage Garden
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The lights here are all dark and vixens pull men into the shadows. Hers was a tale as old as...
romance
Update: Winter is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles series (although the story does continue in graphic novel form.) It is definitely one of my favourite conclusions, as the story wraps up well and is satisfying. The reader is not left with myriad plot holes and questions. As this is the fourth book in the series, you need to read the first three before delving into this one otherwise you will be confused and majorly spoiled.
The world building continued even in this book and most importantly we were shown Luna. Before that, they story took place predominantly on Earth in either the European Union, the African Republic or the Eastern Commonwealth. Once transported to Luna, readers were better able to get a sense of the disparity between the Lunar Aristocracy and the rest of Luna's citizens. The palace and surrounding area of Artemisia are ornately decorated whereas the outer sectors live in squalor. The stunning contrast is reminiscent of our own world and gives us a glimpse into the change that needs to happen.
Although this story was supposed to delve deeper into Winter and Jacin's relationship (which it did) I felt that it was overshadowed by the overarching plot. It was really nice to see the two interact and Jacin's character be developed more. He can seem cold and removed most of the time, but his demeanor completely changes when he is around Winter. He cares about her so much and will do anything to ensure her well-being. My one criticism about the book is that these two didn't receive the same relationship development and story time as the other three pairings.
You fall in love with these characters and follow them on their journey from mechanic to revolutionary, criminal to captain, or even unsure to (mildly) confident. They feel real and make their way into your heart. Iko was her usual precious self and I was so happy to see her woven more into the story. You don't want to see their stories end and thankfully they don't because the author is continuing the series in graphic novel form.
I would highly recommend this series to young adult/teen readers even if science fiction or fairytale retellings aren't usually your thing. They're so fantastically written that I think they appeal to broad range of readers and genres.
Original Review: I read the entire series over the course of four days, novellas included. That is how wonderful it is. As a fan of fairytale retellings, like Beastly by Alex Flinn, I had high hopes for this series and it did not disappoint. It gave the reader wonderful little homages to the classic fairytales while weaving the story through a world and characters all its own.
The world building in this novel was wonderfully done. As a reader, I could imagine the Lunar Palace as a place of opulence while those in the lower districts lived in poverty. There were a number of important characters and none of them were overlooked. You were able to learn about their personalities, histories, or relationships in a way that gave each depth. Each character had a unique personality and strength in the group. from fiery Scarlet to shy Cress and from flirty Thorn to tortured Wolf.
Sometimes conclusions to series just don't stand up to their legacy, but this was not one of those books. The author gave the reader everything they desired, climactic action scenes, wrapping up story threads while opening the door to future adventures, and leaving the reader satisfied. There's nothing worse than reading an amazing series that you become wholly invested in and then being utterly disappointed by the conclusion.
Recommended for anyone who liked YA, romance, fairytales, sci-fi, or really good books/series that you won't regret reading.
The world building continued even in this book and most importantly we were shown Luna. Before that, they story took place predominantly on Earth in either the European Union, the African Republic or the Eastern Commonwealth. Once transported to Luna, readers were better able to get a sense of the disparity between the Lunar Aristocracy and the rest of Luna's citizens. The palace and surrounding area of Artemisia are ornately decorated whereas the outer sectors live in squalor. The stunning contrast is reminiscent of our own world and gives us a glimpse into the change that needs to happen.
Although this story was supposed to delve deeper into Winter and Jacin's relationship (which it did) I felt that it was overshadowed by the overarching plot. It was really nice to see the two interact and Jacin's character be developed more. He can seem cold and removed most of the time, but his demeanor completely changes when he is around Winter. He cares about her so much and will do anything to ensure her well-being. My one criticism about the book is that these two didn't receive the same relationship development and story time as the other three pairings.
You fall in love with these characters and follow them on their journey from mechanic to revolutionary, criminal to captain, or even unsure to (mildly) confident. They feel real and make their way into your heart. Iko was her usual precious self and I was so happy to see her woven more into the story. You don't want to see their stories end and thankfully they don't because the author is continuing the series in graphic novel form.
I would highly recommend this series to young adult/teen readers even if science fiction or fairytale retellings aren't usually your thing. They're so fantastically written that I think they appeal to broad range of readers and genres.
Original Review: I read the entire series over the course of four days, novellas included. That is how wonderful it is. As a fan of fairytale retellings, like Beastly by Alex Flinn, I had high hopes for this series and it did not disappoint. It gave the reader wonderful little homages to the classic fairytales while weaving the story through a world and characters all its own.
The world building in this novel was wonderfully done. As a reader, I could imagine the Lunar Palace as a place of opulence while those in the lower districts lived in poverty. There were a number of important characters and none of them were overlooked. You were able to learn about their personalities, histories, or relationships in a way that gave each depth. Each character had a unique personality and strength in the group. from fiery Scarlet to shy Cress and from flirty Thorn to tortured Wolf.
Sometimes conclusions to series just don't stand up to their legacy, but this was not one of those books. The author gave the reader everything they desired, climactic action scenes, wrapping up story threads while opening the door to future adventures, and leaving the reader satisfied. There's nothing worse than reading an amazing series that you become wholly invested in and then being utterly disappointed by the conclusion.
Recommended for anyone who liked YA, romance, fairytales, sci-fi, or really good books/series that you won't regret reading.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Princess of Thorns in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Princess of Thorns is a not-so-classic retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. The main character is actually the daughter of the cursed princess, who awoke from a kiss. Her name is Aurora, like the Disney movie's princess and her mother's name is Rose. In the french version of the tale, Sleeping Beauty's daughter is named Aurore. I believe that her mother's is the shortened form of Briar Rose, like German version of her tale by the Brother's Grimm. If you are familiar with the Grimm and Perrault versions of the tale, not only the Disney one, then you will notice many similarities. In a few versions of the tale, there is an evil step-mother or mother-in-law who attempts to eat the leading lady's children.
The author makes use of these characters and plots in her novel. She chooses to include the ill-fated mother, brother and sister, as well as the villainous step-mother. Although that familial tie is not explicitly stated, the King was the children's father and he married the ogre. Thus, she would be their step-mother. And you thought you had a dysfunctional family?
In true fairytale fashion, there are ogres, witches, fairies, and ruffians. Not all are portrayed as you would expect. The ogres have evolved, or perhaps devolved depending upon who you ask. In the early years, the ogres were monstrous creatures that devoured souls whole. They did not control themselves, but feasted on the entire soul leaving nothing behind. As time went on, they were forced to change and limit how much they took. After a time, the ogres began to become smaller and take on much more human-like appearances. Their food source never changed and they prided themselves upon each soul they took, marking their bare skulls.
The Fae seem human, although they possess extra-human traits and magic. One may not think of fairies and immediately imagine a human-like creature with great dexterity, skill in battle, and a lack of guilt -but the Fair Folk are shown this way in the novel. A fairy can bestow a gift upon a human child, like beauty, courage, eloquence, obedience, or strength. But each blessing comes with a curse, as the magic always finds a way to turn the gift into a burden. There are untold consequences to the blessings that cannot be avoided. As such, the fairies stopped giving their gifts to human children.
As with most fairytales, there is an element of romance. The love story blossoms under unusual circumstances and not without its share of problems. The two characters get to know each other throughout the journey, but their are many secrets left untold. As they are discovered, the relationship is altered for good or bad. And in the end, a choice must be made.
Most importantly, the novel isn't entirely predictable (although the budding romance was expected). Generally, you expect good to triumph over evil in most modern retellings of the story - unlike their Grimm counterparts. The plot's climax was frankly a little anti-climactic, but enjoyable non-the-less.
I think the author showed an average amount of character development, although I usually think more would be incredibly beneficial. Certain aspects of the world were explained, but not vividly enough. The "show-don't-tell" method could have been employed here to create a richer, more immersive world. Overall, I was pleased with the author's lexicon, grammar, and spelling - which happens much less often than should reasonably be expected.
I would certainly read another novel by this author as I love stories based upon fairytales. If you read Alex Flinn, I would highly recommend this novel to you just keep in mind it is slightly darker. Readers of fantasy, romance, and the like will enjoy this book and should give it a chance. It seems to target the female demographic, but males should enjoy it as well.
The author makes use of these characters and plots in her novel. She chooses to include the ill-fated mother, brother and sister, as well as the villainous step-mother. Although that familial tie is not explicitly stated, the King was the children's father and he married the ogre. Thus, she would be their step-mother. And you thought you had a dysfunctional family?
In true fairytale fashion, there are ogres, witches, fairies, and ruffians. Not all are portrayed as you would expect. The ogres have evolved, or perhaps devolved depending upon who you ask. In the early years, the ogres were monstrous creatures that devoured souls whole. They did not control themselves, but feasted on the entire soul leaving nothing behind. As time went on, they were forced to change and limit how much they took. After a time, the ogres began to become smaller and take on much more human-like appearances. Their food source never changed and they prided themselves upon each soul they took, marking their bare skulls.
The Fae seem human, although they possess extra-human traits and magic. One may not think of fairies and immediately imagine a human-like creature with great dexterity, skill in battle, and a lack of guilt -but the Fair Folk are shown this way in the novel. A fairy can bestow a gift upon a human child, like beauty, courage, eloquence, obedience, or strength. But each blessing comes with a curse, as the magic always finds a way to turn the gift into a burden. There are untold consequences to the blessings that cannot be avoided. As such, the fairies stopped giving their gifts to human children.
As with most fairytales, there is an element of romance. The love story blossoms under unusual circumstances and not without its share of problems. The two characters get to know each other throughout the journey, but their are many secrets left untold. As they are discovered, the relationship is altered for good or bad. And in the end, a choice must be made.
Most importantly, the novel isn't entirely predictable (although the budding romance was expected). Generally, you expect good to triumph over evil in most modern retellings of the story - unlike their Grimm counterparts. The plot's climax was frankly a little anti-climactic, but enjoyable non-the-less.
I think the author showed an average amount of character development, although I usually think more would be incredibly beneficial. Certain aspects of the world were explained, but not vividly enough. The "show-don't-tell" method could have been employed here to create a richer, more immersive world. Overall, I was pleased with the author's lexicon, grammar, and spelling - which happens much less often than should reasonably be expected.
I would certainly read another novel by this author as I love stories based upon fairytales. If you read Alex Flinn, I would highly recommend this novel to you just keep in mind it is slightly darker. Readers of fantasy, romance, and the like will enjoy this book and should give it a chance. It seems to target the female demographic, but males should enjoy it as well.
I received a digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
ClareR (5721 KP) rated Things In Jars in Books
Sep 22, 2019
Victorian England, a female detective and a touch of the supernatural - what’s not to like?
Things in Jars is set in Victorian London. Bridie Devine is a female detective who is called on by Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, a baronet, to find his secret daughter, Christabel, who has been kidnapped. However, he doesn’t want to involve the police (this is where alarm bells start to go off!). Very few people in his household know about the existence of Christabel, and she is shut away, ostensibly to protect them from her. Because Christabel is not an ordinary child: she has supernatural powers that can harm people. Bridie doesn’t believe this, of course. So with the help of Cora, her 7 foot tall housemaid and Ruby, the ghost of a prizefighter, she sets out to rescue the child.
I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.
Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.
Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
I absolutely loved this book. I was never sure if the mythical, fairytale elements were real, or whether Bridie believed them to be real. The seedy, macabre side to London, the sights and smells of the winding streets and the general atmosphere were so well described, that I could have been standing next to Bridie, watching the moving tattoos across Ruby’s torso! Bridie is an excellent character. She feels compelled to find Christabel, mainly because she is coming to the job with a failure weighing heavy on her shoulders, but also she can remember being alone in the world as a child.
Mrs Bibby is a superb villain - she has her conspirators dancing to her tune. She has a gun (and a limp!) and she’s not afraid to use it! Her macabre ‘fairytales’ really ramped up the atmosphere, and showed how truly awful she was. There was a real menace about her.
Other than what I’ve said here, all I can really say is - go and read this book! I loved it (I’ve said that already, I know!), go and read it - you won’t be sorry!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Cold Hearted in Books
Aug 30, 2021
When you’re eight books into a series such as the Villain Tales by Serena Valentino you would think that I wouldn’t be smug anymore! You would think that I wouldn’t go into the book saying “I won’t end up feeling sorry for this villain”.
You would also think that I know I am always wrong!
Lady Tremaine is one of the easiest villains to hate in the Disney universe: she worked Cinderella to the bone, denied her a decent party and then locked her in the attic for good measure! These are hardly the actions of some misunderstood soul.
Until Serena Valentino comes along of course! Valentino has a truly unique way of humanising these characters that we love to hate and, with the help of the Odd Sisters, proves to us time and time again that there is more to our fairytales than meets the eye.
The previous book in the villain tales, Evil Thing, took the reader outside of the Many Kingdoms for the first time. Valentino takes advantage of this, neatly using Cold Hearted to join together Lady Tremaine’s life in London with both the Fairylands and the Many Kingdoms. This timeline means that the readers meet Lady Tremaine before her role as stepmother: we learn of her worries over indulging her two daughters and her unwillingness to move on after her husband’s death.
Cold Hearted skips time periods slightly so the reader is actually experiencing Nanny and the Fairy Godmother reading Lady Tremaine’s story. Don't worry: this doesn't mean we are deprived of our favourite creepy sisters, although this book may have you looking at the Odd Sisters in an entirely new light.
The 8th villain tale continues Valentino’s reign of brilliant, alternative views of our villains. Lady Tremaine was to be the heroine of her own fairytale; all she wanted was her own happily ever after. Where did it go so wrong?
You would also think that I know I am always wrong!
Lady Tremaine is one of the easiest villains to hate in the Disney universe: she worked Cinderella to the bone, denied her a decent party and then locked her in the attic for good measure! These are hardly the actions of some misunderstood soul.
Until Serena Valentino comes along of course! Valentino has a truly unique way of humanising these characters that we love to hate and, with the help of the Odd Sisters, proves to us time and time again that there is more to our fairytales than meets the eye.
The previous book in the villain tales, Evil Thing, took the reader outside of the Many Kingdoms for the first time. Valentino takes advantage of this, neatly using Cold Hearted to join together Lady Tremaine’s life in London with both the Fairylands and the Many Kingdoms. This timeline means that the readers meet Lady Tremaine before her role as stepmother: we learn of her worries over indulging her two daughters and her unwillingness to move on after her husband’s death.
Cold Hearted skips time periods slightly so the reader is actually experiencing Nanny and the Fairy Godmother reading Lady Tremaine’s story. Don't worry: this doesn't mean we are deprived of our favourite creepy sisters, although this book may have you looking at the Odd Sisters in an entirely new light.
The 8th villain tale continues Valentino’s reign of brilliant, alternative views of our villains. Lady Tremaine was to be the heroine of her own fairytale; all she wanted was her own happily ever after. Where did it go so wrong?
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The Sisters Grimm in Books
Feb 25, 2020
The Sisters Grimm sounds like it’s going to be a fairytale, doesn’t it? But it isn’t in the childish sense of the word. If you’ve ever read any of the original Grimm’s fairytales, they’re rather more macabre - and people don’t always get their happy endings.
Sisters Grimm don’t actually know that that’s what they are. They may have vague memories (pre-puberty - and this is important) of playing in a fairytale wood, where they can do magical, amazing things, but they put it down to dreams later. That is until they approach their 18th birthdays, and some of these dream-like abilities start to manifest themselves.
This story is based around four girls who first met at 8 years old in the fairytale dream-world, Everwhere, forget one another after their 13th birthdays, and begin to remember closer to their impending 18th birthdays. They all have a different mother, but the same father who they will meet in Everwhere on the evening of their birthday. And it’s really important that they find one another again prior to this confrontation - where they will discover the truth about themselves.
I really enjoyed this. It says on Goodreads that it’s a Young Adult novel, and whilst it’s immaterial whether I agree with this or not, I do agree that it’s about reaching an age where you are finding out more about yourself and your impending independence, and that can’t be a bad thing for young people to read about.
I liked the darkness in this book - it’s no twee fairytale. There’s death, murder in fact, as a pretty major theme. And people aren’t necessarily nice. They lie, they’re selfish and they keep secrets that are best known.
The only negative I can think of, is that I really thought that this was going to be set up for the first part of a series. The end seemed quite rushed to me, and I’d love to know more about what happens afterwards. Well, that’s not really a negative, is it? That’ll be why I gave it top marks, to be honest - it’s a great book!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book - another great choice!
Sisters Grimm don’t actually know that that’s what they are. They may have vague memories (pre-puberty - and this is important) of playing in a fairytale wood, where they can do magical, amazing things, but they put it down to dreams later. That is until they approach their 18th birthdays, and some of these dream-like abilities start to manifest themselves.
This story is based around four girls who first met at 8 years old in the fairytale dream-world, Everwhere, forget one another after their 13th birthdays, and begin to remember closer to their impending 18th birthdays. They all have a different mother, but the same father who they will meet in Everwhere on the evening of their birthday. And it’s really important that they find one another again prior to this confrontation - where they will discover the truth about themselves.
I really enjoyed this. It says on Goodreads that it’s a Young Adult novel, and whilst it’s immaterial whether I agree with this or not, I do agree that it’s about reaching an age where you are finding out more about yourself and your impending independence, and that can’t be a bad thing for young people to read about.
I liked the darkness in this book - it’s no twee fairytale. There’s death, murder in fact, as a pretty major theme. And people aren’t necessarily nice. They lie, they’re selfish and they keep secrets that are best known.
The only negative I can think of, is that I really thought that this was going to be set up for the first part of a series. The end seemed quite rushed to me, and I’d love to know more about what happens afterwards. Well, that’s not really a negative, is it? That’ll be why I gave it top marks, to be honest - it’s a great book!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book - another great choice!
Wuwu & Co. - A magical picture book
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* WINNER OF WORLD'S BIGGEST CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR AWARD * ** WINNER OF BEST CHILDREN'S GAME IN NORDIC...
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books
Mar 15, 2018
The Marsh Kings Daughter was huge before and around the time of its release. People were raving about the novel for a long time and they still are, so I was really excited to read it. While I did love it, I think all the hype made me expect something different to what I got, hence a 4 star rating, not a 5.
What I loved about this book was that it didnt hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didnt write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.
The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. Its so dark and disturbing but you cant stop reading becasue the way in which its written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionnes writing takes you away, whether its into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.
One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, its far more about Helenas life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didnt have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.
This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If youre not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.
Will I read Karen Dionnes work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one Id imagined in my head.
What I loved about this book was that it didnt hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didnt write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.
The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. Its so dark and disturbing but you cant stop reading becasue the way in which its written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionnes writing takes you away, whether its into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.
One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, its far more about Helenas life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didnt have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.
This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If youre not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.
Will I read Karen Dionnes work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one Id imagined in my head.