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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Cruel Beauty in Books

Apr 26, 2018

Cruel Beauty

Rosamund Hodge | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)

8.5

(8 Ratings)

Book Rating

After reading Bright Smoke, Cold Fire I knew I HAD to find more Rosamund Hodge. She has a fantastic flair for taking fairy tales (or Shakespeare!) and twisting them into something darker but more realistic. Cruel Beauty is a twist on Beauty and the Beast, but this is no Stockholm Syndrome-suffering Beauty. She is resentful, and bitter, and angry at her father for subjecting her to this. She has trained her entire life to go to the Beast and destroy him, even if it means destroying herself too. What she find at the castle is nothing like what she expected, though, and neither is she what Hodge's Beast expects. Watching these two bitter, mocking characters dance around each other to get to the bottom of the curse and what actually happened to their world is engrossing and beautiful.

I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I've already started Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood), the next book in the same world. There's also a novella, Gilded Ashes (Cinderella), that I should snag a copy of.

The world is lovely and evocative, with gods and Forest Lords and Demons who actively participate in the world and grant wishes and make deals. It's a little bit Rumpelstiltskin, a little Fairy Godmother, a little Greek mythology, and all Rosamund Hodge. She's got talent, and writes my favorite micro-genre SO WELL.

If you like dark fairy tales, read this and then everything else Rosamund Hodge has written. It's excellent!

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com

Kudos

ClareR (6106 KP) rated Not Speaking in Books

Jun 14, 2019

Not Speaking

Norma Clarke | 2019 | Biography

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Another great book chosen by The Pigeonhole (seriously, this app is ridiculously addictive). Norma Clarke tells us the story of her family. She grew up in the East End of London, the second eldest of six siblings, in a tiny flat. Her mother and father met in Greece at the end of the Second World War, and Rena came back to England after marrying Bill in Greece, and being able to speak very little English. It must have been really difficult for her.

There’s more to this than a family history though. Norma takes us through some of the social history of East London, Greek mythology (which explains some of her mother’s mindset, I think), and links some of he places she visits to her favourite authors.

It’s just such an interesting book. I wanted to know what happened to all of these people, why they weren’t speaking for one thing! It was truly a delight to read. She writes so descriptively: one minute you can’t believe that her mother can be so blunt and seemingly unfeeling (and therefore I rather disliked her for it), and the next minute, you realise she is as she is, and feel empathy for her. And during all of this, there is the rest of the family. They have their disagreements, yes, but ultimately they are family and they’re always there for one another when they are needed.

I really enjoyed this book. Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, and to Norma Clarke for reading along with us and answering questions.