I’m not usually a fan of fairy-tale retellings, but this book grabbed me from page one. And unlike so many books I will rant about on here, it stuck the landing too, pulling off a near-perfect ending that affirmed a pro-anger ethos that’s so crucial to see these days. So, yay!
Kay O’Neill’s style is absolutely gorgeous–like the platonic ideal of cottagecore. This is probably the cutest, most zero-stakes cozy read I’ve ever encountered. It’s one of my favorite books of all time, and I’d recommend it to almost anyone without hesitation.
Jesus Christ, Camryn Garrett can WRITE. I read and loved her newest release, Off the Record, and so I knew I needed to go back and get my hands on her debut as soon as I could. And It Is. So. Good.
Ohhhh boy, this book. VERY like Stephen King–it’s fun until it isn’t, and it’s white-liberal-racist to the core.
Ugh, I am so damn disappointed. So, this book starts off with a split timeline and a group of childhood friends–four boys and the one, single, solitary “not like other girls” girl.Thanks, I hate it. Hello IT, my old friend…
I’m not going to do justice to the complexity and nuance of this story, but if you’re into somewhat slow (but short) sapphic romance triangles with a dose of political intrigue and a big helping of the fantastical (and you can deal with an emotionally-and briefly physically- abusive character), definitely check this out. And/or if you’re interested in pre-colonial southeast Asian imaginings, give this a read.
I am calling it now. This is THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. I cannot process how amazing this book is, from the writing to the characters to the worldbuilding to the plot to the politics…it’s all stellar.