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May 9, 2019

STEPSISTER by Jennifer Donnelly

May 9, 2019

Book cover & and 4.5-star rating for STEPSISTER by Jennifer DonnellyThe first time I heard the term “retelling,” I expected it to refer to reimagined fairytales. I didn’t exactly expect these to be simply be stories inspired by fairytales. Stepsister, however, is exactly that which I had originally expected of a retelling. It builds upon the well-loved fairytale of Ashputtel, blood and all. It was entertaining with its dark humour as it continued to tell the story of how it might have continued. Stepsister was more detailed since it’s a novel rather than a short story but stylistically, it still very much read like a fairytale.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, ambition, american authors, betrayal, bravery, death, despair, fairies, family problems, fate, feminism, forgiveness, friendship, gender, grief, hardship, hope, horses, jealousy, life, loss, magic, on love, poverty, relationships, retellings, romance, royalty, self discovery, self-esteem, single parenthood, sisters, stepsiblings, villains, war

December 16, 2017

THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS by Leigh Bardugo (with Twitter Giveaway)

December 16, 2017

Book cover & rating - THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS by Leigh BardugoLeigh Bardugo is an author whose growth has impressed me a great deal. The Language of Thorns reflected that same journey.

· Categories: Fiction, Giveaways Keywords: illustrated, retellings, short-stories, villains

November 17, 2017

BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME edited by Ameriie

November 17, 2017

Book cover & rating - BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME edited by Ameriie
When I first heard of this anthology, Because You Love to Hate Me, I was extremely excited. The idea sounded so enticing and I couldn’t wait to see how the various authors would approach their prompts. With so many great people working on this, I couldn’t wait to be wowed. Needless to say, this belonged to my most anticipated reads of 2017. Sadly, I walked away with mixed feelings.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: anthologies, betrayal, dating, death, family, family problems, friendship, high school, magic, monsters, murder, on love, retellings, revenge, secrets, short-stories, social media, villains

October 10, 2017

GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS by Melissa Bashardoust

October 10, 2017

Book cover & rating - GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS by Melissa BashardoustGirls Made of Snow and Glass is a retelling of retellings, a simulacrum if you will. After all, it was inspired by Frozen, Snow White and the Huntsman and The Bloody Chamber. Despite the extent to which this book was built on multiple stories, I thought the world building as well as the plot showcased Bashardoust’s creativity. The setting in particular, charmed me, and I loved how well it was woven together with the overarching plot.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: american authors, betrayal, death, deceit, diverse books, lgbtq characters, lies, life, loneliness, magic, mothers and daughters, on love, retellings, royalty, secrets, single parenthood

October 31, 2016

HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer

October 31, 2016

Book cover & rating - Heartless by Marissa MeyerBefore reading Heartless, I made sure to read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. After all, Marissa Meyer sought to pen a prequel, imagining the tale of the young Queen of Hearts. Growing up, I didn’t read those classics. Like many, I watched movies and TV adaptations. With this retelling on the horizon, however, I decided it was finally time to read the books.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: american authors, baking, friendship, retellings, romance, villains, wonderland

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Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. When she’s not blogging, she can be found on Instagram under @wordrevel.

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