You are the hunter, and this wolf, though he thinks he is the predator, is your prey.
Elana K. Arnold is one of my favourite writers of the twisted
You are the hunter, and this wolf, though he thinks he is the predator, is your prey.
Elana K. Arnold is one of my favourite writers of the twisted and disturbing. I eagerly seek out her new books and always find myself feeling a little shaken at the end. However, I've said before of Damsel that it should have been marketed as an adult book, and I think that is even more true of this one. Arnold's novels get these gorgeous YA fantasy covers, but I think it leads them into the wrong hands.
In Red Hood I think this is even more of an issue. This is a fantastic, gory, messed up fairy tale, but it also doesn't fully work as a high school thriller, in my opinion. Though I will say the honest depiction of menstruation is definitely something teens are missing.
Sixteen-year-old Bisou Martel has pretty much given up on getting her period when it suddenly arrives at the worst possible time-- homecoming dance, when things are getting sexy in the back of her boyfriend's car. In a moment of panic, she gets out of the car and runs away into the woods. There she encounters a vicious wolf, and somehow kills it. The next day it all seems like a bad dream, but when the dead body of one of her classmates is found in the woods, Bisou has to wonder: is she responsible?
There is a tree at your back. It rises behind you like all of history—your history, the history of girls in forests, the history of wolves and fangs and blood.
It is a very loose Red Riding Hood retelling, which I personally prefer. I have no interest in reading the same story over and over again. It's also very chilling and creepy, even outright scary in parts. I love how Arnold uses fairy tales to tackle issues young women face like periods, relationships, toxic masculinity, and the threat of violence, without seeming didactic or preachy. Red Hood is searingly critical of rape culture and "incels", at the same time as celebrating loving, consensual sex and relationships.
The problem is, I think the conclusion - the "message" of the book, if you will - doesn't sit quite right for me. It is clearly supposed to be about sisterhood and female empowerment, but it comes across as an endorsement of (view spoiler)[murder (hide spoiler)]. I also feel that the YA label doesn't help. Would this have been as jarring as an adult novel about (view spoiler)[vigilante justice (hide spoiler)]? I can't say for sure, but I feel like it maybe wouldn't.
I will still recommend this to fans of the dark, twisted and gory, but I will need to add a caveat that I don't fully support the message so no one thinks I'm a psychopath.
Everyone said a girl with a strong will would come to a bad end. Everyone said a girl’s will must be bent to the wishes of those who know what’s be
Everyone said a girl with a strong will would come to a bad end. Everyone said a girl’s will must be bent to the wishes of those who know what’s best for her. Isabelle was young, only sixteen; she had not yet learned that Everyone is a fool.
First off, I want to say I really enjoyed this book. There are so many good things I want to say about it (and will), but I also think I have to admit that for the first 25% I thought I was going to love it more than I did. The opening is very strong, the writing is gorgeous and highly-quotable, and it's got that beautifully eerie dark fairy tale vibe going on. I was thinking an easy five stars.
History books say that kings and dukes and generals start wars. Don’t believe it. We start them, you and I. Every time we turn away, keep quiet, stay out of it, behave ourselves.
True to the Grimm brothers' version of Cinderella, the book opens at the end of the tale we know with the stepsisters mutilating their own feet to attempt to fit the glass slipper. Of course, this doesn't work out, and Ella and her prince get their happy ending anyway. Here, that's only the beginning. Isabelle and Tavi are left behind with their overbearing mother. Isabelle, especially, is overcome with bitterness. She's angry at a world that renders a woman worthless if she is not deemed beautiful.
Donnelly doesn't stop with something that simplistic, though. Almost all the women in this story are sympathetic, and though their actions are not excused, it is clear that the real "villain" behind it all is society and the way in which a girl's worth is determined. Ella is never dismissed as an airheaded beauty, nor is the "evil stepmother" entirely evil. It is interesting and sad how we see the way Maman's fear for her daughters drives her to horrific acts. She is deeply afraid of them being left without husbands and starving when she is gone. It's not an unrealistic fear.
“Change is a kiss in the dark. A rose in the snow. A wild road on a windy night,� Chance countered. “Monsters live in the dark. Roses die in the snow. Girls get lost on wild roads,� the crone shot back.
Alongside this, there is another part of the story. A fantasy story and a game. One in which Fate, who has determined the course of Isabelle's life, plays against Chance, who wagers that he can change it. These two characters go head-to-head to see that Isabelle takes the path of their choosing. For the most part, it's thrilling, though I think the overlong and convoluted road this aspect of the plot took made it a four instead of a five star book for me. There was a definite part somewhere in the third quarter where it got a little too much.
But, ultimately, it's a gorgeously-written feminist fairy tale that unites women instead of demonizing them. I absolutely loved the shout-out to female military leaders of history, and the moments of perfectly-timed humour:
“The feeling that you want to own someone body and soul, spirit them away from everyone else, have them all to yourself forever and ever and ever,� Hugo said dreamily. “It’s called love.� “No, it’s called kidnapping,� said Tavi.
There are two really great stories here, a couple of okay ones, many pages of beautiful/whimsical/amusing writing, several interesting ideas, and a whThere are two really great stories here, a couple of okay ones, many pages of beautiful/whimsical/amusing writing, several interesting ideas, and a whole lot of codswallop. Let's call it a 2.5.
As with many other short story collections, like Machado's Her Body and Other Parties, The Merry Spinster is a mixed bag. With this one, though, I'm leaning more towards declaring it a negative reading experience. There were just too many nonsensical things, too many abrupt and weird endings, too many stories that felt pointless.
By far the best, for me, were "The Rabbit" and "Six Boy Coffins". The first is a retelling of The Velveteen Rabbit and it is the stuff of nightmares. Gone is the sob-inducing rabbit of the original and, in his place, is one seriously murderous bunny.
In the excitement of looking at all the new presents the Velveteen Rabbit was put aside, and he learned for the first time what it was to be ignored, and he did not forget it.
"Six Boy Coffins" is more of a traditional fairy tale with kings, queens, princesses, curses and punishments. The story arc was the most satisfying, and I couldn't look away right from the horrific opening to the very end.
"The Daughter Cells" was also pretty good. This is a Little Mermaid retelling and the narrator had such a snarky, weird and strangely likable voice. It's a perfectly dark and gory opening to the collection.
She had kissed him, and she had kept his lungs from getting wet; this made him hers according to the laws of most commonsensical people.
Some others read well and were engaging, but felt like they were building towards something important only to peter out at the end. You think something dramatic or twisty is going to happen and you wait and wait and it ends with the characters sat around drinking tea (or whatever). The titular "The Merry Spinster" is like this-- an enjoyable Beauty and the Beast retelling that gets to the end and I had no idea what the point was. I felt like I was supposed to “get� something that I didn’t.
"The Frog Princess", too, is an easy read, but feels pointless in the end-- no message, no twist, no climax. Nothing.
Pretty much all the others did nothing for me. I was intrigued by the gender fluid Cinderella retelling in "The Thankless Child" but I genuinely have no idea what the hell that story was even about. "The Wedding Party" is another that left me clueless.
Overall, The Merry Spinster was pretty disappointing. I'm glad I was able to find a couple of stand-out stories, but given that they account for less than 20% of the collection, it doesn't make sense to rate this any higher.
Because that's what the story is really about: getting out of paying your debts.
There is just something about Novik's fairy tales. Something magic
Because that's what the story is really about: getting out of paying your debts.
There is just something about Novik's fairy tales. Something magical, atmospheric and utterly charming. I didn't like Spinning Silver quite as much as my beloved Uprooted - and I'll explain why a bit later - but it still kept me captivated from start to finish.
Spinning Silver is a loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I say "loose" because you will recognise certain elements from the original - turning things into gold, the importance of names, etc. - but this is really a completely different story with different characters and many new plot lines. There's also not just one Rumpelstiltskin character, as several characters embody different aspects of the traditional imp.
I love that it's a very pastoral fairy tale with forests and country magic. The setting of the book gives it a lot of its atmosphere, and it works very well. There are parts that follow the characters through quiet daily farming activities, but there is magic and fear thrumming just under the surface.
Blue shadows stretched out over the snow, cast by a pale thin light shining somewhere behind me, and as my breath rose in quick clouds around my face, the snow crunched: some large creature, picking its way toward the sleigh.
Miryem is the daughter of the town's moneylender, but she takes over her father's job when he repeatedly fails to collect their debts. Turns out she has a talent for it and she soon finds herself turning more and more silver into gold. Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of one of the Staryk - fearsome creatures who desire gold above all else.
I found it really interesting that Novik explored the idea of a Jewish moneylender as Rumpelstiltskin. The traditional story is one where Rumpelstiltskin aids a woman in spinning straw into gold and she refuses to hold up her side of the bargain. Interestingly, it is Rumpelstiltskin who is viewed as the greedy villain. Antisemitic interpretations of the story shed a completely new light on it. Though some researchers believe the folktale predates the first records of antisemitism, many believe that more modern Rumpelstiltskins, such as the Grimm Brothers' version, were deliberately made to represent Jews.
Novik, who is herself of Lithuanian-Jewish descent, uses this to challenge the Jewish moneylender stereotype and explore the antisemitism surrounding it. It's clever, and I loved it.
In some ways, it is a smarter book than Uprooted, and yet I didn't like it quite as much because parts of this were definitely convoluted. What I've explained above is just a tiny portion of the plot. There are other supporting subplots involving a noblewoman marrying a tsar possessed by a fire demon, and a poor farm girl and her brother running away from a crime. Then there's the whole tale of the ice king and answering three questions every night.
“Thrice, mortal maiden,� in a rhyme almost like a song, “Thrice you shall turn silver to gold for me, or be changed to ice yourself.�
I counted no less than six different perspectives - honestly, I may have missed someone - and you have to learn the symbol/image for each character, as that is the only way you'll know whose point-of-view the book has moved to.
Though I appreciate books with multiple layers and complex plots, I think shedding some parts of this would have only benefited it. Some chapters lean away from complex and interesting, and toward dense and confusing.
That being said, I still recommend it if you enjoyed Novik's Uprooted. It's a fascinating, exciting fairy tale with a whole lot of atmosphere and charm. And creepy secret worlds on the other side of mirrors(!). I hope Novik writes more of these books soon.
The sea is a fickle witch. She is just as likely to bestow a kiss as to steal the breath from your lips.
3 1/2 stars. I gave myself a bit of a head
The sea is a fickle witch. She is just as likely to bestow a kiss as to steal the breath from your lips.
3 1/2 stars. I gave myself a bit of a headache trying to rate this book. Parts of it were 2 stars, other parts 4/4.5, so in the end I've settled on this. But I will say one thing: this book is probably not what you are expecting. I hope it can find the right readers.
It's really a question of how much patience you have. And how easily you can sit through maritime chapters without falling asleep. It's a very slowly-paced book, especially during the first two thirds of the story. Any exciting witchy The Little Mermaid goodness you might be expecting happens in the later chapters, and even then it's pretty subdued.
Though, in many ways, Sea Witch is much smarter than I expected for a YA The Little Mermaid retelling. The story is set in 19th Century Denmark and is woven with hundreds of years of Danish history. The Danes, especially under King Christian IV, put many "witches" to death in the 16th and 17th centuries. Henning combines this real fear of witches on land with the story of the sea witch we all know from the Andersen tale (and the Disney remake).
There are many interesting aspects of what the author has done here. I love that so much of it is rooted in history; I love that I googled Øresund Kingdoms and discovered that the Øresund strait is a real thing. I love that it mentioned the infamous "witch" - Maren Spliid.
The story is about three unlikely childhood friends - Nik (the prince), Anna (now deceased) and Evie (the half-Italian fisherman's daughter). In the present of the story, Nik's near-drowning results in him being saved by a mysterious girl who looks like Anna. She is the beautiful Annemette and Evie quickly befriends her, feeling drawn towards this stranger who looks so like her friend.
Slowly drawn friendship and romantic dynamics lead toward magical secrets. Annemette is clearly not all she appears to be, but the depths of what she's hiding are indeed dark and full of terrors. This is all set to an atmospheric backdrop of salty air and sea breezes. Henning does a great job of infusing everything with a sea-like essence.
Also, Nik is a delightful little sweetie. Rarely are male characters allowed to be such starry-eyed romantics and it was adorable, yet not unrealistic.
Unfortunately, though, it really is slow. I actually wonder if I would have made it through if I hadn't committed to an arc, and I foresee many DNFs on the horizon. It's not a thrills and romance kind of book - it's a gentle wander through history, class divides and the unwarranted fear of witches. The occasional third person chapters also slow down the book. I think Sea Witch will work really well for the right sort of reader, but I think the majority of readers will pick this up expecting something it doesn't deliver.
An absolutely stunning book of art. It's a hard book to categorize and my shelving is somewhat misleading. It's neither graphic novel nor fairy tale rAn absolutely stunning book of art. It's a hard book to categorize and my shelving is somewhat misleading. It's neither graphic novel nor fairy tale retelling, exactly, though it does contain both graphics and fairy tales. Shaun Tan has crafted 75 beautiful sculptures to represent 75 Brothers Grimm fairy tales, with little snippets from each fairy tale on the adjacent page. Each sculpture is quite simple, but thoughtful and perfectly atmospheric. I must admit that I don't check out that many books of art - so I don't know what to expect from this world - but to me at least, this was unlike anything I've ever seen.
“She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and because she wanted everything.�
4 1/2 stars. Wow, this was... unexpected. I got an arc of H
“She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and because she wanted everything.�
4 1/2 stars. Wow, this was... unexpected. I got an arc of Hunted from edelweiss months ago. After putting it off again and again for other books, I decided to let it expire. Seriously, who even needs another Beauty & the Beast retelling? Then this book was given to me as a gift and *resigned sigh* I decided to just give it a shot. And I'm so glad I did.
Cruel Beauty is still my favourite Beauty & the Beast retelling, but this comes in at a close second. It obviously follows the familiar B&tB format, whilst doing something completely new and fresh with it. I loved what it did. I love the new themes the author explores in this old template.
It's a haunting, well-written story. Full of icy coldness, the language of fairy tales, and underneath, a running theme of that inexplicable longing for something you can't quite put your finger on. Maybe it's like wanderlust - that restlessness and dissatisfaction with staying in one place for too long. Maybe it's just wanting without knowing what you want. It's powerful, though, and Spooner captures that feeling so wonderfully here.
Surprisingly, it's very... not romantic. There is no time given over to lusty encounters and stolen kisses with a somehow sexy beast. Rather, the relationship between Beauty and this Beast is one between two outsiders who see something they recognize in one another. Yeva (aka "Beauty") is a trained hunter and she remains dedicated to her passion and her family throughout.
The setting is inspired by rural medieval Russia. Lots of coldness, snow and ice, and it fits with the tale very well. Yeva and her father navigate this white-covered wilderness in their hunting, but then Yeva's father starts rambling about a beast unlike any other. A beast that is smart and cunning. A beast that is following him.
The snow is a canvas, her father would say, upon which the beast paints his past, his home, his intentions, his future. Learn to see the picture and you will know him as you know yourself.
When he doesn't return from a hunting trip, Yeva leaves her beloved sisters to go track him. Of course, she finds way more than she bargained for. Not just a beast, but a whole world of fantastical creatures that seem to play by a different set of rules. But Yeva knows these rules; they're the rules of the fairy tales her father always read to her. The rule of threes. The rule of curses. The rule of breaking them.
Yeva is determined to kill the beast and return to her family. But her quest to kill the seemingly unkillable creature unveils ever more secrets, and the longer she spends in this world, the more she worries what world she will find when she leaves.
Despite having read so many retellings these past few years, Hunted found a special place in my heart. It was thoughtful, moving and - for me - unputdownable.
I wish so much that I could tell you I loved this book... but I just didn't.
After thinking A Court of Mist and Fury was such a huge improvement from I wish so much that I could tell you I loved this book... but I just didn't.
After thinking A Court of Mist and Fury was such a huge improvement from A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was really excited for this third installment. I even preordered it. But I really struggled to get into the book from the very start. From pacing issues to awkward sex scenes that did nothing for me, it was one disappointment after another.
I've said this before but I really dislike Maas's sex scenes. At her best, she writes them strangely with words like "branding" and "claiming", but here they were just plain icky. With all the talk of "mates", "growling" and "purring", and the climaxing from stroking one another's wings, I felt like I'd walked in on two animals rutting in the mud. Ugh.
And another thing-- Feyre and Rhysand are already mated and loved up to their eyeballs so there was no sexual tension, no will they/won't they, which made the sex scenes so boring.
What's strange about these sex scenes is how they manage to somehow be both graphic and coy at the same time. Maas never actually uses explicit words. If a young kid picked up this book, they might assume Rhysand and Feyre were dancing or playing an instrument.
His touch turned different. Exploring. Broad strokes and feather-light ones, arches and swirls and direct, searing lines.
And her vagina is usually described as "there" or "where I want him". Then, at the same time, these scenes are weirdly overwritten, with her orgasm (obviously not called that) leaving her “skin glowing like a newborn star in its wake�. It's just really not my thing.
I was disappointed with the writing in general, to be honest. Maas seemed to write a lot more "tell" and a lot less "show" than usual. I was especially disappointed at the wasted opportunity for some underhanded manipulation in the first part. After how the last book ended, Feyre was kind of "undercover" at the start and in a position for lies and sneakiness. Except it was mostly her swanning around and quietly seething to herself about how much she hated Ianthe and how much of a douche Tamlin is. I thought this whole part was boring when it should have been extremely tense and exciting.
But I think the worst thing was the overall pacing. It's a long book, but I can normally sprint through Maas's works in a day, yet here it was such a slog. Especially the first half. It's taken up with a lot of character conversations and strategizing for the upcoming war with Hybern. It lacked a pull, a sense of urgency, some kind of tension to make me need to know what happens next.
I cannot believe they've announced another four books for this series. Why??? I can only hope they are some kind of spin-off series because, otherwise, either a) we will have to suffer through who the fuck knows how many more awkward, unsexy Feyre/Rhysand sex scenes, or b) Maas will destroy Rhys's character and hook Feyre up with yet another hot fae dude. I'm not sure which is more likely.
The later chapters of this book picked up in pacing, but I think it was too little, too late. This is a whopping 700-page monster and it obviously didn't need to be. I will say that I liked how things were left with Tamlin, but seeing as that part was only a few sentences long, it doesn't make up for everything else.
I'm thinking this is where I drop out of this series.
It took me a while to decide that I really liked Beast. It's funny, it's charming, but it's also a tough read. Transphobia isn't skimmed over, and somIt took me a while to decide that I really liked Beast. It's funny, it's charming, but it's also a tough read. Transphobia isn't skimmed over, and some of the bullying and trans-shaming was nauseating to me as a cis reader, so I can only imagine how upsetting it might be for trans readers.
That being said, I personally think it's a very important book. The darker aspects of the story draw sympathy for Jamie, allow her to tell her side of the story, and - ultimately - normalize teen trans relationships. And though I'm making it sound like a really awful tale of horror and bullying, for the most part it's a really sweet, heartwarming romance between two people who have been born with an appearance that doesn't match what's on the inside.
However: absolutely definitely DO NOT expect a Beauty & the Beast retelling. You will be disappointed. There's really nothing to link this story to the old fairy tale beyond the fact that Dylan's nickname is "Beast" and it's all about discovering how appearances can be far from the full story. Other than that, though, it's hard to find parallels between them.
The story is narrated by Dylan (AKA "Beast"), a fifteen-year-old boy who looks like a thirty-year-old man. He's not just tall but huge, and his enormous frame is covered with hair. He's spent his life being judged for the way he looks - having people assume he's a footballer at best, and shrink away in fear at worst. Truth is, he's really smart and aspires to be a Rhodes scholar, but no one would ever think it by looking at him. Everyone just sees the Beast.
When a bad day ends with him falling off a roof and breaking his leg, he's sent to a therapy group for those who self-harm. There he meets the pretty, snarky Jamie, who, through text conversations and meet-ups, he begins to fall for. In a breakdown of communication, Jamie believes that Dylan knows she is trans, but as it turns out, he is clueless until the day he introduces Jamie to his popular, good-looking friend, JP.
Dylan is shocked and Jamie is hurt as they both realize they misunderstood each other. What follows is a brutal look at transphobia in a high school and the real threat to the safety of trans women, as well as Dylan's journey to understanding that Jamie is the same person he always thought she was; the same girl.
Dylan shines in this book because he's such a lovable doofus, creating comic moments with his horny teenage boy narrative:
She laughs. I laugh. We share a laugh! Time to buy prom tickets. *** I get inside the library and listen. If I happen upon Fern “by accident,� it’ll be less weird than if I plow over to her table and am all, HI. IT IS I. I AM HERE.
I also really love what was done with the secondary characters, though I never came to like JP. Dylan's relationship with his overbearing but well-meaning mom made me smile. She was trying so hard to be there for him and understand him, even if she went about it in a terrible way. Her love and worry for him was obvious throughout the book.
Most of all, I liked the realism portrayed by the author. Dylan feels, to me, like a typical teenage boy who has issues with his appearance. Jamie is likable and easy to love through Dylan's eyes. Perhaps some readers will disagree, but I was thankful that the book allowed Dylan to address some of the questions a teen boy in today's world would probably have in this situation. He considers the "Am I gay?" aspect, and while this is frustrating to educated readers, it also allows him to conclude that he isn't - he is just a boy who fell for a girl. A good and needed message, in my opinion.
I honestly think Beast is a smart book, equal parts light, dark and educational to its teen readers. Trans books unfortunately tend to fall into two categories - either a horror story, or a utopian world we have yet to see in reality - but this one manages to be both realistic and positive. Transphobia is real; trans-shaming is real; but so is love, and it isn't defined by XX/XY chromosomes.
I’m slipping, saying too much; in a night this deep and strange the boundaries start to blur.
This is one of those books that I absolutely loved bu
I’m slipping, saying too much; in a night this deep and strange the boundaries start to blur.
This is one of those books that I absolutely loved but I'd hesitate before rushing out to recommend it. Because it's weird. No, seriously, it's REALLY weird.
I guess it shouldn't be that surprising. The book promises a fairy tale version of Brooklyn, NYC, with talking wooden dolls, a witch's curse and people partying on rooftops at sunset. A story inspired by the Russian folktale Vassilissa the Beautiful. It's bound to be a tad strange. If you read the blurb and thought "awesome", then you're probably good. If you read it and thought "sounds a bit weird, but I'll try it", then you're probably not.
It's a story full of bizarre dreams, walking hands (yeah, just the hands), witches setting impossible tasks and an absent father who is now a German Shepherd. It's also a dark, gory, magical tale full of beautiful imagery and just the right amount of snark.
Around here it’s the dead who are living large. On the living side of the fence we have plastic kids� bikes wedged into the balconies of burned-out apartment buildings. Mosaics of garbage and broken glass in the mud. So it’s not too surprising that I tend to wind up wandering around the graves. It reminds me that there are always options.
I kept trying to figure out what it reminded me of. At first I thought Laini Taylor, and later that changed to Catherynne M. Valente, but I think, in the end, it resembled the works of several authors of the weird and beautiful, whilst also having its own style.
While not necessary, I recommend a basic knowledge of the , unless you want to experience some complete "WTF?!" moments. In this version of the story, Vassa lives in Brooklyn with her stepmother, two stepsisters, and a little secret hidden in her pocket - Erg, a talking wooden doll her mother gave her before she died.
Night has been slowly getting longer in Brooklyn, creeping over everything and making the morning ever further away. Even stranger than this is the magical convenience store that seems to float above the ground and has a policy of beheading shoplifters.
The parking lot is ringed in by poles maybe thirty feet high, and on top of every pole a severed head stares down, some with eyes and some with just gutted pits.
When Vassa stumbles in one night, she finds herself falsely accused of thieving by the owner - Babs Yagg. She desperately protests her innocence and, in return, is given three nights (and several impossible tasks) to prove it.
It's very atmospheric and creepy. You can practically feel the darkness and the magic swirling off the pages. I also really enjoyed the beautifully-written conversations between characters, and the friendship between Vassa and Erg.
The novel gets weirder and weirder, and builds to a crescendo of blood and secrets before delivering a bittersweet ending. For me, it was an oddly perfect mix of so many things I love and I felt completely sucked into Vassa's world. It's not one for those who like everything to make sense, but I really enjoyed it.
"Wishes have a way of twisting themselves, and there is nothing more dangerous than getting your heart's desire. The question is, are you willing t
"Wishes have a way of twisting themselves, and there is nothing more dangerous than getting your heart's desire. The question is, are you willing to gamble? How much are you willing to lose? What are you willing to risk everything for?�
I had a lot of doubts going into The Forbidden Wish. Yet another YA retelling? Yet another YA romance? But I should never have doubted my trusted ŷ friends because there is nothing typical about this book.
Firstly, it is very romancey. Let's get that out of the way. Normally I don't like my books so heavily romantic, but maybe that's just because they are so seldom done well and generally sacrifice character development and plot for sweet nothings. Maybe it's because, in my opinion, the best romances are the ones in books that are not really about romance at all.
You see, I never felt like the ultimate purpose of this story was to get Zahra and Aladdin together but, maybe as a result of that, I ended up wanting it anyway.
Now let's break down all the great things about this book.
The writing is so gorgeous it literally gave me goosebumps. Khoury describes this world of deserts, palaces and magic in lavish, beautiful detail. Rarely do authors paint pictures of their setting so well. I could picture it exactly and even feel the sense of magic in the air. A truly evocative use of words.
Girl power. You know this story, right? At the very least, we've probably all seen the Disney version. It's the one about a street thief-turned-prince, a clueless sultan, an evil vizier, a male genie, and a humorous parrot (also male). There is a woman in the movie, and she's... won by the street thief-turned-prince who "shows her the world". Even this watered down 1992 version isn't exactly what you'd call feminist.
The Forbidden Wish, however, is. For one, the jinni is female - a powerful, smart and badass jinni who takes shit from nobody, but is still flawed, lonely and sad. The princess is feisty and strong-minded, as is her band of tough girlfriends who are also great warriors.
And, best of all, these girls are not enemies. They grow in strength when they come together and support one another. No petty slut-shaming or woman-hating. From the jinni to the mortal women, there is a mutual respect and admiration. So many authors could learn from this book.
Then there's the romance. I honestly enjoyed it, even though I didn't start shipping until about halfway through. Aladdin is likable, probably made even more so by his weaknesses for alcohol and petty crime. He's imperfect, boyish, and an impossible flirt, but these qualities are really quite adorable. Also: absolutely no instalove.
And we also have the story outside the romance. It's an old tale of powerful jinn, wishes that should never be spoken, and the worst mistake a jinni can ever make. It takes place in both the past and the present, unveiling Zahra's story at the same time as she fights for her freedom in the present. Can she ever win her freedom? And what price will she have to pay for it?
I especially loved the way Zahra narrates the story, constantly addressing "Habiba", whose story is gradually revealed over the course of the novel. It adds another layer, and leaves us with some final touching moments.
Such a strong, incredible novel. I have to warn you unromantics about the heavy romantic element, and yet it feels a shame to label this complex and powerful story a "romance". It's so many other things too.
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