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chrys_marin's review against another edition
4.0
A mix of Pan's Labyrinth, Narnia, and all the books about coming of age, a really well told story about growing up and learning that life is not just black and white.
bethanygracious's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sirthaddeusthenearsighted's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
funktious's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good read, but I couldn’t help thinking all the way through that it would be a better book if it had been written by Neil Gaiman.
I think it’s mainly a tone thing. The author is adamant that it’s not a children’s book, but there’s not much that elevates it beyond a children’s book, bar the occasional horror / macabre elements, but these are no worse than the original Grimms tales. And the whole Snow White bit feels lifted out of a Monty Python sketch. I feel like Gaiman manages this whole 'adult looking back at the loss of childhood innocence' theme more subtly and delicately, whereas Connolly just has passages where he explains it all.
Having said that, the last chapter is beautiful and makes up for a lot of what comes before.
I think it’s mainly a tone thing. The author is adamant that it’s not a children’s book, but there’s not much that elevates it beyond a children’s book, bar the occasional horror / macabre elements, but these are no worse than the original Grimms tales. And the whole Snow White bit feels lifted out of a Monty Python sketch. I feel like Gaiman manages this whole 'adult looking back at the loss of childhood innocence' theme more subtly and delicately, whereas Connolly just has passages where he explains it all.
Having said that, the last chapter is beautiful and makes up for a lot of what comes before.
70firefly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
funteamjen's review against another edition
5.0
I really did not think this would be a 5-star rating for me as I was struggling to get through some of the very disgusting, graphic descriptions, but the ending was so wonderful and left me feeling hopeful. Not only is it an exciting fantasy adventure, but it is also a deep exploration of feelings - dealing with jealousy, fear, hate, disappointment, and moving forward through life's ups and downs. I also loved the connections to other classic tales, it adds a sense of familiarity to the other world. Incredible tale.
megancooney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jenwestpfahl's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5