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kmcquage's review against another edition
4.0
I thought it was really refreshing to read a book that plunked me down in an interesting world and didn't feel the need to spoon feed me, but judging from all the one star reviews, your mileage may vary. Considerably.
stephanierachel's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rebelkiss's review against another edition
1.0
I have no interest in reading the rest of this series. My roommate is reading book 2 and had the same issues with it as I had with this one. It's so confusing. So much stuff isn't explained. Then there's so much stuff in the new world that's been created, it's hard to keep track of everything. And the main character has a stutter. Annoying to have to read it, in my opinion.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a great story, I loved this retelling and I can't wait to read on!
nicholeb84's review against another edition
2.0
A retelling of Snow White.
The Good:
- It is a unique idea of a retelling in terms of who/what everyone is.
- The atmosphere of this novel is dreamily eerie and that fits perfectly with what the author is trying to do. The whole story feels sort of dream-like at times and dark at others. It just has a rather creepy feel throughout.
- I really enjoyed the early interactions between Nico and Cami. I loved the bond that I felt between them. However, that didn't last terribly long.
- I liked Ellie and several of the smaller side characters. I even thought Nico was a fairly good character.
The Bad:
- World building. What world building. We are put into this world with little to no background on what things/groups are. Half the "species" and things in this world are never really explained. There is a lot of: "Lots of potential can get you Twisted." and "jacks hung out there". What does that mean? And if it is dangerous to be Twisted or a jack, I don't really know it. You can’t just throw a bunch of terms at me and call it world building.
- Cami – our Snow White – was a rather passive and even dull main character. She felt more like a side character in a larger epic than a main character.
- I liked Nico and Cami’s early interactions, but overall their relationship was a bit of a letdown. The whole love story/love triangle bit of the novel was a bit blah; it didn’t really feel like it was a major part of the story, at least not the way it should have been.
The Random:
- Overall, it was a book I wouldn’t really recommend. I understand it is a trilogy connected by the three friends (Cami aka Snow White, Ellie aka Cinderella, and Ruby aka Little Red Riding Hood). I may read the other two novels, because I do like Ellie and would like to know more about Ruby. However, I’m in no rush to get to the other two novels.
The Good:
- It is a unique idea of a retelling in terms of who/what everyone is.
- The atmosphere of this novel is dreamily eerie and that fits perfectly with what the author is trying to do. The whole story feels sort of dream-like at times and dark at others. It just has a rather creepy feel throughout.
- I really enjoyed the early interactions between Nico and Cami. I loved the bond that I felt between them. However, that didn't last terribly long.
- I liked Ellie and several of the smaller side characters. I even thought Nico was a fairly good character.
The Bad:
- World building. What world building. We are put into this world with little to no background on what things/groups are. Half the "species" and things in this world are never really explained. There is a lot of: "Lots of potential can get you Twisted." and "jacks hung out there". What does that mean? And if it is dangerous to be Twisted or a jack, I don't really know it. You can’t just throw a bunch of terms at me and call it world building.
- Cami – our Snow White – was a rather passive and even dull main character. She felt more like a side character in a larger epic than a main character.
- I liked Nico and Cami’s early interactions, but overall their relationship was a bit of a letdown. The whole love story/love triangle bit of the novel was a bit blah; it didn’t really feel like it was a major part of the story, at least not the way it should have been.
The Random:
- Overall, it was a book I wouldn’t really recommend. I understand it is a trilogy connected by the three friends (Cami aka Snow White, Ellie aka Cinderella, and Ruby aka Little Red Riding Hood). I may read the other two novels, because I do like Ellie and would like to know more about Ruby. However, I’m in no rush to get to the other two novels.
brokenchell's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Not as snow white-ish as I has expected, however I did enjoy the story very much. I cant wait to start Wayfarer and see if they stop the evil strep. The only thing I wasn't fond of were the made up words. They were confusing and odd. It took a bit to get use to the parallel world so to speak. Once I did tho Nameless was amazing!!!
mamap's review against another edition
3.0
A seriously dark retelling of the fable of Snow White with barely any resemblance to the original - not a dwarf to be seen.
Cruel. Descriptive only through action. With a thread of the love of family and friends flowing throughout. What truly makes one 'family' or where you 'belong?'
Cruel. Descriptive only through action. With a thread of the love of family and friends flowing throughout. What truly makes one 'family' or where you 'belong?'
maddi_md's review against another edition
3.0
This is a dark fairy tale retelling that has everything! It’s got witches, fairies and vampires. It’s a really cool concept! When I first received this book I was so excited to read it! The cover is amazingly cool, the synopsis sounds dark and interesting, and Lili St. Crow has a very good reputation for writing excellent young adult series. While I did really like this story and I found myself very intrigued by the world that Crow has created, at the same time there were a lot of things that I just struggled with.
The characters are very cool and dark, much like the story. I particularly love the supporting characters Ellen and Ruby who are modeled after Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. They were fun characters who I thought added a very interesting touch to the story and am wondering if each of them is going to get their own story which could be very cool. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character Cami though. She’s one of those characters who just wants to “know where she belongs” even if that kills her. It sounded like she was just constantly whining about how she didn’t fit in and that if she disappeared no one would even notice so of course she does and of course they all notice. Ugh. I hate this sort of attitude in people and don’t really enjoy reading about it. It just makes me want to slap her!
The love story is a bit of an odd one too. First off, I enjoyed that this story isn’t at all about the love story. There isn’t even a kiss which is a nice change in YA literature. BUT I found everything to be a bit odd. At first you’re thinking Nico is the love interest, then you’re thinking its Tor the garden boy and then you’re just confused. Now, after finishing I’m looking back and just thinking “what?“. It really seemed like she was attracted to Tor, there was electricity when they touched and he bought her presents!! But now that I know everything it all just seems very very weird.
The adaptation of the traditional Snow White story is done very loosely. So if you’re expecting a full on obvious Snow White story, don’t. I didn’t really see the similarities with Snow White until the very end. Even then the story is a lot darker and way more twisted than any Snow White I’ve seen before. For example the Queen totally marries her sons. Yeah. Weird and twisted. But I did really enjoy the direction that this was going in. I’ve heard a few complaints about the lack of parallels but honestly Snow White has been told a lot and I like that this one mixes it up a bit!
Ok but here’s the thing – do you ever have those moments when you don’t fully understand what’s going on but you nod and smile anyway? That was what I felt like for a lot of this book. This world that Crow creates is totally new and abnormal but she really doesn’t pause to fully explain everything. There are so many characters, creatures and words that I still only have a fuzzy understanding of even after finishing. For me, this was the major flaw of the book because if everything had been a lot more clear I’m pretty sure I would have given this one at least 4 stars.
This ARC was given by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are very cool and dark, much like the story. I particularly love the supporting characters Ellen and Ruby who are modeled after Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. They were fun characters who I thought added a very interesting touch to the story and am wondering if each of them is going to get their own story which could be very cool. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character Cami though. She’s one of those characters who just wants to “know where she belongs” even if that kills her. It sounded like she was just constantly whining about how she didn’t fit in and that if she disappeared no one would even notice so of course she does and of course they all notice. Ugh. I hate this sort of attitude in people and don’t really enjoy reading about it. It just makes me want to slap her!
The love story is a bit of an odd one too. First off, I enjoyed that this story isn’t at all about the love story. There isn’t even a kiss which is a nice change in YA literature. BUT I found everything to be a bit odd. At first you’re thinking Nico is the love interest, then you’re thinking its Tor the garden boy and then you’re just confused. Now, after finishing I’m looking back and just thinking “what?“. It really seemed like she was attracted to Tor, there was electricity when they touched and he bought her presents!! But now that I know everything it all just seems very very weird.
The adaptation of the traditional Snow White story is done very loosely. So if you’re expecting a full on obvious Snow White story, don’t. I didn’t really see the similarities with Snow White until the very end. Even then the story is a lot darker and way more twisted than any Snow White I’ve seen before. For example the Queen totally marries her sons. Yeah. Weird and twisted. But I did really enjoy the direction that this was going in. I’ve heard a few complaints about the lack of parallels but honestly Snow White has been told a lot and I like that this one mixes it up a bit!
Ok but here’s the thing – do you ever have those moments when you don’t fully understand what’s going on but you nod and smile anyway? That was what I felt like for a lot of this book. This world that Crow creates is totally new and abnormal but she really doesn’t pause to fully explain everything. There are so many characters, creatures and words that I still only have a fuzzy understanding of even after finishing. For me, this was the major flaw of the book because if everything had been a lot more clear I’m pretty sure I would have given this one at least 4 stars.
This ARC was given by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
andreana_k's review against another edition
1.0
Up to chapter 5 and this book is just HORRIBLE. I mean I can tell there's a story under there somewhere and it might even be interesting, if I could only make an iota of sense out of anything that is written!
St Crow has set up a magical world and jumped in with terminology from the get-go with words than have no context, no explanation, no meaning with the reader. “Ellie would use her Babbage-net connection—St. Juno’s required one and logged student times, and the principal Mother Heloise knew some about the Strep so the Strep couldn’t take the Babbage set away—to confer about the homework.” Say what? What the bells is a Babbage-net connection? I'm guessing an Internet connection but it's never explained. And what is the strep? I know it can't take the Babbage away but that's precisely all I know. The whole thing is just littered with unexplained terminology that alienates me as a reader and leaves me frustrated.
Too many flowery, over adjective spiced, run on, you aren't Virginia Woolf dear, sentences.
“He came back, bit by bit. Wet his lips with a paper-leaf tongue, and she glanced at the cut-crystal water pitcher on the nightstand next to the candle, rainbows shimmering in its angles.” Honestly, just spit it out. It's just paragraphs and paragraphs of waffle.
And to add to the waffle the main protagonist can't speak but a few basic stuttered words. There is hardly any sense of her as a person and she so far is boringly unlikable.
So close to putting this on my abandoned shelf.
St Crow has set up a magical world and jumped in with terminology from the get-go with words than have no context, no explanation, no meaning with the reader. “Ellie would use her Babbage-net connection—St. Juno’s required one and logged student times, and the principal Mother Heloise knew some about the Strep so the Strep couldn’t take the Babbage set away—to confer about the homework.” Say what? What the bells is a Babbage-net connection? I'm guessing an Internet connection but it's never explained. And what is the strep? I know it can't take the Babbage away but that's precisely all I know. The whole thing is just littered with unexplained terminology that alienates me as a reader and leaves me frustrated.
Too many flowery, over adjective spiced, run on, you aren't Virginia Woolf dear, sentences.
“He came back, bit by bit. Wet his lips with a paper-leaf tongue, and she glanced at the cut-crystal water pitcher on the nightstand next to the candle, rainbows shimmering in its angles.” Honestly, just spit it out. It's just paragraphs and paragraphs of waffle.
And to add to the waffle the main protagonist can't speak but a few basic stuttered words. There is hardly any sense of her as a person and she so far is boringly unlikable.
So close to putting this on my abandoned shelf.