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laughlinesandliterature's review
3.0
* I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Ash and Bramble was a unique take on the fairy tale world, that so many of us are familiar with. Its not the first retelling that I’ve read where there was a dark or sinister overtone, but this was certainly different. What really set this novel apart from others was the explanation that there was a driving force behind all this darkness, and that everyone was forced into their roles. It was quite horrifying, and I found myself cheering for the people who rebelled against the ‘story’ that was chosen for them.
Pin was a surprising character, because while she was quite intelligent and rebellious, she also was incredibly practical. She was graced with quite a bit of common sense, which never failed her throughout the book until the end when she chose to go against common sense. Also interesting was Shoe, the love interest. At first I was a little annoyed, it seemed like insta-love was going to be the driving force to this book, but it turned out to be a much longer period than was initially suggested. It also helped that Pin was all about making HER choice. She wasn’t going to allow a ‘Story’ to push her in any direction.
The tale is interwoven incredibly well, there were parts that fell a little flat and were pretty stilted in dialogue. However I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend for those who love fairytale retellings.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2016/01/ash-bramble-by-sarah-prineas-review.html*
Ash and Bramble was a unique take on the fairy tale world, that so many of us are familiar with. Its not the first retelling that I’ve read where there was a dark or sinister overtone, but this was certainly different. What really set this novel apart from others was the explanation that there was a driving force behind all this darkness, and that everyone was forced into their roles. It was quite horrifying, and I found myself cheering for the people who rebelled against the ‘story’ that was chosen for them.
Pin was a surprising character, because while she was quite intelligent and rebellious, she also was incredibly practical. She was graced with quite a bit of common sense, which never failed her throughout the book until the end when she chose to go against common sense. Also interesting was Shoe, the love interest. At first I was a little annoyed, it seemed like insta-love was going to be the driving force to this book, but it turned out to be a much longer period than was initially suggested. It also helped that Pin was all about making HER choice. She wasn’t going to allow a ‘Story’ to push her in any direction.
The tale is interwoven incredibly well, there were parts that fell a little flat and were pretty stilted in dialogue. However I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend for those who love fairytale retellings.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2016/01/ash-bramble-by-sarah-prineas-review.html*
brandypainter's review
5.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I have established that I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. You know what else I love? Books written by Sarah Prineas. Both her MG series are great favorites of mine. When she happened to mention on Twitter long ago that she was working on a YA, I followed closely eager to read whatever the result was. Ash & Bramble is a fabulous work of genius.
(I consider Sarah a friend as well as an author I love, and she sent me the ARC I'm reviewing here.)
Pin lives in the Godmother's fortress sewing clothes with the other seamstresses tasked with producing the beautiful one of a kind ballgowns the Godmother uses for her mysterious purposes. Pin has no memories of her life prior to the day she begins her work as a slave to the Godmother's will. Everything that came before is a blank nothing. While she has no memories, she is still a person with a will and a fierce defiance to live her own life. She gets a chance to plan an escape when she is used as a foot model for the shoemaker tasked with creating a glass slipper. Shoe has learned his lesson. He knows the cost of disobedience to the Godmother. Yet he still finds himself drawn to the daring seamstress and her plans for escape. But escape is not easy. The Godmother is impossible to outrun. Pin finds herself caught up in a whole new type of prison bound by the power of story and the drive for happily ever after. The more she fights, the more she feels trapped in a life that she doesn't want that leads to a prince, a clock at midnight, and a missing shoe. Her only possible means of escape lie in the devotion of a boy willing to risk himself to break her story and her own determination to decide her own destiny.
Ash & Bramble isn't so much a retelling as a complete shaking up and flipping around of the old fairy tales. And I was not exaggerating when I used the word genius, because much of this novel is dystopian in nature. And what world is better set up to be an actual dystopian hellscape than the world of fairy tales? (Really. Think about it.) While I will never get enough of fairy tales, my patience for dystopia is long gone, but the presentation of it here completely worked for me. I can not stress enough how well the two ideas work together and how brilliantly Prineas wove them into one. It's a commentary and celebration of both while also being an engrossing, moving, and satisfying tale in its own right. I really appreciated the way Prineas used the tropes of both types of stories to twist her own dark tale and highlight the themes.
Pin/Pen (she goes by both names) is a girl who wants to determine her own future, a goal she fiercely holds on to even when she has no sense of her past or even her own self. Her complete loss of memory and history make it difficult to connect with her as a reader at times, but it serves to make her sympathetic. The panic she feels over this is easily experienced by the reader who enters her world as clueless and searching for the familiar as she is. Pin's lack of memory does not leave her an empty vessel for the reader to use as a placeholder. She is very much her own person, which is part of what makes it difficult to get into her head. She is an enigma to both herself and the reader through much of the book. She has a lot of amazing qualities, but a lot of faults as well. Her headstrong stubbornness results in both positive and negative actions and motivations. Even in the end I felt like I was just getting to fully understand who she was, which works well because she is only just figuring that out, and there is still so much she doesn't know. While frustrating at times, it's perfect for the story being told. And I found myself loving her even when I wanted to yell at her about some of the choices she was making. I can see why she does what she does, and a lot of what she does is truly amazing. She has to be a leader and make hard choices that have mixed consequences. She makes mistakes and is not as careful with other people's feelings as she ought to be. She is also a true hero and steadfast friend. She is unlikeable at times (who isn't) and that only serves to make her more real.
The story here belongs just as much to Shoe as it does to Pin. He isn't as forceful as Pin. He isn't as flashily confident as the prince. He has a quiet strength and stubbornness that is just as important though, and it is his determination to see Pin free to make her own decisions that allows her do to the work of freeing herself. But she does the same thing for him too, giving him the courage to embrace freedom in the first place. At times he is hesitant and giving to a fault. They complement each other well. Their relationship develops under incredibly fraught circumstances. I liked the realism in that. Dangerous and stressful events tend to magnify and accelerate the development of feelings and relationships. There are a lot of complications thrown into it too including Pen's role in Story and her relationship with the prince. I know that so many people are going to instantly think "love triangle" and not want anything to do with this. That would be a mistake. Love triangle does not always necessarily equal terrible development. They can be done well, and in this case it is a trope that is fundamentally important to the ideas of choice and happily ever after Prineas is exploring and questioning through her story. The prince, Cor, is a loyal, brave, and dedicated person. He is also smart and able to question the reality of the world around him. He is often a little to oblivious to his privilege and inclined to demand his own way, but he has a good heart. I really loved the interactions between all three of them together too. They are working as adults in their world and in leading a rebellion, but they are also very much teenagers in dealing with their feelings.
The book's numerous secondary characters are all wonderfully rendered as well including the Godmother. I'm going to say little else about that to avoid spoilers, but I loved what Prineas did with her and the fairy tale concept of the Witch. The plot gives a nod to host of tales beyond the obvious reworking of Cinderella and catching them all was part of the fun of reading it.
My favorite part of Ash & Bramble was how it explored the power of ideas, words, and Story. I always love it when books do that and do it well which this one does. I loved the dark twists that took and the ambiguousness of what was right and wrong in some of those cases. It is complicated and a lot of it left open to interpretation with unanswered questions. Yet it also has hope and looks to the future.
Ash & Bramble is everything I want in a fairy tale retelling and in books in general.
I read an ARC received from the author. Ash &Bramble is available for purchase on September 15th.
I have established that I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. You know what else I love? Books written by Sarah Prineas. Both her MG series are great favorites of mine. When she happened to mention on Twitter long ago that she was working on a YA, I followed closely eager to read whatever the result was. Ash & Bramble is a fabulous work of genius.
(I consider Sarah a friend as well as an author I love, and she sent me the ARC I'm reviewing here.)
Pin lives in the Godmother's fortress sewing clothes with the other seamstresses tasked with producing the beautiful one of a kind ballgowns the Godmother uses for her mysterious purposes. Pin has no memories of her life prior to the day she begins her work as a slave to the Godmother's will. Everything that came before is a blank nothing. While she has no memories, she is still a person with a will and a fierce defiance to live her own life. She gets a chance to plan an escape when she is used as a foot model for the shoemaker tasked with creating a glass slipper. Shoe has learned his lesson. He knows the cost of disobedience to the Godmother. Yet he still finds himself drawn to the daring seamstress and her plans for escape. But escape is not easy. The Godmother is impossible to outrun. Pin finds herself caught up in a whole new type of prison bound by the power of story and the drive for happily ever after. The more she fights, the more she feels trapped in a life that she doesn't want that leads to a prince, a clock at midnight, and a missing shoe. Her only possible means of escape lie in the devotion of a boy willing to risk himself to break her story and her own determination to decide her own destiny.
Ash & Bramble isn't so much a retelling as a complete shaking up and flipping around of the old fairy tales. And I was not exaggerating when I used the word genius, because much of this novel is dystopian in nature. And what world is better set up to be an actual dystopian hellscape than the world of fairy tales? (Really. Think about it.) While I will never get enough of fairy tales, my patience for dystopia is long gone, but the presentation of it here completely worked for me. I can not stress enough how well the two ideas work together and how brilliantly Prineas wove them into one. It's a commentary and celebration of both while also being an engrossing, moving, and satisfying tale in its own right. I really appreciated the way Prineas used the tropes of both types of stories to twist her own dark tale and highlight the themes.
Pin/Pen (she goes by both names) is a girl who wants to determine her own future, a goal she fiercely holds on to even when she has no sense of her past or even her own self. Her complete loss of memory and history make it difficult to connect with her as a reader at times, but it serves to make her sympathetic. The panic she feels over this is easily experienced by the reader who enters her world as clueless and searching for the familiar as she is. Pin's lack of memory does not leave her an empty vessel for the reader to use as a placeholder. She is very much her own person, which is part of what makes it difficult to get into her head. She is an enigma to both herself and the reader through much of the book. She has a lot of amazing qualities, but a lot of faults as well. Her headstrong stubbornness results in both positive and negative actions and motivations. Even in the end I felt like I was just getting to fully understand who she was, which works well because she is only just figuring that out, and there is still so much she doesn't know. While frustrating at times, it's perfect for the story being told. And I found myself loving her even when I wanted to yell at her about some of the choices she was making. I can see why she does what she does, and a lot of what she does is truly amazing. She has to be a leader and make hard choices that have mixed consequences. She makes mistakes and is not as careful with other people's feelings as she ought to be. She is also a true hero and steadfast friend. She is unlikeable at times (who isn't) and that only serves to make her more real.
The story here belongs just as much to Shoe as it does to Pin. He isn't as forceful as Pin. He isn't as flashily confident as the prince. He has a quiet strength and stubbornness that is just as important though, and it is his determination to see Pin free to make her own decisions that allows her do to the work of freeing herself. But she does the same thing for him too, giving him the courage to embrace freedom in the first place. At times he is hesitant and giving to a fault. They complement each other well. Their relationship develops under incredibly fraught circumstances. I liked the realism in that. Dangerous and stressful events tend to magnify and accelerate the development of feelings and relationships. There are a lot of complications thrown into it too including Pen's role in Story and her relationship with the prince. I know that so many people are going to instantly think "love triangle" and not want anything to do with this. That would be a mistake. Love triangle does not always necessarily equal terrible development. They can be done well, and in this case it is a trope that is fundamentally important to the ideas of choice and happily ever after Prineas is exploring and questioning through her story. The prince, Cor, is a loyal, brave, and dedicated person. He is also smart and able to question the reality of the world around him. He is often a little to oblivious to his privilege and inclined to demand his own way, but he has a good heart. I really loved the interactions between all three of them together too. They are working as adults in their world and in leading a rebellion, but they are also very much teenagers in dealing with their feelings.
The book's numerous secondary characters are all wonderfully rendered as well including the Godmother. I'm going to say little else about that to avoid spoilers, but I loved what Prineas did with her and the fairy tale concept of the Witch. The plot gives a nod to host of tales beyond the obvious reworking of Cinderella and catching them all was part of the fun of reading it.
My favorite part of Ash & Bramble was how it explored the power of ideas, words, and Story. I always love it when books do that and do it well which this one does. I loved the dark twists that took and the ambiguousness of what was right and wrong in some of those cases. It is complicated and a lot of it left open to interpretation with unanswered questions. Yet it also has hope and looks to the future.
Ash & Bramble is everything I want in a fairy tale retelling and in books in general.
I read an ARC received from the author. Ash &Bramble is available for purchase on September 15th.
hamckeon's review
I am having a hard time rating this book since I was not really into it for at least the first 250-300 pages, but it did pull me in a bit towards the end. I am interested to see how it ends, but am not sure if I am enough to commit to the rest of the series.
yabetsy's review
4.0
This is more a celebration of story (that should really be Story, or stories) - and will be appreciated by those who enjoy a)retellings, b) easter eggs of other tales, as more and more of them are integrated as the book goes on, and while the book revolves around one particular kick-ass heroine [yay, Pin, er, Pen], who at her core is deciding not to have her story told FOR her, or to fit into a predestined story but rather, over and over again to fight Story. One particularly lovely moment offered by Prineas sums this up nicely in which she says that this is what stories do for readers, reminding us the possibilities of alternate endings and worlds with larger possibilities. This one does nicely in that regard - but be prepared for it to keep you up late reading.
bookgirl4ever's review
4.0
Pin suddenly appears in the fortress of an evil Godmother working as a seamstress not knowing her past or the world she lives in. All she has is a magical thimble that she knows she must keep secret. Her day is spent sewing tiny stitches on beautiful dresses with other women who appear to have reconciled themselves to a life of slavery for the Godmother. Then Pin meets Shoe, a shoemaker slave who is whipped at the post for disobedience. Recognizing Shoe as someone who may have answers, or better yet be able to help her escape, Pin wiles her way free of the fortress, only to be caught up in a fairy tale with no memory of Shoe and willing to play the Godmother's game for the sake of the Story. A complex, unique, refreshing retelling of a mix of fairy tales.
JHS/HS
JHS/HS
rdyourbookcase's review
3.0
Loved it! Even though Ash & Bramble was a thick book, I flew through it. I liked the story, the twists, and the ending... however, the first person/third person narration switches bothered me. That technique made it easy to tell whose point of view it was, but for some reason, I didn’t like it. Also, there was an abrupt change between parts one and two that didn’t flow well enough for me. It was like reading two different books, which is probably what the author was trying to do. It worked well for her, but instead of contributing to the story, it made me wonder why the first part of the book was even there. At the end it all came together, and I liked it, and I’m totally looking forward to the next book in the series - but Ash & Bramble wasn’t perfect.
This post probably sounds more negative than I meant it too. I really did like the book, and I definitely thought it was significantly better than the average fairy-tale retelling.
This post probably sounds more negative than I meant it too. I really did like the book, and I definitely thought it was significantly better than the average fairy-tale retelling.
melsdown's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book as much as the second in the series, which I accidentally read first. Luckily for me the 2 can be read in either order. I can't wait to read more tales set in this world.
maryfaithreads's review
3.0
3 stars might be a tad generous for this. I don't really know how to explain what problems I had with this book, but it just didn't really work for me.
Ash & Bramble is divided into three parts, and the second is definitely the best. It was the only part of the book that really had a steady, somewhat engrossing storyline. The first part was too bizarre to even explain. We just jumped into the story out of nowhere. The third part wrapped things up way too easily. And then there was the instalove. I normally am not really bothered by instalove, because I know there's only so much space within a book that you can dedicate to characters falling in love, but this took it to a whole new level. It was literally instalove in one sentence.
I also did not feel particularly attached to any of the characters, which I don't like. And I still do not completely understand this whole magic Story thing. I think that wasn't explained as well as it could have been, and what happened between the Godmother and Witch was completely glossed over.
Still, this book did have some redeeming qualities. It certainly wasn't boring. It just left something to be desired.
Ash & Bramble is divided into three parts, and the second is definitely the best. It was the only part of the book that really had a steady, somewhat engrossing storyline. The first part was too bizarre to even explain. We just jumped into the story out of nowhere. The third part wrapped things up way too easily. And then there was the instalove. I normally am not really bothered by instalove, because I know there's only so much space within a book that you can dedicate to characters falling in love, but this took it to a whole new level. It was literally instalove in one sentence.
I also did not feel particularly attached to any of the characters, which I don't like. And I still do not completely understand this whole magic Story thing. I think that wasn't explained as well as it could have been, and what happened between the Godmother and Witch was completely glossed over.
Still, this book did have some redeeming qualities. It certainly wasn't boring. It just left something to be desired.
withthebanned's review
3.0
I almost didn't review Ash & Bramble because I have been feeling such frustration over the disappointment I had upon finishing. This book had so much promise, excellent writing fitted with a dark and twisty fairy tale retelling seemed like it would be a wonderful experience for me. Unfortunately, the novel didn't just fall flat, but it frustrated me to no end. I will say that this novel was interesting and fast paced, Sarah Prineas writes eloquently and I wanted to love this novel so much for so many reasons. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time relating to our main character, Pin. However, due to her being an unreliable narrator I think that it isn't unexpected that this was the case. It somehow frustrated me more that the secondary characters such as Shoe, were more likable and interesting than our main gal.
Throughout this novel there were continuous hints to the "before" and I needed more from that. I almost felt as if the novel was half finished, and to be honest the romance was not something that I fell into at all. I somewhat irrationally judged our male lead for liking Pin so much because I felt like she was so standoffish and somewhat rude. I like the dark parts to the plot, I liked the concept, but overall it just didn't work for me. To be quite honest if this was the first in a duology I would probably be making excuses and saying that things were just getting fleshed out with hopes that we would learn answers to ALL THE THINGS in book two. Unfortunately this is not the case, so I was left very disappointed in the end.
Shelf Talker: The more time that has passed since I have read this novel, the more frustrated I have become. I felt that many parts of the novel were disconnected and though the ending was satisfying in a way, it still made me angry. The ending was conclusive for the most part, but on the other hand, it seemed very much like there could (ahem, should) be a sequel to explain some very open plot threads. I have just recently learned that there is to be a companion novel that takes place 50 years after the ending of Ash & Bramble. I can't imagine how it will answer questions that I have, it seems as if a prequel would have been more helpful in answering my inquiries. I will say that there are many who absolutely adored this novel so as always I suggest you read other reviews and maybe give it a go yourself!
Throughout this novel there were continuous hints to the "before" and I needed more from that. I almost felt as if the novel was half finished, and to be honest the romance was not something that I fell into at all. I somewhat irrationally judged our male lead for liking Pin so much because I felt like she was so standoffish and somewhat rude. I like the dark parts to the plot, I liked the concept, but overall it just didn't work for me. To be quite honest if this was the first in a duology I would probably be making excuses and saying that things were just getting fleshed out with hopes that we would learn answers to ALL THE THINGS in book two. Unfortunately this is not the case, so I was left very disappointed in the end.
Shelf Talker: The more time that has passed since I have read this novel, the more frustrated I have become. I felt that many parts of the novel were disconnected and though the ending was satisfying in a way, it still made me angry. The ending was conclusive for the most part, but on the other hand, it seemed very much like there could (ahem, should) be a sequel to explain some very open plot threads. I have just recently learned that there is to be a companion novel that takes place 50 years after the ending of Ash & Bramble. I can't imagine how it will answer questions that I have, it seems as if a prequel would have been more helpful in answering my inquiries. I will say that there are many who absolutely adored this novel so as always I suggest you read other reviews and maybe give it a go yourself!
trisha_thomas's review
2.0
"can't you feel the wheels turning? You're caught in Story, and it's going to pull you into a terrible ending."
I'm not sure why I struggled with this one. It had an interesting premise, one I rarely see so it's a good twist when I get to read it. But the story, somehow, missed the hook I needed to stay interesting. I wasn't a huge fan of any characters and really hated the love triangle.
It was cute but too long for me.
I'm not sure why I struggled with this one. It had an interesting premise, one I rarely see so it's a good twist when I get to read it. But the story, somehow, missed the hook I needed to stay interesting. I wasn't a huge fan of any characters and really hated the love triangle.
It was cute but too long for me.