Scan barcode
pkadams's review
1.0
Thank goodness this book was a quick read. The author is trying way to hard. It is a series of fairy tales that aren't complete nor particularly compelling. Book Links recommended it as one of its foreign titles. Maybe it lost a lot in the translation from Dutch.
couillac's review
3.0
A beautiful little fairy tale, but lacking a bit in substance. Almost too dreamlike and fragmented at times, I felt myself getting lost. The ending was strange too with the way the pairings worked out. Lovely in some ways, but flawed.
juliemawesome's review
3.0
A series of linked stories, fairy tale-like. If you were reading it for the deaf characters, there's not much there. A little bit. Not enough that I'm even going to tag it that though.
kelsilep's review
1.0
After reading this book I can truly say that I have just lost two hours of my life I will NEVER get back!!!!
ireney5's review
5.0
Achingly beautiful. Basically a collection of whimsical/fantastical short stories involving love (or lack thereof), but it's unique in that most of them begin with death. Wish it was longer.
(This book is definitely not for everyone, but was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. I devoured it in less than an hour. )
(This book is definitely not for everyone, but was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. I devoured it in less than an hour. )
tashrow's review
5.0
Steeped in traditional fairy tales, this book offers a framing story and then a series of smaller stories that illuminate the many forms of that love can take. A boy whose parents are deaf and dumb, becomes a gifted singer who can reveal a person's life in his own mysterious language. A girl whose parents fight and curse nearly all the time, plays music that has everyone dancing and feeling merry. The two are destined to be together. As they slowly journey toward one another, readers get to see a princess who looks only into the mirror, a sailor's sweetheart who loves the sea she sees in her husband, and a fluting soldier who saves everyone he can.
Repetition, lilting phrases, and classic fairy tale characters keep this book closely tied to its tradition. Readers will immediately recognize the type of book they are reading, but will be amazed at the lyrical prose, the lack of sentimentality, and the power of this small book. Love here is seen not in saccharine sweetness, but in reality, sometimes obsessive, strangely brutal, and always powerful.
This book is a box of chocolates with hidden depths of spices and heat that surprise and delight. Highly recommended for teens who want a bit of classic tale and truth in their romance. Appropriate for ages 13-17.
Repetition, lilting phrases, and classic fairy tale characters keep this book closely tied to its tradition. Readers will immediately recognize the type of book they are reading, but will be amazed at the lyrical prose, the lack of sentimentality, and the power of this small book. Love here is seen not in saccharine sweetness, but in reality, sometimes obsessive, strangely brutal, and always powerful.
This book is a box of chocolates with hidden depths of spices and heat that surprise and delight. Highly recommended for teens who want a bit of classic tale and truth in their romance. Appropriate for ages 13-17.
jennywithaz's review
4.0
A lovely, lyrical, magically realistic tale translated beautifully from the Dutch by the masterful translator Laura Watkinson.
More...