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A review by s_sheppard18
The Story of the Hundred Promises by Neil Cochrane
5.0
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley, for the Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Neil Cochrane created a beautiful, heartbreaking, delightful, and engrossing world in The Story of the Hundred Promises. I am seldom moved to tears by written words, but this fairy tale had me crying for the characters and for my younger, queer, self; I wonder how things could have been different if the books I read as a teen and young adult had representation like this. The Story of the Hundred Promises needs to be in every high school and public library.
The book summary describes it as a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I completely forgot about that for much of the story. I've only seen the Disney movie anyway, and never read any other adaptations. I suspect that for lovers of Beauty and the Beast, there will be more references to the story than I noticed personally, but having an intimate knowledge of that tale is not necessary to fully appreciate this novel. This world has its own unique mythos.
The pacing, details, and stories-within-a-story style were perfect- chef's kiss! Cochrane's writing style throughout felt ethereal, like a bedtime story, and comes complete with a happily-ever-after that left me satisfied. As a queer person, I felt an intimate emotional connection with the characters, and I suspect that connection would feel even deeper for a trans person. The emotions and experiences of the characters are authentic in the way only an Own Voices story can be, and my heart is full of gratitude that Cochrane wrote this story to share with us.
Neil Cochrane created a beautiful, heartbreaking, delightful, and engrossing world in The Story of the Hundred Promises. I am seldom moved to tears by written words, but this fairy tale had me crying for the characters and for my younger, queer, self; I wonder how things could have been different if the books I read as a teen and young adult had representation like this. The Story of the Hundred Promises needs to be in every high school and public library.
The book summary describes it as a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I completely forgot about that for much of the story. I've only seen the Disney movie anyway, and never read any other adaptations. I suspect that for lovers of Beauty and the Beast, there will be more references to the story than I noticed personally, but having an intimate knowledge of that tale is not necessary to fully appreciate this novel. This world has its own unique mythos.
The pacing, details, and stories-within-a-story style were perfect- chef's kiss! Cochrane's writing style throughout felt ethereal, like a bedtime story, and comes complete with a happily-ever-after that left me satisfied. As a queer person, I felt an intimate emotional connection with the characters, and I suspect that connection would feel even deeper for a trans person. The emotions and experiences of the characters are authentic in the way only an Own Voices story can be, and my heart is full of gratitude that Cochrane wrote this story to share with us.