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A review by annettebooksofhopeanddreams
Ash by Malinda Lo
4.0
For some reason this book had never really crossed my path and I have no idea where it has been hiding all the time. It's a book containing each and every element that I love: the backbone of the Cinderella tale, a magical influence from the faerie world, an enchanting writing style and some very unexpected twists and turns.
The more I read, the better I'm starting to understand what kind of books I like. I'm therefore not surprised that I love this book, but I'm surprised that the element that really stood out, wasn't the plot or the original take on the Cinderella tale. The element that stood out the most was the atmosphere. I always call Maggie Stiefvater the queen of creating said atmosphere, but this book really mastered the art of it too.
From the very beginning the story seems to have an extra layer, always present and lingering in the background, once in a while showing itself in plain sight and then going back into hiding again, but never truly disappearing. The constant push and pull between our world and the faerie world, the search from Ash for where she actually belongs and wants to be. It's magical and it's what truly makes this story.
Because where a lot of stories are about the character growth and where they eventually end up. Or where a lot of stories build towards an epic conclusion and showdown, this book never truly is about the ending. It's about the road towards that ending, it's about stories and the power they have and the truths they entail. It's about the climb to eventually watch the view, even if we fall down a few times along the way. It's about all those scenes eventually bringing the character to that end.
And although Ash never gets that much depth, she still feels unique and it's easy to love her and give her a place in your heart. She captures the traits of Cinderella perfectly, but she also adds a few of her own and a few flaws too. And even though I don't feel like I truly know her, I doubt Ash feels like she truly knows her, I was constantly rooting for her, only wanting the best for her.
Reading this book has been a unique and lovely experience.
The more I read, the better I'm starting to understand what kind of books I like. I'm therefore not surprised that I love this book, but I'm surprised that the element that really stood out, wasn't the plot or the original take on the Cinderella tale. The element that stood out the most was the atmosphere. I always call Maggie Stiefvater the queen of creating said atmosphere, but this book really mastered the art of it too.
From the very beginning the story seems to have an extra layer, always present and lingering in the background, once in a while showing itself in plain sight and then going back into hiding again, but never truly disappearing. The constant push and pull between our world and the faerie world, the search from Ash for where she actually belongs and wants to be. It's magical and it's what truly makes this story.
Because where a lot of stories are about the character growth and where they eventually end up. Or where a lot of stories build towards an epic conclusion and showdown, this book never truly is about the ending. It's about the road towards that ending, it's about stories and the power they have and the truths they entail. It's about the climb to eventually watch the view, even if we fall down a few times along the way. It's about all those scenes eventually bringing the character to that end.
And although Ash never gets that much depth, she still feels unique and it's easy to love her and give her a place in your heart. She captures the traits of Cinderella perfectly, but she also adds a few of her own and a few flaws too. And even though I don't feel like I truly know her, I doubt Ash feels like she truly knows her, I was constantly rooting for her, only wanting the best for her.
Reading this book has been a unique and lovely experience.