Reviews

Reawakened by Odette Beane

Only show reviews with written explanations

While I recognize that this "Once Upon A Time" book is primarily derived from its first season, I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It struck a balance between staying true to its source material while introducing refreshing and distinctive elements. My affection for the show grew, and upon learning that there were associated books, I couldn't contain my excitement and felt a strong urge to dive into them.

meagan_kay's review

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3.0

So let me just start out by saying that I LOVE the tv show Once Upon a Time, so for me this was a fun, easy read (I finished it in a matter of a few hours). There were some changes made to the story, but it was essentially the exact same plot as season 1. There were some parts of the show that were left out of the book such as the incident with Henry being trapped in the old mines. It was a good book, but I do have to say that some parts can be a bit dull considering that so much has happened between season 1 and season 5 (which the show is currently on).

Despite the fact that, overall, I enjoyed this book, I did have a few problems with it. First of all, the author changed the personalities of a few characters. For example, Emma seemed much more opened to the idea that Henry's stories are true than she was in the show. She didn't seem to have as many emotional walls built up in the book (i.e. She spends quite a bit of time thinking about Graham and whether she wanted to be in a relationship with him or not). While I though this was an interesting new take on her personality, I don't feel like it was very true to her character.
(SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 1)
Also, Graham's death in the book is different than it was in the show. It was much less of a shock and it focused more on the relationship between him and Emma than on the fact that Regina was the one who killed him. In fact, in the book it is never clear whether Regina killed Graham or not (in the tv show it is obvious that she did).

So, in conclusion, I'd recommend this to fans of OUAT who enjoy reading. The writing wasn't the best (equal to the quality of a normal fanfiction), but if you're looking for something to tide you over during season breaks (as I was) then I'd recommend the book.

thepurplegiraffe's review

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3.5

I don't care what anyone says, Once Upon a Time is the ultimate autumn comfort show. It's chaotic, but it's nostalgic, and reading this novelization of season 1 was so lovely. Don't get me wrong, the book is absolutely mediocre and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't already love the show, but if you want to revisit s1 without actually having to rewatch s1, this was very fun. It focused more on the Storybrooke side of things than the Enchanted Forest side, and some episodes are completely glossed over, as this book mainly focuses on Emma and Snow White's plotlines. Overall reading this was a lovely time where I could kind of turn my brain off and just enjoy revisiting my high school years, haha! 3.5 stars from me!

theteamsreader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

27gwenger's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

melisacabelloc's review

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3.0

If you loooooove OUAT this is just or you. While the story is amazing, it is better portrayed, however, in the tv show.

straciehniezdo's review

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4.0

Vlastne sme sa nedozvedeli nič nové, pretože toto tu bola prvá séria seriálu. Ale aj tak to bolo fajn a skvelo sa to čítalo. Okrem toho som si to už poriadne nepamätala :D

rj_novotny's review

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

kookie327's review

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4.0

Ugh! I loved this so much! I loved being in Storybrooke and being with all of my characters again! Understandably, trying to squeeze an entire season into a 337 page book, requires some things to be left out. With that being the case, I felt like it was a little rushed, and could definitely tell there were holes with missing things.

Overall, I freaking loved it. Can’t wait to continue with the series!