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aselkiereads's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
shmadsie's review against another edition
4.0
3.5. This definitely had some YA formulaic-ness to it but I did love the conglomeration of retellings here and how naturally they all wove together, especially since I was only expecting Hansel and Gretel. That could've been off-putting and yet instead I found it to be a nice surprise. I also appreciated that these awful men who wanted power over Greta were indiscriminate as to how they got it, whether that be via accusing her of being a witch or her body. Unfortunately, it felt a lot truer to life because of that since it's always been about control, however men can get it. I liked Mathias and Greta too, but the side characters were not very strong here - Hans was just an obstacle and Rob was a Tolkien eagle, and the most interesting one was killed off almost immediately.
sheryl1313's review
5.0
As a child we are told the fairy tales and listen to them intently thinking they are over once “the end” is read to us yet they aren’t. What about after the story is done? Is it really over or what happens to these characters?
After The Forest by Kell Woods follows Hans and Greta (we know them as Hansel and Gretel) into their adulthood once they’ve survived the witches gingerbread house and being lost in the forest. So many characters have secrets including Hans and Greta about that fateful day in their childhood. Was everything really as we were told or were they telling a fairy tale to others as well on what really happened? This tale does get darker but that’s okay, I was totally here for it.
I absolutely loved this book! I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of After the Forest by Kell Woods. The writing was spectacular and each time I thought the story was about done, I looked to see that it wasn’t even halfway through! This was a good thing because I wasn’t ready for it to end yet. I had so many questions that got answered by the end of it. The flow of the writing is superb and there is never a dull moment. Esther Wane did a fabulous job narrating the audio version. Although different countries and areas have different art covers that I’ve seen, it doesn’t matter because they are all gorgeous. I highly recommend this book and it is now one of my favorites added to try top 10.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review and consideration.
All opinions are my own.
After The Forest by Kell Woods follows Hans and Greta (we know them as Hansel and Gretel) into their adulthood once they’ve survived the witches gingerbread house and being lost in the forest. So many characters have secrets including Hans and Greta about that fateful day in their childhood. Was everything really as we were told or were they telling a fairy tale to others as well on what really happened? This tale does get darker but that’s okay, I was totally here for it.
I absolutely loved this book! I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of After the Forest by Kell Woods. The writing was spectacular and each time I thought the story was about done, I looked to see that it wasn’t even halfway through! This was a good thing because I wasn’t ready for it to end yet. I had so many questions that got answered by the end of it. The flow of the writing is superb and there is never a dull moment. Esther Wane did a fabulous job narrating the audio version. Although different countries and areas have different art covers that I’ve seen, it doesn’t matter because they are all gorgeous. I highly recommend this book and it is now one of my favorites added to try top 10.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review and consideration.
All opinions are my own.
katied_1030's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i love this kind of fairytale retelling but also why did they make hans such an asshole and why did it feel like we were meant to know who jacob was
summerdreams56's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I really wasn't a fan most of the book felt really predictable. There were multiple big reveals or twists that I had already predicted. By the end I was just reading to finish it so I could be done. The magic didn't feel fleshed out to me. It also felt like there was to much going on at once but also it was boring.
writer6's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't think that After the Forest was perfect, mostly due to some pacing issues, but I still loved this book for the most part. It was definitely a very clever retelling/sequel to the story of Hansel and Gretel, though! :)
My rating/score: 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 8 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
My rating/score: 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 8 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.
bridge_enginerd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I almost didn’t pick this book up because of the middling reviews, but I am SO glad I did anyway! This book is VIBES! All the green/kitchen witch, shapeshifting, and soft romance you could ask for. I adored the characters and couldn’t put it down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Cannibalism
kirahaynes's review against another edition
Dnf at 43 % (page 202) so boring not worth reading
bzzkolla's review
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for this eCopy to review
I enjoyed After the Forest, it was an interesting take on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale seeing how they fared after escaping the gingerbread witch.
The location and characters are beautiful described, it was easy to imagine yourself their in Greta's village in the Black Forest.
Greta is trying to earn a living for herself and her brother Hans (who drinks and gambols it away). Despite believing she's a witch the villagers are still eager to buy her gingerbread.
There are plenty of mysteries for us to solve, who is Mathias and how is he related to Greata's uncle Rob? Who are the men threating Rob and his son Christie? Who is the Duchess and why does she need the villagers? Great comes into her own magic and finds her sense of self-belief and love with Mathias.
I enjoyed After the Forest, it was an interesting take on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale seeing how they fared after escaping the gingerbread witch.
The location and characters are beautiful described, it was easy to imagine yourself their in Greta's village in the Black Forest.
Greta is trying to earn a living for herself and her brother Hans (who drinks and gambols it away). Despite believing she's a witch the villagers are still eager to buy her gingerbread.
There are plenty of mysteries for us to solve, who is Mathias and how is he related to Greata's uncle Rob? Who are the men threating Rob and his son Christie? Who is the Duchess and why does she need the villagers? Great comes into her own magic and finds her sense of self-belief and love with Mathias.