jxssica1810's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! Nikita Gill is now my official favourite author, I’m already obsessed!
inwetiewele's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Most of the poems & short stories in this book were hit or miss for me. The misses weren’t bad at all but some of them relied a little to heavily on cliches. The hits hit hard and took no prisoners.
“You must lift a sword
with reborn strength and take on
the demons in your ribcage.”
“What I am trying to say is,
I know now that becoming kind
is worth every single exhausting effort
and sometimes it takes a thousand years.”
“So now I love my tinderbox heart
so easy to light up,
all it takes is half a spark.
A woman’s anger can change the world,
I know mine can and this is not a gift
I will give away.
I am small and I am angry,
it is how I channel my energy
and I like me that way.”
“Call me gross
Call me stupid
Call me disgusting
None of those names
can ever hurt me again
I am a thousand treacherous things
I was not made
To be lovely for you
I was made to eat monsters for ME”
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Self harm
All mentions of triggering content are brief & vague. Merely attempting to imply at a given characters history most of which you will already know as the characters are from famous fairytales.isabellediggle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Gill's poems were heartfelt and clear in both moral and message. This was an enjoyable read with stirring feminist retellings of childhood fairy tales, a softer more positive Carter. At times cliches or 'insta-poetry' ensnared Gill however I am excited to read her other works and will continue to follow her art.
morriganslibrary's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
readingnookreviews's review
4.0
Nikita Gill rewrote fairytales and combined them with modern themes of feminism, mental illness, abuse, and empowerment! I loved her insights into various well-known characters and different ideas of backstories and alternate endings. Some of these poems/stories are similar and contain the same message/feeling, but I still enjoyed reading them since she has such a lovely writing style. In the end, I preferred her “Wild Embers” collection simply because I found more poems in that which I related to or that resonated with me.
kitaabeinaurkindle's review
4.0
"No one is coming to save you, my love. No prince, no saviour, no knight in shining armour. But don't you worry about a thing. You've already got what should save you, hiding inside the marrow in your own powerful spine, your own bones."
I have admired and loved Nikita Gill's work for a long time now. Her poems, excerpts on instagram/pinterest helped me on those dark days to acknowledge the pain inside and sometimes to remind me of the strength I have within to face anything and everything.
This collection is a modern-day retelling of the age old fairytales we have heard growing up, where women are either a damsel in distress or an evil witch/monster. Instead, the author turns into an empowered versions of women, without labelling them as evil or good but simply as powerful women who break society's definition of who they should be, how they defeat the monsters outside as well as the ones within.
Also, talking about pain, grief and survivors who overcome it and those who didnt.
It speaks of courage and valour, of all the cosmos elements that resides within us to make us who we are. "You are the universe's fairytale come true"
I loved it overall and it's one book I'll keep by my bedside for some inspiration or just a pick-me up for sad days. To awaken the wolf within
I have admired and loved Nikita Gill's work for a long time now. Her poems, excerpts on instagram/pinterest helped me on those dark days to acknowledge the pain inside and sometimes to remind me of the strength I have within to face anything and everything.
This collection is a modern-day retelling of the age old fairytales we have heard growing up, where women are either a damsel in distress or an evil witch/monster. Instead, the author turns into an empowered versions of women, without labelling them as evil or good but simply as powerful women who break society's definition of who they should be, how they defeat the monsters outside as well as the ones within.
Also, talking about pain, grief and survivors who overcome it and those who didnt.
It speaks of courage and valour, of all the cosmos elements that resides within us to make us who we are. "You are the universe's fairytale come true"
I loved it overall and it's one book I'll keep by my bedside for some inspiration or just a pick-me up for sad days. To awaken the wolf within
claudetteshelfs's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
squidge369's review
5.0
This book definitely deserves more hype!! I think this was important for me to read and it broke the spell of some internalised things which made me question what I was told was acceptable. Her poetry it’s very beautiful and I enjoyed it more than expected :)
lilbroccoli's review
5.0
Whoa. Upon finishing this I bought several copies to send to friends. Read it.