cassandragw's review against another edition
4.0
So I am probably a bit biased, but this was a really lovely read. It begs to be read in one sitting, and just leaves you with a nice feeling afterwards! Looking forward to seeing what comes next (either for Olivia, or just from Quenby generally).
alexkhlopenko's review
4.0
Smart and quick
For a riff on the Brontë and Austen classics, Knitted offers a relatable protagonists and an occasional insight into class-conscious critique of western society, while being fun and romantic when it needs to be so.
For a riff on the Brontë and Austen classics, Knitted offers a relatable protagonists and an occasional insight into class-conscious critique of western society, while being fun and romantic when it needs to be so.
oliviaoverthinkseverything's review
5.0
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Sigh. Swoon.
Knotted contains a delightful story wrapped in every emotion you can imagine. It's the ultimate feel-good read, the kind you can put down with a smile on your face, and manages to be so without being superficial, which is quite a feat. Several serious issues appear here, including divorce, parenting, family drama, and of course, pride and prejudice.
Ms. Olson obviously drew a great deal of inspiration from Jane Austen, but she did so subtly. Instead of merely repackaging the exact plot of Pride & Prejudice into a modern story, which must have been tempting, she created an original story quite different from that of P&P and included only partial elements and tidbits, really a tribute woven in so carefully that only Austen aficionados will catch it. The characters in Knotted are fully-formed and fabulous, and completely stand on their own apart from whatever P&P role(s) they fill.
For example, our protagonist Olivia Davies is a far cry from well-composed, self-assured Lizzie Bennet. To put it bluntly, Olivia is a hot mess. That's what I love about her. So often in YA novels, our main characters are so put together and well-adjusted, and while that's all well and good, that's not at all how I was as a teenager. In fact, aside from being "willowy" and having a father who lives on the other side of the pond, Olivia could have very well been me. She wears ratty clothes and slaps on old gas station makeup she barely knows how to use, and she's clumsy and really down on herself a lot. She hates being on the receiving end of nice gestures because she doesn't like the attention. I so identify with that, and am only recently coming out of my own similar phase, so it was nice to see her start to come to terms with her own self-worth at the end of the novel. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel, and soon! :)
If you can't already tell, I definitely recommend Knotted to fans of YA lit and/or Jane Austen. Let's get real, in an ideal world, that covers everyone. So: everyone should read this book.
Sigh. Swoon.
Knotted contains a delightful story wrapped in every emotion you can imagine. It's the ultimate feel-good read, the kind you can put down with a smile on your face, and manages to be so without being superficial, which is quite a feat. Several serious issues appear here, including divorce, parenting, family drama, and of course, pride and prejudice.
Ms. Olson obviously drew a great deal of inspiration from Jane Austen, but she did so subtly. Instead of merely repackaging the exact plot of Pride & Prejudice into a modern story, which must have been tempting, she created an original story quite different from that of P&P and included only partial elements and tidbits, really a tribute woven in so carefully that only Austen aficionados will catch it. The characters in Knotted are fully-formed and fabulous, and completely stand on their own apart from whatever P&P role(s) they fill.
For example, our protagonist Olivia Davies is a far cry from well-composed, self-assured Lizzie Bennet. To put it bluntly, Olivia is a hot mess. That's what I love about her. So often in YA novels, our main characters are so put together and well-adjusted, and while that's all well and good, that's not at all how I was as a teenager. In fact, aside from being "willowy" and having a father who lives on the other side of the pond, Olivia could have very well been me. She wears ratty clothes and slaps on old gas station makeup she barely knows how to use, and she's clumsy and really down on herself a lot. She hates being on the receiving end of nice gestures because she doesn't like the attention. I so identify with that, and am only recently coming out of my own similar phase, so it was nice to see her start to come to terms with her own self-worth at the end of the novel. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel, and soon! :)
If you can't already tell, I definitely recommend Knotted to fans of YA lit and/or Jane Austen. Let's get real, in an ideal world, that covers everyone. So: everyone should read this book.
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