Reviews with content warning for Fatphobia - Es kann nur eine geben

I enjoyed this book! I love a good fairy tale gone off the rails. There were some soft horror elements (from classic fairy tales) that really worked well for me. I'm hoping we see some more of the side characters next book, since they (especially the Nevers) were delightful.

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kscheffrahn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

0.5

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kaziaroo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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

3.5

I picked this up because I enjoyed the film, although I didn't realise it was based on a children's book. It did contain some very undisguised dark themes though, so if it wasn't for the age of the characters, the writing style and some of the humour, I'd be tempted to call it YA.

It's a shame to see that children's stories still rely on fatphobia and making fun of "ugly" people for humour, and there was a lot of stereotyping of what "good" and "evil" people look like – although a lot of this is critiqued by the narrative, there were some blurred lines: for example, while we are shown that being mean to Dot about her fatness is bad, the author also mentions her size nearly every time she appears, and her size and appetite makes up most of her characterisation. Thankfully, there wasn't a hooked nose in sight, unlike in the film.

While the plot dragged a bit in places, I really enjoyed the characters in this book and loved the portrayal of a character's descent into madness and the protagonists' respective identity crises. It was a really fun, if dark, read.

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treffyfrinn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

This book is fine. Not particularly groundbreaking on any front. I think it’s trying to be in its attempts to flip tropes on their heads, but it only conforms to said tropes even more. If you’re someone who enjoys fairy tale tropes, you’ll probably really enjoy this.
My biggest complaint is the inconsistent characterization. There are moments that I’ll call “growth” in that each girl begins to fit in more with her school that feel very out of nowhere, and cause the rest of the book to feel out of character.

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neko_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.75

3.75
ok so mixed feelings here. on one side i hated it, sophie was pretty much unbearable but on the other side I thoroughly enjoyed it. the world is just amazing, and while sophie is definitely not my favourite character, especially at the start of the book, I do love her development at the end.

now the characters I do like. hester, anadil and dot. i love them so much. the fact that they are the figure of evil for the start of the book, but there is so much good in their hearts and I love them.

agatha is one of my favourite characters in this book. her development, insecurities and personality is amazing

overall a pretty good read!

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olasreading's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious 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

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