The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
axel_p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Kidnapping, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Suicide, and War
samburkhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Confinement
Minor: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
sebrittainclark's review
- 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
4.5
I thought the narrator dig a great job brining Toadling's voice to life.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Kidnapping
directorpurry's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Kidnapping
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Physical abuse, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, and Religious bigotry
misterwisp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty
crownoflaurel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Murder and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Suicide, and Violence
tigger89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While the story is dark, I wouldn't classify it as a horror story. Perhaps there's some horror in the story of the changeling, but it mostly hit me as sad and inevitable rather than scary. Horror is so deeply individual though, and I could see someone being very unsettled by the situation, especially if they have children.
The biggest strength of the story was undoubtedly the characters. The plot itself was average. I have no complaints about the Sleeping Beauty retelling, but it was nothing mindblowingly original. Plot-wise, I'd give this a solid 4 as far as fairy tale retellings-with-a-twist go, but I have to give it another star for how delightful the characters were. I actually really want a sequel with Toadling, but unfortunately I feel like this is going to be a one-off. I'll just have to settle for whatever else T. Kingfisher writes!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I like this as a take on Sleeping Beauty, but it plays the idea of changelings straight, not engaging with the historical links between âchangelingâ children and autism (or other ways of being ostracized for being strange). In that light, featuring a child so unable to learn social rules that she must be kept or killed becomes a more fraught narrative, one that makes the story harder to enjoy. I like Toadling and Halim, but because of how the backstory is told first as memories then as stories to Halim, I remain unsure just how much Toadling told him of what had happened. I appreciate Halim as an idea of a character, but as a novella there wasnât really room to flesh out that many significant characters and Toadling received most of the detail (to Halimâs detriment). The time dilation between the human world and Faerie allows for a couple of cool narrative moments. Ultimately this is a book I would neither recommend nor dissuade someone from reading.Â
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Child death
Minor: Self harm, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Death of parent
bluejayreads's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Body horror, and Kidnapping
Minor: Blood