Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Bone Spindle

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of this Sleeping Beauty-retelling! I love revamped fairy tales so I thought this book would be right up my alley. And while it was enjoyable; there were a few elements that I didn't love. My biggest issue was with the romances and how the characters were coupled up. Even though the description talks about Fi falling for Briar Rose, I couldn't help thinking that she and Shane had a lot more chemistry. Why couldn't their banter and complementary treasure hunting skills have evolved into romantic feelings? It's nice to see a strong female friendship, of course, but I thought that was a missed opportunity to flip the fairy tale trope on its head rather than just gender-swapping it. Plus, Fi and Briar Rose had some insta-love going on, which I'm never a fan of and especially not when it seems really out of character (like it did for Fi.)

Lastly, it was really obvious that Red was a "traitor" and I don't think it added anything to the story.

On the other hand, I loved the treasure hunting, the puzzles, and the ruins filled with traps and secrets! These were featured more heavily at the beginning of the story, but I also enjoyed the action scenes that were sprinkled throughout. Fi's brains and Shane's brawn were the perfect pairing and it was nice to see them get closer as their journey progressed. I also liked how Vedder dealt with the actual ramifications of a kingdom being put to sleep for 100 years, something that the original fairy tale glosses over. Personally, I don't think I'll pick up the sequel, but I understand why this book is a hit with fans of Indiana Jones, retellings, and sapphic representation.

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jenna36's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

This was cute. It is definitely on the younger side of YA, which is not usually my thing, but I'm a sucker for a fairytale retelling. Briar was definitely my favorite character and I am looking forward to seeing how he develops in the next book. Fi and Shane grew on me as the book went on. I did not like Red, but I am holding out for some major character development in the next book. For a quest narrative it seemed like surprisingly little happened over the course of the story. There was mainly traveling, which got a little tedious at times. However, I really liked the ending and I think it sets up the next book very nicely. I do plan on continuing the series since I think it is only meant to be a duology.

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orchidd's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

4.0

I'm glad this is a series! <3 I loved getting to know Shane and Fi. Their banter is exactly my flavor. Both of their backstories are so heart-wrenching, I just want them to be happy!

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bookcrushin's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.5

This was an adventure! Really enjoyed the characters, the quest, and the twist! Can’t wait for more!

CW: eight-legged creatures & silk/webs

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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book.

In this genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Fi is looking for a way to stop her own curse when she stumbles finger-first into the curse placed upon Briar Rose and the kingdom of Andarr. With the help of her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, they must traverse the woods and break the curse to wake the prince and free the kingdom.

I loved this book! I was immediately hooked by the dual-POVs of Fi and Shane and how they interacted with each other. The book starts head-first in the mystery of why Fi is cursed and why Shane is no longer at home. They make such good partners and Shane is such a BA axe-wielding sapphic I am seriously in love with her.

I love the addition of Briar Rose. I also think that this book was really clever to handle the intrinsic issues of consent in the tale of Sleeping Beauty--i.e., a sleeping person cannot consent to a kiss--by allowing Briar's sleeping form to magically project and talk to Fi.

This book is so adventurous and high stakes! The witch hunters are wild and I love the witch Red and how she interacts with Shane. I also really love Shane and Fi's backstories and everything that we learn about them as we go. I really can't wait for the sequel!

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