emilygaynier's review against another edition
4.0
Such a cute book!! It's very strange and some things might take a second reading for me to fully make sense of, but it was very good. It has the same feel as of A Little Shop of Horrors. I bought this book on a whim and I'm very happy with how it as a whole. I love the cover, it might be my favorite book cover ever. Lilith is basically who I wanted to be when I was her age: brave, smart, funny, and sarcastic. Plus who doesn't want a talking dog!
Her family bugged the hell out of me, but that's what family does. The developments of the side characters were great and Ed is such a cutie.
Honestly my only problem with the book is Panther's name. I hate when dogs are named after or for cats. Dogs named Nala are the bane of my existence.
Her family bugged the hell out of me, but that's what family does. The developments of the side characters were great and Ed is such a cutie.
Honestly my only problem with the book is Panther's name. I hate when dogs are named after or for cats. Dogs named Nala are the bane of my existence.
briannadasilva's review against another edition
4.0
Where do I begin with my love for this book?
This was my first introduction to Ksenia Anske's writing, and I have to say, I am a fan. It's a quirky, morbid, humorous modern fantasy that feels attune to a Tim Burton film, and it was such a delight to read.
There is something so delectable about the writing itself. It doesn't feel like a cheap novel produced for mass-market audiences; it feels like literature, like something crafted with love and care. And those are the types of books I love most. <3
At first glance, this may seem like a kid's book, due to the fact that the main character is only twelve. However, I think the subtleties of the story are best appreciated by adults. (Plus, it may not be entirely appropriate for kids, which I'll get to later.)
Here's the rundown...
WHAT I LIKED
- The characters, Lilith especially. She was so easy to identify with and root for. I ached for her when no one would listen to her or see her, and I admired her bravery.
- Also, I loved the dynamics of: (1) Eloquent 12-year-old girl + (2) Talking dog + (3) "Mute" 14-year-old boy. Their interactions were so much fun!
- The overall tone of weird mystery + adolescent innocence + whimsical fantasy. I GOBBLED THIS BOOK.
- The themes of family and sacrifice. Awww! *pats heart in emphasis*
- The character development. I loved the way Lilith grew and matured over the course of the story. Really, all the major characters grew by the end.
- Also the ending in general. It was so satisfying, wrapped everything up so well, and gave me certain feels. *sighs* *applauds with approving nod*
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Okay, one thing in this book was very, very much not okay with me. There were two chubby characters in this story who were the brunt of a lot of mean jokes... and their treatment was portrayed in a positive light. NOT. OKAY. We need to discourage this kind of shame ("fat jokes") in literature, not encourage it. PLEASE. Can I empathize this a hundred times?? As much as I admire Ankse, I have to say I was a little disappointed in her here.
- Adding onto this point, the character Ed made an especially mean joke towards these girls, and as much as I tried, I just couldn't respect him anymore after that. I loved his character until then though!! I loved the way he communicated with gestures and pictures. It was adorable. But after that... I just couldn't see him the same way any more.
- The nature of this book MIGHT not be okay for some children, despite the young ages of the characters. Some of the content was, well, creepy!! I enjoyed it as an adult, but it might have disturbed me as a ten or eleven year old. (This would totally depend on the child!!) Also, there was a crude word (a substitute for "pee") used quite frequently. Maybe okay for some kids, maybe not for others.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was reluctant to see it end. I hope to write a bit like Anske someday. ^_^ I love her style and I know I'll be reading more!
4.5 stars
P.S. The narrator for the audio book is perfect!
This was my first introduction to Ksenia Anske's writing, and I have to say, I am a fan. It's a quirky, morbid, humorous modern fantasy that feels attune to a Tim Burton film, and it was such a delight to read.
There is something so delectable about the writing itself. It doesn't feel like a cheap novel produced for mass-market audiences; it feels like literature, like something crafted with love and care. And those are the types of books I love most. <3
At first glance, this may seem like a kid's book, due to the fact that the main character is only twelve. However, I think the subtleties of the story are best appreciated by adults. (Plus, it may not be entirely appropriate for kids, which I'll get to later.)
Here's the rundown...
WHAT I LIKED
- The characters, Lilith especially. She was so easy to identify with and root for. I ached for her when no one would listen to her or see her, and I admired her bravery.
- Also, I loved the dynamics of: (1) Eloquent 12-year-old girl + (2) Talking dog + (3) "Mute" 14-year-old boy. Their interactions were so much fun!
- The overall tone of weird mystery + adolescent innocence + whimsical fantasy. I GOBBLED THIS BOOK.
- The themes of family and sacrifice. Awww! *pats heart in emphasis*
- The character development. I loved the way Lilith grew and matured over the course of the story. Really, all the major characters grew by the end.
- Also the ending in general. It was so satisfying, wrapped everything up so well, and gave me certain feels. *sighs* *applauds with approving nod*
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Okay, one thing in this book was very, very much not okay with me. There were two chubby characters in this story who were the brunt of a lot of mean jokes... and their treatment was portrayed in a positive light. NOT. OKAY. We need to discourage this kind of shame ("fat jokes") in literature, not encourage it. PLEASE. Can I empathize this a hundred times?? As much as I admire Ankse, I have to say I was a little disappointed in her here.
- Adding onto this point, the character Ed made an especially mean joke towards these girls, and as much as I tried, I just couldn't respect him anymore after that. I loved his character until then though!! I loved the way he communicated with gestures and pictures. It was adorable. But after that... I just couldn't see him the same way any more.
- The nature of this book MIGHT not be okay for some children, despite the young ages of the characters. Some of the content was, well, creepy!! I enjoyed it as an adult, but it might have disturbed me as a ten or eleven year old. (This would totally depend on the child!!) Also, there was a crude word (a substitute for "pee") used quite frequently. Maybe okay for some kids, maybe not for others.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I was reluctant to see it end. I hope to write a bit like Anske someday. ^_^ I love her style and I know I'll be reading more!
4.5 stars
P.S. The narrator for the audio book is perfect!
asbookreviewsforfun_alicia's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
creepy_girl_299's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
kmamrosh's review against another edition
DNFed in the first chapter because why is there so much fat-shaming in a middle-grade book ????
lydiamacclaren's review against another edition
3.0
A wonderfully strange and whimsical story that harkens to the same insanity of Alice in Wonderland . This story by indie author Anske offers an intriguing tale of a sinister garden that has you question the sanity of the main character but still manages to retain a childlike and heartwarming center that pulled me along through the circular plot. That would be my criticism to the story, the tale itself could have been bolstered by a more varied plot line and stronger arcs within the story. I was not dissatisfied by the story, but felt that if it its structure had been streamlined it would have been a hands-down favorite book.
I stumbled across this story and Ksenia Anske and I look forward to reading more of her stories, she is an intriguing author who offers a new perspective to stories and storytelling, and this book was a delightful introduction to her as an author.
I stumbled across this story and Ksenia Anske and I look forward to reading more of her stories, she is an intriguing author who offers a new perspective to stories and storytelling, and this book was a delightful introduction to her as an author.
saintkatherine's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely the most fantastic book I've ever read.
love_aud's review against another edition
5.0
Anske writes so brilliantly and so vividly. Lilith is an amazing 12 year old that I wish I could've been. So brave and insightful. This story will definitely stay with me for a very long time and as one reader pointed out on the back cover: I will never look at a house, dog or rosebush the same way again.
ujsp's review against another edition
5.0
Was such a great book. So refreshing to read something like this after so long! I wud most definitely recommend this especially if you are a 'girl stuck in a woman's body' ;)
mynameismarines's review against another edition
3.0
This is a hard star rating for me because it falls in that often cited category of, "I wanted to love this book more than I did." First, it is clear to me that Ksenia Anske is a talented author, and I'd definitely read more of her work. She's got an amazing imagination, and that is where this book never faltered. The world was vivid and the story had a very unique quality to it. I've seen comparisons to Tim Burton movies and that seems like the closest comparison.
I struggled with the characters. Lilith and Panther are both hard to swallow because of their quirks. There really wasn't anyone here for me to relate to or empathize with. Lilith does struggle with being believed, and part of me felt for her, but the other part of me doubted her as well. Was what we were reading real? I'll let you discover that for yourself.
Part of the problem with the characters, though, was the fault of some very repetitive writing. This story would've benefited greatly from being parsed down. They were so many long passages of Lilith trying to convince Panther to investigate with her, in nearly identical language. For being under the gun, these characters sure did stand around and talk a lot.
Another issue was that the action was quite literally in Lilith's backyard. It felt like Anske tried to trump up the tension, but what it produced was more of that repetition. We found Lilith trapped inside or with an adult or bound to some commitment, thus keeping her away from the action, over and over again. In that way, the pattern of Lilith sneaking out, being caught, facing off with her grandfather, and disturbing her parents developed early and kept on throughout the story. Within this work of great imagination, a formula developed and undermined the experience.
This problem of pacing made it hard to drag myself through the middle to end of this book. Even at the end, Lilith is surround on all sides and it's closing in around her... still closing in around her... no idea why it's closing in this slow but here it comes... etc.
It was an interesting read, and I don't regret dedicating time to it, but I felt it definitely could've benefited from some tightening up. I can't wait to read what Anske comes up with next.
I struggled with the characters. Lilith and Panther are both hard to swallow because of their quirks. There really wasn't anyone here for me to relate to or empathize with. Lilith does struggle with being believed, and part of me felt for her, but the other part of me doubted her as well. Was what we were reading real? I'll let you discover that for yourself.
Part of the problem with the characters, though, was the fault of some very repetitive writing. This story would've benefited greatly from being parsed down. They were so many long passages of Lilith trying to convince Panther to investigate with her, in nearly identical language. For being under the gun, these characters sure did stand around and talk a lot.
Another issue was that the action was quite literally in Lilith's backyard. It felt like Anske tried to trump up the tension, but what it produced was more of that repetition. We found Lilith trapped inside or with an adult or bound to some commitment, thus keeping her away from the action, over and over again. In that way, the pattern of Lilith sneaking out, being caught, facing off with her grandfather, and disturbing her parents developed early and kept on throughout the story. Within this work of great imagination, a formula developed and undermined the experience.
This problem of pacing made it hard to drag myself through the middle to end of this book. Even at the end, Lilith is surround on all sides and it's closing in around her... still closing in around her... no idea why it's closing in this slow but here it comes... etc.
It was an interesting read, and I don't regret dedicating time to it, but I felt it definitely could've benefited from some tightening up. I can't wait to read what Anske comes up with next.