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breannalynn's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 I adore everything about this book, an instant favorite
purplebookfox's review against another edition
4.0
This was spellbinding. Pure, beautiful folktale giving lessons on life, death, judgement, friendship and love.
libbith220's review against another edition
2.0
Man I really thought I would like this more than I did :/ Fairytale-esque books are right up my alley, but this just didn't fully work for me; I found myself more irritated than charmed by it. This book was fairly short, yet I felt that it went on longer than it needed to. Certain ideas kept getting repeated, and scenes would be drawn out for...comedic reasons, maybe? But again, irritation over charm.
Usually what I like about these kinds of stories is that we get a practical heroine, yet Keturah often made decisions that I couldn't follow, misplacing her priorities. The blurb of this book makes it seem like the whole story will take place within 24 hours, since that's all Death originally gives her, but she manages to string him along for about a week (so 7 nights instead of 1001)—if I had known that going in, I wouldn't have been as bothered during that first day, when I kept thinking "you are wasting the little time you have!!" And her prolonged fixation on stupid Ben Marshall??? and getting those stupid fucking lemons??? if I didn't already hate lemon merengue pie I sure would after reading this.
I was going to be generous and give this 3 stars because there were some good qualities, e.g. the writing and the originality of the story, but I HATED the ending for one of the characters; it really discredited him, and I don't think he deserved it :(
Usually what I like about these kinds of stories is that we get a practical heroine, yet Keturah often made decisions that I couldn't follow, misplacing her priorities. The blurb of this book makes it seem like the whole story will take place within 24 hours, since that's all Death originally gives her, but she manages to string him along for about a week (so 7 nights instead of 1001)—if I had known that going in, I wouldn't have been as bothered during that first day, when I kept thinking "you are wasting the little time you have!!" And her prolonged fixation on stupid Ben Marshall??? and getting those stupid fucking lemons??? if I didn't already hate lemon merengue pie I sure would after reading this.
I was going to be generous and give this 3 stars because there were some good qualities, e.g. the writing and the originality of the story, but I HATED the ending for one of the characters; it really discredited him, and I don't think he deserved it :(
pookiee's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
the title tells us this is a story about Keturah and Death. why it meanders so repetitively in the journey there is the question. it’s not romantic, either. but the writing is nice and there was potential!
peytonm's review against another edition
4.0
Keturah is a cool name, and yes, that is why I initially took an interest in this book. I'm glad I did too because I quite liked it! It has a simple fairytale-like narrative, and Keturah seems like a reimagined Scheherazade as she delays Lord Death by withholding a story's ending until the next night. She doesn't drag it out one thousand and one nights, but she does make it last long enough to save her town and find her true love. I liked Gretta and Tailor's side story as well and how much her friends wanted to help Keturah.
princessrobotiv's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a sucker for 'Death and the Maiden' stories, but this one failed to enrapture me. While the construction of the novel was refreshing and entirely fitting to the setting and theme, the tone and execution left much to be desired.
Keturah's character focuses so much on shallow considerations like attractiveness, weight, and class that I found it difficult to believe that she would be of interest to any immortal being, let alone one as severe and immutable as Death. Her thoughts were so . . . plebian. There was nothing of the divine in her characterization, which is really necessary to sell this kind of romance. Truthfully, she had more chemistry with John Temsland.
While I understand the narrative conventions being employed re: the swift and highly formulaic progression of the plot, I still found myself wishing the events were less predictable and the stakes higher. How can the reader expect to believe in a love story between Death and the maiden when the maiden successfully forestalls death for every person she knows? The tension inherent in such a relationship was destroyed. I'm left believing that Keturah would never have loved Death had the plague been allowed to take even one of the villagefolk, which already contradicts the sloppily presented claim that Keturah would love her true love unconditionally (something the readers were consistently asked to believe despite Keturah's fixation on the physical appearances of her potential suitors). Like, sorry, but I can't buy that this maiden would ever run away with a God of Death when she gets nervous about her potential husband becoming fat in ten years.
Finally, I found the metaphor of "Death illuminates/sweetens life" to have been clumsily presented and at odds with the story's conclusion.
Keturah's character focuses so much on shallow considerations like attractiveness, weight, and class that I found it difficult to believe that she would be of interest to any immortal being, let alone one as severe and immutable as Death. Her thoughts were so . . . plebian. There was nothing of the divine in her characterization, which is really necessary to sell this kind of romance. Truthfully, she had more chemistry with John Temsland.
While I understand the narrative conventions being employed re: the swift and highly formulaic progression of the plot, I still found myself wishing the events were less predictable and the stakes higher. How can the reader expect to believe in a love story between Death and the maiden when the maiden successfully forestalls death for every person she knows? The tension inherent in such a relationship was destroyed. I'm left believing that Keturah would never have loved Death had the plague been allowed to take even one of the villagefolk, which already contradicts the sloppily presented claim that Keturah would love her true love unconditionally (something the readers were consistently asked to believe despite Keturah's fixation on the physical appearances of her potential suitors). Like, sorry, but I can't buy that this maiden would ever run away with a God of Death when she gets nervous about her potential husband becoming fat in ten years.
Finally, I found the metaphor of "Death illuminates/sweetens life" to have been clumsily presented and at odds with the story's conclusion.
cd777's review
4.0
Definitely the perfect fall book and if you are craving something in the vein of a studio ghibli or Tim Burton film
carriedoodledoo's review against another edition
4.0
I read this as a teenager and I thought it just horribly romantic. It's probably just "horrible", but fans of the Tom-Hiddleston-as-Loki thing should like it.
insideunder's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts