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annekeofgreengables's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Een van mijn favoriete boeken ooit. Een heerlijk duister sprookje over liefde en dood.
lovelyloro's review against another edition
4.5
This books is fantastic!!! I loved it! The writing is wonderful and the story is perfection!
monapearl's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
This was like picking up an old-fashioned fairy tale. It gave me Robin McKinley vibes, albeit for a younger/middle-grade reader. The small village in a faraway land, with characters who all know each other and have fairy tale like attributes. The storytelling, most of all, made it feel like one, with vivid descriptions that feel almost magical. Then of course, there is the main part of the story, where a young woman meets Death and is faced with challenges she must complete to keep her life and not die. It felt magical, and I wanted more of it. I did not want the story to end. Of course, it is an old-fashioned fairy tale, so one can expect the love interests to be too old while the main character and her friends are about sixteen (so like certain McKinley novels). Still, the story and the writing, like McKinley's books, are what make this story so incredible.
I loved the idea of Death being a person, and that Keturah had to keep facing his challenges in order for her chance to keep living. The ending was somewhat satisfying, as it tied in all the loose threads, but as I said before, I wanted more. I wanted this fairy tale to continue, so that I could enjoy the characters and writing some more. However, it ended where it did, and I have to say, overall, I really enjoyed the story.
I loved the idea of Death being a person, and that Keturah had to keep facing his challenges in order for her chance to keep living. The ending was somewhat satisfying, as it tied in all the loose threads, but as I said before, I wanted more. I wanted this fairy tale to continue, so that I could enjoy the characters and writing some more. However, it ended where it did, and I have to say, overall, I really enjoyed the story.
jadajing's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't want to put this book down. The language was beautiful and the ending was a surprise.
trin's review against another edition
4.0
Really lovely fairytale-type YA novel that combines elements of Scheherazade’s story with ruminations about living and dying. Keturah gets lost in the woods and when Death arrives for her, she enchants him with a love story that wins her an extra day of life—and a possible reprieve if she can, in that time, find her true love. Leavitt doesn’t let her tale take the obvious route, and I gobbled it up, very naughtily delaying necessary errands and chores so I could finish it. I wasn’t quite convinced by the ending—possibly because the novel’s prologue seems to set up another, contradictory conclusion; I think the book would have been better without it. But besides that and my minor annoyance with Leavitt’s occasional tendency to slip into ill-placed ’twases and ’tises, I thought this was wonderful
yodamom's review against another edition
3.0
3.9 stars I really am not sure what I think of this book. It was a fairy tale that wove a beautiful tale of death. The wordage was hard to follow at times. The tale intense and riveting, the characters very different.It is a dark, dark tale and yet it is full of life and love. I enjoyed it, I liked the interpretation of death. I developed a new view of death.
lisamchuk's review against another edition
3.0
Very fairy tale-esque if that's what you're looking for. High marks for storytelling, but I wouldn't say our heoine is of the strong-empowered-woman type.
annashiv's review
5.0
Charming, beautiful, meaningful. I loved it. Might be my favorite book this year. Potentially ever.