Scan barcode
beanaroni's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, and Abandonment
Minor: Cannibalism
ilovejaydyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Torture
abominablesnowaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Starvationstwriter92's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was…a very interesting one to end the year out with. When people asked me to describe this book, I told them it was very much a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland set in Stalin’s Russia. The entire story had a distinct fairy tale quality, even down to the basic structure. However, this isn’t your Disney-fied fairy tale. No, this was more like the fairy tales of yore with gore, sex, and human evil.
One thing this book showed me was how little I know of Russian folklore and history. I had to constantly look up new information, which (in my humble opinion) was one of the best parts. Learning new information and applying it to my understanding of the story was like watching a 10,000 piece puzzle slowly come together. The writing in this story was so heartbreakingly poetic. I could feel my chest getting tight just from reading the words on the page. As a reader, this is one of my favorite feelings. It is a sign that I have truly fallen completely and under the story’s spell.
My thoughts are still a bit scrambled, so I’m going to actually link to some amazing analyses of this book. Beware, they are analyses and are therefore NOT SPOILER FREE. I suggest reading the book with little to no prior knowledge of it and then learning as you go.
If you are a fan of dark stories, Russian folklore, and the true embodiment of beautiful storytelling, I highly recommend this book.
Analyses
Analysis 1 mostly focusing on the ending part in Yaichka: https://gatheringbones.tumblr.com/post/131312671780
Analysis 2 Another Understanding of the ending: https://mashamorevna.tumblr.com/post/85789279318/reply-to-anon-questions-i-got-about-the-deathless
Postscript:
This book took me ages to read not through any fault of its own. I’ve been in a reading slump that I have managed to claw myself out of at the eleventh hour of this godforsaken year. I think I will be ringing in 2021 by reading the hell out of another book. Toodles.
One thing this book showed me was how little I know of Russian folklore and history. I had to constantly look up new information, which (in my humble opinion) was one of the best parts. Learning new information and applying it to my understanding of the story was like watching a 10,000 piece puzzle slowly come together. The writing in this story was so heartbreakingly poetic. I could feel my chest getting tight just from reading the words on the page. As a reader, this is one of my favorite feelings. It is a sign that I have truly fallen completely and under the story’s spell.
My thoughts are still a bit scrambled, so I’m going to actually link to some amazing analyses of this book. Beware, they are analyses and are therefore NOT SPOILER FREE. I suggest reading the book with little to no prior knowledge of it and then learning as you go.
If you are a fan of dark stories, Russian folklore, and the true embodiment of beautiful storytelling, I highly recommend this book.
Analyses
Analysis 1 mostly focusing on the ending part in Yaichka: https://gatheringbones.tumblr.com/post/131312671780
Analysis 2 Another Understanding of the ending: https://mashamorevna.tumblr.com/post/85789279318/reply-to-anon-questions-i-got-about-the-deathless
Postscript:
This book took me ages to read not through any fault of its own. I’ve been in a reading slump that I have managed to claw myself out of at the eleventh hour of this godforsaken year. I think I will be ringing in 2021 by reading the hell out of another book. Toodles.
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Torture, and Blood
More...