lisaluvsliterature's review
I have to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this, unfortunately, it was just not for me. I got through 3 stories before I gave up. The nursery rhymes were some not very well known in some cases, and the stories were just so far reaching that I couldn't really get into them, or relate them really to what I'd kind of thought the stories would be like. Some people may enjoy them, they were just not my cup of tea, so not worth me reading the whole book. Now I do understand some of the big name authors didn't have there stories in the books yet, but that would probably not change my mind.
powerlibrarian's review
5.0
This anthology of twenty-two young adult short stories is quite remarkable. Most of the stories are equally poetic and eerie, with unique and spooky plots and lyrical writing styles. Some are set in historical fantasy worlds, and others are set in present day, but they all share a similar ethereal quality.
There were only one or two stories that didn’t captivate me, which I believe is quite impressive for an anthology with such a specific theme. I’m not going to lie--quite a few of the stories had me literally upset when I reached the ending--not just because of the dark twists that gutted me, but because the stories were over. Some of these should be made into novels, and I’m tempted to email those authors and tell them to get to work on extending their ideas for a full length publication.
I was very familiar with some of the nursery rhymes (like the Hickory Dickory Dock and the Jack and Jill rhymes), but there were many that I didn’t recognize at all. Knowing the rhymes before reading the book did not at all affect my enjoyment of these stories. I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of their familiarity with or appreciation of nursery rhymes. These dark and creepy stories are for teenagers and adults alike. I highly recommend this collection for anyone looking for a brief escape into the dark and twisted world of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes.
There were only one or two stories that didn’t captivate me, which I believe is quite impressive for an anthology with such a specific theme. I’m not going to lie--quite a few of the stories had me literally upset when I reached the ending--not just because of the dark twists that gutted me, but because the stories were over. Some of these should be made into novels, and I’m tempted to email those authors and tell them to get to work on extending their ideas for a full length publication.
I was very familiar with some of the nursery rhymes (like the Hickory Dickory Dock and the Jack and Jill rhymes), but there were many that I didn’t recognize at all. Knowing the rhymes before reading the book did not at all affect my enjoyment of these stories. I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of their familiarity with or appreciation of nursery rhymes. These dark and creepy stories are for teenagers and adults alike. I highly recommend this collection for anyone looking for a brief escape into the dark and twisted world of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes.
brandy_wine's review
2.0
I thought the twists to the mother goose rhymes was neat. It was different than what I normally read.
owlishbookish's review
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Starting the Next Chapter with a 4.5 rating.
You may recall hearing all about Old Mother Hubbard and Humpty Dumpty as a child. What if that wasn't the entire story? Two and Twenty Dark Tales is here to give you a glimpse of the possibilities behind these classic rhymes with new interpretations and fresh story-telling from a variety of authors. Ranging from eerie to moving, there is something for everyone in this fantastic collection of short stories.
Each story on offer in this anthology takes on a particular Mother Goose rhyme and spins it in an entirely new way. My personal favorite was "Sing a Song of Six-Pence" by Sarwat Chadda, a dark and foreboding take on the rhyme of the same title. With an unusual yet intriguing narrator and a forlorn setting, the tale Chadda tells is barely recognizable yet amazingly inventive. That's only the beginning. From front to back, this book is chock full of some truly wonderful stories.
If you're a particular fan of short story anthologies, Two and Twenty Dark Tales is a must. With such a fantastic selection of stories, you just can't go wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every adaptation the book has to offer. It made me think about all of the possibilities in interpretations of such time-honored, traditional rhymes. I can promise you one thing in particular, as well: You'll never look at Mother Goose the same way.
Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
You may recall hearing all about Old Mother Hubbard and Humpty Dumpty as a child. What if that wasn't the entire story? Two and Twenty Dark Tales is here to give you a glimpse of the possibilities behind these classic rhymes with new interpretations and fresh story-telling from a variety of authors. Ranging from eerie to moving, there is something for everyone in this fantastic collection of short stories.
Each story on offer in this anthology takes on a particular Mother Goose rhyme and spins it in an entirely new way. My personal favorite was "Sing a Song of Six-Pence" by Sarwat Chadda, a dark and foreboding take on the rhyme of the same title. With an unusual yet intriguing narrator and a forlorn setting, the tale Chadda tells is barely recognizable yet amazingly inventive. That's only the beginning. From front to back, this book is chock full of some truly wonderful stories.
If you're a particular fan of short story anthologies, Two and Twenty Dark Tales is a must. With such a fantastic selection of stories, you just can't go wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every adaptation the book has to offer. It made me think about all of the possibilities in interpretations of such time-honored, traditional rhymes. I can promise you one thing in particular, as well: You'll never look at Mother Goose the same way.
Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
michalice's review
3.0
When I first heard about Two and Twenty Dark Tales I was very intrigued about what twist the rhymes would have. Some of the authors I have heard of, or even read their other work, yet some I had not heard of so I was wary about whether I would enjoy their stories. When I began reading I was happy to see I knew every rhyme that they had taken for their story's and soon found myself engrossed with each story and the different characters.
Once I started I could not stop reading and quickly finished the book, and I can't decide which story I liked the best, with each story having its own little twist they all stood out on their own. I enjoyed the twist on Jack and Jill (The Well), and the old woman who lived in a show (Life in a Shoe), they certainly make you think differently about the rhyme. Sing a song of Six-Pence didn't end how I expected it to, and was quite sad with the way it ended, but after thinking about it then it made sense.
Two and Twenty Dark Tales is a great read for someone looking to try out new authors to see what their writing is like, but for anyone who is a fan of any of the authors involved with this book. Even better is that Month9Books have donated the proceeds from the first five thousand books to charity, YALitchat.org, a literacy organization that fosters the advancement of young adult literature around the world. For more information visit yalitchat.com
Once I started I could not stop reading and quickly finished the book, and I can't decide which story I liked the best, with each story having its own little twist they all stood out on their own. I enjoyed the twist on Jack and Jill (The Well), and the old woman who lived in a show (Life in a Shoe), they certainly make you think differently about the rhyme. Sing a song of Six-Pence didn't end how I expected it to, and was quite sad with the way it ended, but after thinking about it then it made sense.
Two and Twenty Dark Tales is a great read for someone looking to try out new authors to see what their writing is like, but for anyone who is a fan of any of the authors involved with this book. Even better is that Month9Books have donated the proceeds from the first five thousand books to charity, YALitchat.org, a literacy organization that fosters the advancement of young adult literature around the world. For more information visit yalitchat.com
breecreative's review
4.0
True to the title, these short stories are dark. Don’t go into it expecting warm fuzzies and happy endings, because they don’t exist. That didn’t make them unlikable, though! These stories are full of myths, magic and a lot of imagination.
What I love about collections of short stories is that it gives me an opportunity to read several different authors and the ability to learn their style before reading a whole novel. That doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t check out an author if I didn’t *love* their short story, because I realize that they’re totally different ballgames, but it’s a nice sampling and an introduction to their work. I can guarantee that I will be checking out several of the authors that participated in this dark anthology.
Because anthologies are a little hard to rate as a whole, so I’m going to break it down by each story.
As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old by Nina Berry
(4 stars)
I wasn’t familiar with the nursery rhyme that went along with this one, but it was an interesting take on it, anyway. I felt a little lost at first but had a handle on it by the end, and Nina Berry did a good job of explaining the background of her story as it went along.
Sing a Song of Six-Pence by Sarwat Chadda
(2 stars)
This was an interesting take on the nursery rhyme. I didn’t fully enjoy it, not because the idea behind it was bad, but I just didn’t connect with it, and had a hard time believing it.
Clockwork by Leah Cypress
(3 stars)
I enjoyed this one for the most part, I was able to connect the story to the rhyme and the story itself was intense and interesting. But I didn’t really *get* the ending, it was too abrupt and I didn’t come to the same conclusion as the main character.
Blue by Sayantani DasGupta
(2 stars)
Unfortunately, I was quite lost through most of this short story. It had the potential to be good, but just didn’t quite do it for me.
Pieces of Eight by Shannon Delany with Max Scialdone
(3 stars)
This one captivated my interest right away, and I really liked it. There was a puzzle, clues and a mystery, and the characters were likeable, I found myself rooting for them!
Wee Willie Winkie by Leigh Fallon
(5 stars)
Two words: extremely creepy. The set-up was fantastic, starting off so normally that I had no idea what sort of twist this would have on the nursery rhyme. It really had my heart pumping and mind racing towards the end.
Boys and Girls Come Out to Play by Angie Frazier
(4 stars)
I am not really familiar with the original rhyme, but the story drew me in anyway. It was filled with magic and just enough eeriness to keep me wondering until the end.
I Come Bearing Souls by Jessie Harrell
(1 star)
I could not figure out the connection between this story and the rhyme (Hey Diddle, Diddle). I thought it was a bit over the top and I honestly had no idea what was going on most of the time.
The Lion and the Unicorn: Part the First by Nancy Holder
(3 stars)
Yet another rhyme that I’d never heard of, but the story itself was good. I had it figured out part-way through the story, but it was like a horror movie where you just have to keep going to find out if it ends the way you think it does.
Life in a Shoe by Heidi R. Kling
(4 stars)
I didn’t quite find the dystopian world believable, but I did feel a connection with the main character and her terrible situation. It’s a favorite nursery rhyme of mine, so I liked reading an author’s interpretation of it.
Candlelight by Suzanne Lazear
(4 stars)
At first it was a little hard to connect with the main characters, who were whining about their mother taking away privileges (aka parenting), but once I realized what was about to happen, I was all over it. Babylon was too idyllic, I would have loved to see some darkness over these children’s fantasy playtime.
One for Sorrow by Karen Mahoney
(4 stars)
This was a gripping, dark love story…I enjoyed it through to the end. The only thing I didn’t like was that I felt the ending didn’t really make sense. Maybe it was just too rushed so I missed the clue that would enable that ending to happen.
Those Who Whisper by Lisa Mantchev
(4 stars)
I was grabbed from the very first sentence of this one – my heart was broken for the little girl in the story. But she managed to find her way and I liked the interaction with animals (a la Cinderella) that she had.
Little Miss Muffet by Georgia McBride
(2 stars)
I found this story to be a bit weird. I liked the main character but didn’t fully connect with the plot.
Sea of Dew (short version) by C. Lee McKenzie
(5 stars)
I loved this short story! It sort of reminded me of reading The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan, except way better. The main concept of the nursery rhyme is visible, but with a unique take on it. I was holding out hope for these characters, but with the nature of this collection, there was no hope to be had. I would have loved to get to read the extended version of this story, but unfortunately it was not included in the review copy.
Tick Tock by Gretchen McNeil
(4 stars)
It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie. I thought it was a little bit predictable in places, but a really great read overall.
A Pocket Full of Posy by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg
(4 stars)
I actually liked this one all the way until the end, where I think it just ended a bit silly. I thought I had it all figured out and I was very off base. Some elements were a little hard to believe as well.
The Well by K.M. Walton
(4 stars)
Probably one of the most well-known nursery rhymes out there, and the story that was concocted to go along with it just kept throwing twists and turns out. I really, really liked it.
The Wish by Suzanne Young
(5 stars)
Amongst all of these dark tales, this one was one of the more romantic ones. I knew right off the bat how it would end, but I couldn’t help but be caught up in the connection between these two young kids.
A Ribbon of Blue by Michelle Zink
(5 stars)
I’m pretty sure this was my favorite of the whole collection! Again, I wasn’t familiar with the original rhyme, but the setting of a carnival and the way the author let the story slowly progress was perfect.
What I love about collections of short stories is that it gives me an opportunity to read several different authors and the ability to learn their style before reading a whole novel. That doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t check out an author if I didn’t *love* their short story, because I realize that they’re totally different ballgames, but it’s a nice sampling and an introduction to their work. I can guarantee that I will be checking out several of the authors that participated in this dark anthology.
Because anthologies are a little hard to rate as a whole, so I’m going to break it down by each story.
As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old by Nina Berry
(4 stars)
I wasn’t familiar with the nursery rhyme that went along with this one, but it was an interesting take on it, anyway. I felt a little lost at first but had a handle on it by the end, and Nina Berry did a good job of explaining the background of her story as it went along.
Sing a Song of Six-Pence by Sarwat Chadda
(2 stars)
This was an interesting take on the nursery rhyme. I didn’t fully enjoy it, not because the idea behind it was bad, but I just didn’t connect with it, and had a hard time believing it.
Clockwork by Leah Cypress
(3 stars)
I enjoyed this one for the most part, I was able to connect the story to the rhyme and the story itself was intense and interesting. But I didn’t really *get* the ending, it was too abrupt and I didn’t come to the same conclusion as the main character.
Blue by Sayantani DasGupta
(2 stars)
Unfortunately, I was quite lost through most of this short story. It had the potential to be good, but just didn’t quite do it for me.
Pieces of Eight by Shannon Delany with Max Scialdone
(3 stars)
This one captivated my interest right away, and I really liked it. There was a puzzle, clues and a mystery, and the characters were likeable, I found myself rooting for them!
Wee Willie Winkie by Leigh Fallon
(5 stars)
Two words: extremely creepy. The set-up was fantastic, starting off so normally that I had no idea what sort of twist this would have on the nursery rhyme. It really had my heart pumping and mind racing towards the end.
Boys and Girls Come Out to Play by Angie Frazier
(4 stars)
I am not really familiar with the original rhyme, but the story drew me in anyway. It was filled with magic and just enough eeriness to keep me wondering until the end.
I Come Bearing Souls by Jessie Harrell
(1 star)
I could not figure out the connection between this story and the rhyme (Hey Diddle, Diddle). I thought it was a bit over the top and I honestly had no idea what was going on most of the time.
The Lion and the Unicorn: Part the First by Nancy Holder
(3 stars)
Yet another rhyme that I’d never heard of, but the story itself was good. I had it figured out part-way through the story, but it was like a horror movie where you just have to keep going to find out if it ends the way you think it does.
Life in a Shoe by Heidi R. Kling
(4 stars)
I didn’t quite find the dystopian world believable, but I did feel a connection with the main character and her terrible situation. It’s a favorite nursery rhyme of mine, so I liked reading an author’s interpretation of it.
Candlelight by Suzanne Lazear
(4 stars)
At first it was a little hard to connect with the main characters, who were whining about their mother taking away privileges (aka parenting), but once I realized what was about to happen, I was all over it. Babylon was too idyllic, I would have loved to see some darkness over these children’s fantasy playtime.
One for Sorrow by Karen Mahoney
(4 stars)
This was a gripping, dark love story…I enjoyed it through to the end. The only thing I didn’t like was that I felt the ending didn’t really make sense. Maybe it was just too rushed so I missed the clue that would enable that ending to happen.
Those Who Whisper by Lisa Mantchev
(4 stars)
I was grabbed from the very first sentence of this one – my heart was broken for the little girl in the story. But she managed to find her way and I liked the interaction with animals (a la Cinderella) that she had.
Little Miss Muffet by Georgia McBride
(2 stars)
I found this story to be a bit weird. I liked the main character but didn’t fully connect with the plot.
Sea of Dew (short version) by C. Lee McKenzie
(5 stars)
I loved this short story! It sort of reminded me of reading The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan, except way better. The main concept of the nursery rhyme is visible, but with a unique take on it. I was holding out hope for these characters, but with the nature of this collection, there was no hope to be had. I would have loved to get to read the extended version of this story, but unfortunately it was not included in the review copy.
Tick Tock by Gretchen McNeil
(4 stars)
It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie. I thought it was a little bit predictable in places, but a really great read overall.
A Pocket Full of Posy by Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg
(4 stars)
I actually liked this one all the way until the end, where I think it just ended a bit silly. I thought I had it all figured out and I was very off base. Some elements were a little hard to believe as well.
The Well by K.M. Walton
(4 stars)
Probably one of the most well-known nursery rhymes out there, and the story that was concocted to go along with it just kept throwing twists and turns out. I really, really liked it.
The Wish by Suzanne Young
(5 stars)
Amongst all of these dark tales, this one was one of the more romantic ones. I knew right off the bat how it would end, but I couldn’t help but be caught up in the connection between these two young kids.
A Ribbon of Blue by Michelle Zink
(5 stars)
I’m pretty sure this was my favorite of the whole collection! Again, I wasn’t familiar with the original rhyme, but the setting of a carnival and the way the author let the story slowly progress was perfect.
dtaylorbooks's review
3.0
Anything that puts a dark twist in an otherwise more innocent tale is something that’ll be right up my demented alley and I was not left disappointed by TWO AND TWENTY although I was a bit underwhelmed. I just didn’t feel blown away by a lot of these stories and if you know the history behind some of these rhymes (like Ring Around the Rosie, for instance) it’s going to be a little weird seeing an author take the story on a completely different path. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but this is a compendium of authors rewriting the history behind these rhymes that already have a history behind them so it’s a bit weird.
‘A Ribbon of Blue’ by Michelle Zink was one of my favorites mainly because it hit a sweet spot for me; its nexus was a carnival. But the story it told was a pretty uplifting one and far lighter than the other stories went. Seeing as how Mother Goose rhymes have an underlying darkness about them to begin with to have this figurative light at the end of the tunnel was a nice departure after all of the demented darkness (which still makes my black soul happy, so don’t be fooled that I’ve gone sap).
‘I Come Bearing Souls’ by Jessie Harrell was another favorite of mine, focusing on reincarnation and ancient Egypt. Another sweet spot for me, Egypt. It’s hard to go wrong there but I liked how the author approached this antiquated mythos with a current age spin and it really made the story relatable. And depressing. Loved it.
‘Clockwork’ by Leah Cypess, again, hit the mark for me because of the demented and extraordinarily dark route it took. Not to mention it was written seamlessly, interweaving the mouse life and the human life and making them one and the same, the metamorphosis incestuous instead of clean and poof! Human. Not to mention I’m a fan of blood magic, mainly because of its darkness and the characters’ need to go THERE with it. There needs to be sacrifice and if the characters are willing to do that then they’re willing to go pretty far. What can I say? I like characters that are unafraid to get done what needs to be done.
There are a couple of stories that I genuinely just didn’t like, others that I didn’t dislike but didn’t really impress me and still others that I liked in a passing ‘that was pretty good’ sort of way. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES wasn’t an anthology that blew me away but it wasn’t a bad one either. There is something intriguing about each and every story in here but sometimes the writing just didn’t jive with my mojo. It happens. That particular writing style just didn’t impress me and thus didn’t liken me to the story as a whole regardless of the overarching premise. I had my favorites, obviously, but I feel this book is a one and done type of deal. Everything will blend together and even your favorites you’ll have to be reminded of which ones they were (I had to go through the table of contents to remember which ones I liked). Everything else will get lost in the shuffle and while I’m pretty sure you’ll like what you read I don’t feel the majority of these stories will be prone to sticking in the brain in any large fashion. Maybe it’s the set-up or the style they were written in. I don’t know. But I find myself, while overall liking what I read, not remembering most of it.
‘A Ribbon of Blue’ by Michelle Zink was one of my favorites mainly because it hit a sweet spot for me; its nexus was a carnival. But the story it told was a pretty uplifting one and far lighter than the other stories went. Seeing as how Mother Goose rhymes have an underlying darkness about them to begin with to have this figurative light at the end of the tunnel was a nice departure after all of the demented darkness (which still makes my black soul happy, so don’t be fooled that I’ve gone sap).
‘I Come Bearing Souls’ by Jessie Harrell was another favorite of mine, focusing on reincarnation and ancient Egypt. Another sweet spot for me, Egypt. It’s hard to go wrong there but I liked how the author approached this antiquated mythos with a current age spin and it really made the story relatable. And depressing. Loved it.
‘Clockwork’ by Leah Cypess, again, hit the mark for me because of the demented and extraordinarily dark route it took. Not to mention it was written seamlessly, interweaving the mouse life and the human life and making them one and the same, the metamorphosis incestuous instead of clean and poof! Human. Not to mention I’m a fan of blood magic, mainly because of its darkness and the characters’ need to go THERE with it. There needs to be sacrifice and if the characters are willing to do that then they’re willing to go pretty far. What can I say? I like characters that are unafraid to get done what needs to be done.
There are a couple of stories that I genuinely just didn’t like, others that I didn’t dislike but didn’t really impress me and still others that I liked in a passing ‘that was pretty good’ sort of way. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES wasn’t an anthology that blew me away but it wasn’t a bad one either. There is something intriguing about each and every story in here but sometimes the writing just didn’t jive with my mojo. It happens. That particular writing style just didn’t impress me and thus didn’t liken me to the story as a whole regardless of the overarching premise. I had my favorites, obviously, but I feel this book is a one and done type of deal. Everything will blend together and even your favorites you’ll have to be reminded of which ones they were (I had to go through the table of contents to remember which ones I liked). Everything else will get lost in the shuffle and while I’m pretty sure you’ll like what you read I don’t feel the majority of these stories will be prone to sticking in the brain in any large fashion. Maybe it’s the set-up or the style they were written in. I don’t know. But I find myself, while overall liking what I read, not remembering most of it.
book_tangled's review
I don't know why I read this, tried something new that didn't felt right to me...
princess_starr's review
2.0
This was…wow this was underwhelming. I love retellings and reimagings, and if horror movie trailers have taught us anything, children’s nursery rhymes in a minor key can be really creepy.
The stories here ranged from creative interpretations to “We’re just going to take this literally!” and I don’t think it worked. Because there’s really not one story here that left a lasting impression on me. There’s some stories in here that could go into interesting places, but because the length of the selections doesn’t allow for the stories to expand in those directions. And there’s some here where it goes into complete “WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED” territory (the Miss Muffet story for example).
I really can’t recommend this one, because there’s really not much here. It’s an interesting idea, but none of the stories really live up to their full potential.
The stories here ranged from creative interpretations to “We’re just going to take this literally!” and I don’t think it worked. Because there’s really not one story here that left a lasting impression on me. There’s some stories in here that could go into interesting places, but because the length of the selections doesn’t allow for the stories to expand in those directions. And there’s some here where it goes into complete “WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED” territory (the Miss Muffet story for example).
I really can’t recommend this one, because there’s really not much here. It’s an interesting idea, but none of the stories really live up to their full potential.
kalisaur's review
3.0
Bit of a mixed bag with some stories being better than others but all in all pretty interesting interpretations of mother goose rhymes. Also I like that they were a mix of rhymes I knew and didn't know