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mybooksarenovel's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so so adorable.
A gardener's daughter embarks on a quest to save her Kingdom, when the Cursed Wood creeps in and steals her father and best friend. She must find the Lady of the Wood and break the curse forever. Her pet fox accompanies her, and along the way they pick up a bear companion.
It has a fairytale setting, a quest through a forbidden forest, animal sidekicks, peril, dancing, all the romance of a Disney film, and LGBTQ+ side characters.
If you want a gritty fantasy with complex characters and world building, look elsewhere. If you want to be swept away in a light hearted whimsical YA fantasy with a little banter, a little romance, and a lot of heart, this one is great.
A gardener's daughter embarks on a quest to save her Kingdom, when the Cursed Wood creeps in and steals her father and best friend. She must find the Lady of the Wood and break the curse forever. Her pet fox accompanies her, and along the way they pick up a bear companion.
It has a fairytale setting, a quest through a forbidden forest, animal sidekicks, peril, dancing, all the romance of a Disney film, and LGBTQ+ side characters.
If you want a gritty fantasy with complex characters and world building, look elsewhere. If you want to be swept away in a light hearted whimsical YA fantasy with a little banter, a little romance, and a lot of heart, this one is great.
lydiab213's review against another edition
DNF at 64%
I decided to read this book because everything I wanted to read had a hold on it, and this one was available immediately. I only tried so hard to finish it because it was a relatively short read. I finally couldn't take it anymore.
Yeah, I didn't enjoy this book, to say the least. It wasn't written well (details about characters would change, words would literally be used incorrectly--multiple times in a row), and I was confused about the intended audience. It's a very basic story that feels like it's meant for tweens, yet random f-bombs would be thrown in for no reason.
Then there were all the times I read, "but I'm just a gardner's daughter!" Ugh. This is just a (badly executed) YA fantasy cashgrab.
I decided to read this book because everything I wanted to read had a hold on it, and this one was available immediately. I only tried so hard to finish it because it was a relatively short read. I finally couldn't take it anymore.
Yeah, I didn't enjoy this book, to say the least. It wasn't written well (details about characters would change, words would literally be used incorrectly--multiple times in a row), and I was confused about the intended audience. It's a very basic story that feels like it's meant for tweens, yet random f-bombs would be thrown in for no reason.
Then there were all the times I read, "but I'm just a gardner's daughter!" Ugh. This is just a (badly executed) YA fantasy cashgrab.
lynreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
riahwamby's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This has been on my tbr for so long and I finally made myself read it, because the cover was so pretty I didn’t want to get rid of it without giving it a shot. Y’all it was mid and I will be getting rid of my copy lol
styx_the_gremlin's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Well I guess that explains why I found it in a charity shop.
This is for people who liked plot convenience, foreseeable stories, endless repetition, whiny characters and a very forced romance.
This is for people who liked plot convenience, foreseeable stories, endless repetition, whiny characters and a very forced romance.
nev_skye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bardo's review against another edition
4.0
Cerys will never be the hero or the princess that gets rescued. She's the daughter of the royal gardener and her place is in the background. When the royal succession did not play out successfully, Cerys is forced to take the lead and save the kingdom. Among the Beast & Briars is a lush dark fantasy fairytale that will have readers hanging on every page. Poston is a masterful storyteller and captures the essence of fairytales in her story. The swap of narratives between Cers and Fox, give the plot a well rounded and solid depth to what is occurring. The relationship between the two and what they have to face individually play well against each other. Allowing for the chemistry and secrets to be discovered organically. While the story mainly focuses on Cerys and Fox, the supporting characters add another layer of dimension and understanding. There are iconic staples with a darker twist that gives Among the Beast & Briars an adult look at how fairytales can be written and formed for young adult readers. The only short coming is the final climactic scene. It felt rushed and not quite fleshed out. The scene suddenly stops abruptly and causes the story to halt, which was a little jarring.
dreamsnreverie's review against another edition
5.0
Sweet, fun, well-written fairytale with two characters I was happy to love
toasty_reads_books's review
5.0
What do you get when you put my favorite author with my favorite narrator? A 5 star book!