Reviews

The Charmed Wife by Olga Grushin

lisa_serenitynow's review

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

joyousone17's review

4.0

Very interesting premise and has so many twists and turns that seem to run in reverse. I feel like it started with a POP! and went out with a snap and crackle. Overall I really enjoyed the idea it was based on and am a bit inspired to do a little research into the idea of fairy tales.

just_chevonne's review

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I feel like I was lied too with the book. Based on the blurb I felt promised a dark twist in a classic fairytale, a murder and a fantasy wrapped up in one. Instead, I stubbornly finished a confusing mess of plot and setting. The book changes location in between the fairy tale and the real, with a frankly annoying plot about mice and an approach that I feel spent so long trying to be different that it drifted so far from the point it was making. 

supermarioctopus's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

oliviagrace430's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

3.0

b00kh0arder's review against another edition

5.0

For her years of drudgery, hard work and good behaviour, Cinderella was rewarded with her handsome prince. And they lived happily ever after... or did they?
The Charmed Wife is not (or not merely) a 'what happened next' after the fairytale ending, but a full-on (tongue-in-cheek) dissection of fairytale tropes, motifs (there is a lot here for the fairytale fan) and the entire concept of the fairytale romance. A beautifully written , genre-bending narrative, with an unreliable narrator (Vague I know, but I don't want to spoil anything).
(Some may not find the Mouse asides "infinitely more interesting" but they are very entertaining.)

jillybeans's review

fast-paced

2.75

meswauncyc's review

adventurous reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

sarsarsarsarsar's review

3.0

This was weird then cool then weird but ultimately I liked it’s and was excited to see where it went

tavsbookshelf's review

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0