Scan barcode
A review by alilbitofmonica
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
3.0
I feel like I have simultaneously so many thoughts and also no thoughts at all.
I do not often read retellings but was intrigued by this one. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me the way I had hoped. This book was broken up until several “Acts” (which I appreciated in connection to the break-up of a ballet/play such as The Nutcracker is) but it honestly felt like the multiple acts were disconnected. Like the central plot seemed to change too many times and I wasn’t sure what kind of book I was reading.
The beginning, learning about the twins and their connections and their difficulties, the workings of their blessings/curses… all of this was interesting and I loved. When they go to the Kingdom of Sweets and the subsequent actions taken there, I was even more intrigued and looking forward to where the story would go.
But the further into the story I went, the less I understood where the story was going. It went from a fantastical story of interpersonal drama/betrayal to a thriller-esque story, which then morphed into a supernatural theme, then a political revolution, and finally ended up being in a cosmic-realism-fantasy for the resolution. It felt like too much happening to make a lot of sense to me.
Because of this, it felt like this story just kept dragging on and on, being much longer than it really is.
On top of all of this, I had the hardest time visualizing ANY of this fantastical elements of this story beyond the first visit to the Kingdom of Sweets. The shadows and the mirror and the castle/dollhouse were all very confusingly described at times. Which I think was part of the point, but it was unclear.
I do think this is a really unique take on the well-known Nutcracker story, giving it a new life with new characters and twists. A lot of deeper concepts were discussed, but maybe it tried to tackle too much?
I am giving this three stars because there were elements I really liked, but overall it did not work the way I had hoped. I see the potential for someone really liking it if they can get a full grasp on everything going on, but it was just too much for me.
I do not often read retellings but was intrigued by this one. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me the way I had hoped. This book was broken up until several “Acts” (which I appreciated in connection to the break-up of a ballet/play such as The Nutcracker is) but it honestly felt like the multiple acts were disconnected. Like the central plot seemed to change too many times and I wasn’t sure what kind of book I was reading.
The beginning, learning about the twins and their connections and their difficulties, the workings of their blessings/curses… all of this was interesting and I loved. When they go to the Kingdom of Sweets and the subsequent actions taken there, I was even more intrigued and looking forward to where the story would go.
But the further into the story I went, the less I understood where the story was going. It went from a fantastical story of interpersonal drama/betrayal to a thriller-esque story, which then morphed into a supernatural theme, then a political revolution, and finally ended up being in a cosmic-realism-fantasy for the resolution. It felt like too much happening to make a lot of sense to me.
Because of this, it felt like this story just kept dragging on and on, being much longer than it really is.
On top of all of this, I had the hardest time visualizing ANY of this fantastical elements of this story beyond the first visit to the Kingdom of Sweets. The shadows and the mirror and the castle/dollhouse were all very confusingly described at times. Which I think was part of the point, but it was unclear.
I do think this is a really unique take on the well-known Nutcracker story, giving it a new life with new characters and twists. A lot of deeper concepts were discussed, but maybe it tried to tackle too much?
I am giving this three stars because there were elements I really liked, but overall it did not work the way I had hoped. I see the potential for someone really liking it if they can get a full grasp on everything going on, but it was just too much for me.