A review by teri_reads
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for sending me an ARC of The Kingdom of Sweets in return for an honest review!
I grew up going to see the Nutcracker ballet every year with my family, and it's always been a favorite memory of mine. So when I saw this Nutcracker retelling, I had to check it out!
The Kingdom of Sweets is a unique, dark story about the steep price of magic. In this story, Clara has a twin sister, Natasha, whose perspective the entire story is told from. At their christening, the twins are blessed (or rather, cursed) to be light (Clara) and dark (Natasha), which sets the course for their entire lives. Conflict between the sisters grows, and one fateful Christmas Eve leads the girls on a journey to the Kingdom of Sweets – but this one is very different than what we've seen in the ballet.
I like that this story goes on far beyond that first Christmas Eve, taking us through years of Natasha's story, as she realizes what her decisions cost, discovers whether what she gained was worth it, and goes on a journey to restore what she lost.
This book is definitely a much darker take on the children's tale, but I really enjoyed where the author took this story. The writing was really beautiful and it was an enjoyable read.
I grew up going to see the Nutcracker ballet every year with my family, and it's always been a favorite memory of mine. So when I saw this Nutcracker retelling, I had to check it out!
The Kingdom of Sweets is a unique, dark story about the steep price of magic. In this story, Clara has a twin sister, Natasha, whose perspective the entire story is told from. At their christening, the twins are blessed (or rather, cursed) to be light (Clara) and dark (Natasha), which sets the course for their entire lives. Conflict between the sisters grows, and one fateful Christmas Eve leads the girls on a journey to the Kingdom of Sweets – but this one is very different than what we've seen in the ballet.
I like that this story goes on far beyond that first Christmas Eve, taking us through years of Natasha's story, as she realizes what her decisions cost, discovers whether what she gained was worth it, and goes on a journey to restore what she lost.
This book is definitely a much darker take on the children's tale, but I really enjoyed where the author took this story. The writing was really beautiful and it was an enjoyable read.