At its heart, this is a book about the bond of sisterhood, how deeply we can love, and how far we will go to protect those we cherish.
Channi and Vanna are sisters, and the only ones in their family who love each other unconditionally. Vanna was born with a great light and beauty, whereas Channi was offered as a sacrifice by their own father, and escaped but wears the monstrous visage of a snake. When Vanna is to be auctioned off by their parents to be married to the highest bidder, Channi is the only one who can compete and save her sister from the cruelty of both their parents and Vanna's suitors.
Imagine if Elsa and Anna from Frozen were thrown into the world of Beauty and the Beast, with a dash of the trials from the Hunger Games. I am obsessed with this book and highly recommend everyone read it.
This book thwarted all my expectations of your typical fractured fairy tale retelling. Bitsy is not your typical princess, unsure of her place and chafing by the restraints of her royal duties. There is a spindle, a fall deep down to a mysterious world that trips everything she knows upside down. There are princes who turn into frogs, a Prince Charming, a kingdom to save, and most of all, Bitsy learns what it means to be herself.
To me this is the perfect kids book.
Beautifully illustrated: check
Spooky: check
Gazes into a vast, human loneliness and dares to reach out a hand: check
'Juniper and Thorn', a retelling of the Grimm fairytale 'The Juniper Tree', captured and entranced my mind completely while reading it and after. Reid fully embraces the darkness of the original tale while adding enough story of her own to enchant you, break your heart, and chill you to the bone. Shot through with mythic themes and gothic horror, Reid's tale is one of fear and survival, hope, yearning and defiance.
This is one of my favorite books and Reid is very quickly becoming a favorite author as well! A must read! Her writing is stunning!
This book will steal your heart like you stole that glittery nail polish at Target when you were 15. It’s full of witty comebacks, clever grifts, and scoundrels who are hot and secretly have big hearts. Come for the crime, stay for the dysfunctional found-family antics that'll melt your heart like expired nail polish.
P.S. Suggested theme song = Superbeast by Rob Zombie
This reimagined Sleeping Beauty retelling is the perfect novella for single-sitting reading. Wry, dark, and deeply feminist, A Spindle Splintered is the type of story I don't want to spoil. Just read it, closely, and then pass it on to all your friends.
This gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling with Ella Enchanted (the movie) vibes was an absolute treat. It genuinely made me laugh out loud with all its smart quips and the adorable romance made me swoon, repeatedly. The two main characters have chemistry that leaps off the page and there's a lovable diverse friend group that you won't want to part with. Get ready for balls, masquerades, and posh garden parties as well as enchanted forests, silly princes, and a support group for those who've been cursed. Also Tevin is a total dreamboat and I love him. That is all.
