4.5 stars Marie Rutkoski is cruel to our little falcon, my friends. This book is filled with anger, betrayal, sacrifice, and yearning--not to mention secret messages, delicious cat-and-mouse dialogue, and despairing subtext. If you love impossible romances set against the backdrop of war, give this series a try--though be forewarned that the ending is TORTURE. Pure torture.
Creepy, complex, genuinely frightening, thrilling, sad, and unbelievably tender and hushed and beautiful all at once. This is a dark, violent fairy taCreepy, complex, genuinely frightening, thrilling, sad, and unbelievably tender and hushed and beautiful all at once. This is a dark, violent fairy tale, it's a mystery, it's a fantasy, it's horror, it's historical, it's gothic, and it's also the story of a girl trying to find a place for herself among a grieving family torn apart by war. The family dynamics and sister relationship are so well done, as are the way the book handles loss and longing. And on top of that? Feminism and jazz and tea shops and plates and plates of cake! (view spoiler)[Not to mention shrieking dolls, shudder-inducing but poignant consumption of various things, and a fantastic play on the fears of parents re: changelings. (hide spoiler)]
I haven't read a middle grade book with this much nuance and wild imagination and feeling since The Golden Compass--and I'm betting those who liked Coraline or the original Grimm's fairy tales will like this. I was thrilled by the intense creepiness and dread of the mystery behind Triss' illness, I was outraged by what she has to endure, and I teared up over what was to become of her. Best read knowing as little about the plot as possible--just enjoy the wonderfully descriptive writing, the perfectly paced plot, and the experience of not knowing where the story will go next.
Love love love love love. And now I have to read everything else Frances Hardinge has ever written.
4.5 stars This was a huge 5 star favorite of mine back in the day and in many ways still is. It’s interesting to revisit old faves because you don’t r4.5 stars This was a huge 5 star favorite of mine back in the day and in many ways still is. It’s interesting to revisit old faves because you don’t read things the same way with more life experience, and certainly you have more context to worry over problematic elements in a plot—of which there are a lot.
But still, while adult Wendy is more cynical about this attraction and deeply disapproving of the power imbalance (view spoiler)[ and Damien’s repeatedly sleeping with his ward while pushing her away at the same time (hide spoiler)], the sparks are still leaping off the page, and the story still stirs up genuine anguish and affection for its characters. I’d still very much recommend, with caution to be mindful that this is a historical romance written 30-some years ago, especially if you enjoy stormy, mouthy heroines, rakes who fall in love against their will, and a well done rags-to-riches story....more
-- Food porn. Really good food porn, written by someone who clearly knows how to make great food. -- It was cool that the fancy food was also Pluses:
-- Food porn. Really good food porn, written by someone who clearly knows how to make great food. -- It was cool that the fancy food was also balanced out by some everyday casserole-type foods, too. Even if the use of ketchup DOES make me cringe. -- Great parental relationships, especially with Cami's dad. -- I liked the focus on career, and how Cami thinks about different scenarios before arriving at her decision. I also liked the role that her dad may have played in it. -- I liked that Cami and Julian aren't planning their lives around each other, even though them not talking about things was unrealistic towards the end. -- But the end was cute, and Julian's future takes an interesting turn as well.
Minuses:
-- Really awkward, unsexy sex. I'd rather have YA-style fade-to-black style scenes than "we're going all the way" scenes where you're not entirely sure what's happening. -- Stilted, cliche dialogue between Cami and Julian, which is surprising because other conversations flow pretty well. -- I didn't enjoy the initial clash between them either, it felt over the top and staged, though I'm glad she gave as good as she got. -- I didn't love the cooking Indian food scene either; unlike all the other food parts, that felt really forced and weird. -- Do we have to have a prom scene? Bleh.
Anyway, I enjoyed some things a lot (seriously, it's hard to write good food and NA that includes convincing career ennui), but since a lot of the book's focus is on romance and that part wasn't great, I ended up with mixed feelings about this one. Frustrating since it could have been much stronger with maybe a couple more passes. I'd try out another book by this author. though....more
If you have an appreciation for food, you're going to love this sweet and funny book. I finished it in one day, thoroughly charmed--and thoroughly HUNIf you have an appreciation for food, you're going to love this sweet and funny book. I finished it in one day, thoroughly charmed--and thoroughly HUNGRY.
Wendy Darling
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