Reviews Week 11

 Reviews Week 11

March 13th-19th

Book 50: Gingerbread and Good Tidings

By Kris T. Bethke

Read March 13th

Pages Read: 48

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A cute Christmasy story that I liked reading. 

Book 51: Written in Stone

By David Connor

Read March 14th

Pages Read: 79

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 I thought the idea of the main character building a relationship with someone through their messages on a stone, was an interesting idea. At first it was, but I did not enjoy how this story was executed much at all. Especially, when he finally finds out who he has been talking to. I just did not enjoy this as much as I wanted to. 

Book 52: Beasts and Beauty

By Soman Chainani

Read March 15th

Pages Read: 336

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 Soman Chainani’s book Beasts and Beauty was a highly entertaining book of short stories. Most of the tales were fairy tale retellings, also including a Peter Pan retelling. Soman’s writing was beautifully atmospheric and had me wanting to read more of his work. The illustrations throughout the collection were stunning and fit so well with the darkness that each story exuded.

Each tale has a different way of looking at the original story, along with a diverse cast of characters. My favorites were the “Beauty and the Beast,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and Peter Pan ones. The way he changes these stories was just great, especially Peter Pan.

Overall, this was a collection that I loved as a fan of everything fairy tale retellings. I would love for Soman to create another collection with even more stories, especially Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It would be an instant read for me. 

Book 53: The Pagemaster

By David Kirschner

Read March 17th

Pages Read: 96

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 One of my favorite movies when I was a kid, was The Pagemaster. I loved the adventure that Richard Tyler went on throughout the worlds of fantasy and it had me wanting to read all of the stories that he visited. This book is just like movie and brings back so many memories for me. I highly recommend this book to fans of the movie. Also, it is a wonderful book for children.

Book 54: When You Wish Upon a Star

By Elizabeth Lim

Read March 16th-19th

Pages Read: 480

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I love that this story focused on the Blue Fairy this time around instead of Pinocchio. It was a refreshing take on the original story that I loved the entire time. Most of the book focuses on the Blue Fairy as a young woman named Chiara as she learns about the fairies and makes the tough decision to become one of them.

One of the best parts of this book was the family dynamic and its importance in Chiara’s story. Chiara is incredibly close with her parents and siblings, especially her sister Ilaria. I liked how the book did not only focus on Chiara but also on her sister. It had me feeling for both girls in different ways.

We also got the original tale of Pinocchio throughout the book, mainly near the end of the story. Geppetto plays an essential role in both Chiara’s and Ilaria’s lives. He was such a sweet man that I loved reading about from when he was a young man and then as an older man. It adds so much more to the story of Pinocchio, seeing more of Geppetto as a character himself. Out of anyone who deserves a child, it is definitely Geppetto.

I highly recommend the audiobook for this book. Carlotta Brentan’s narration was perfect for the story and fit both Chiara’s and Ilaria’s voices throughout their story. I’m glad that I listened to this. Another great addition to the A Twisted Tale series.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*