started fall 2010

Adult fiction/Teen fiction. ( )

Winner of the World Fantasy Award, The Printz award as well as recommended by my favourite author, Mr. Gaiman I had truly high expectations for this book. Sadly those hopes were diminished.

Based off the original version of the Grimm's Rose Red and Snow White this story had much promise. From the first pages, I'd wondered if this was the same book that had been recommended to me so often? Or was it some trickery? Had someone glued the pages of another story and bound it with this beautiful cover so skilfully drawn by the genius, Shaun Tan.

Sadly, this was indeed the story that was recommended to me. No mistakes. First and foremost this is a disturbing book with elements of rape, incest, beastiality and nightmarish scapes. This should not be classified as a young adult novel. As a bookseller I certainly would not want a pre-teen reading this.

I read it from cover to cover as I was immersed in the story, it was not predictable and the writing was good. Margo has an incredible talent for transporting you to amazing dream scapes, however she also succeeds in transporting you into the realm of nightmares where unspoken acts are committed. I'll be haunted by this story and it is certainly a book I shan't forget in a hurry.

Dearest Liga, the protagonist was the reason I kept reading this book. I wish the book was told more from her perspective and I am also quite sad about the ending, however in staying to true Grimm storytelling the ending was dark, bittersweet and left us with a heartbroken protagonist who's entire hopes and slightest glimmer of any form of happiness is taken from her. I wish she had a better ending but it was bloody good writing to not give in and give her the cookie cutter, picket fence, apple pie, hugs and kittens ending.

If Studio Ghibli were still in business, I would love for them to do an adaption of this novel. I think they could somehow make the darkness work (in the weird way that they always make incredibly dark themes resonating and beautiful). It just had a ghibli feel, especially the dream scapes.

This book was full on, not in a good way. it wasn't my cup of tea that's for sure.

A really disturbing read. ( )

For anyone who has read this book, the beginning is the absolute worst.

Not that it is badly written or boring. Hell no. It's all the incest, forced abortion, rape, and attempted suicide.

By the way, this is a YA. My inner critic was cursing and carrying on and wondering how the hell I could get through this freaking grimdark nightmare.

And then it lightened up. Got magical. Got heavenly. Sometimes it even got humorous. And then it became a retelling of Snow White. With the magicked prince that is a bear. And then it became a different kind of story. One about healing. About redemption. About power. And about finding one's way in the world. Or worlds. Or within timelines, dreamlands, and Fae-ish realms.

There's a lot of characters in here, and I won't deny that I didn't care for some and always perked up for others, but reading about the dwarf was always particularly interesting. He's not a nice man but he's not a complete tool like some we encountered.

This is not an easy book to read. Emotionally. The text is quite beautiful. But damn, this fable holds no punches. ( )

oddly enough i got kind of bored and couldn't finish it.