tatyana_'s reviews
173 reviews

Winnie Hall is hired to be a governess for the dowager’s grandson at Witchwood Manor. The manor has many dangerous secrets, and luckily Winnie has her own set of secrets ready to use at her disposal. However soon young Robert goes missing, and Winnie is forced to partner with Mr. Quincy, the suspicious butler, to find him.

This gothic faerie tale is darker than Olivia Atwater’s previous works, but I enjoyed it all the same. I love her whimsical writing style and how she pulls in the dark realities of the world into her work. Reclaiming freedom and autonomy was a strong theme in this book. I enjoyed the development of mutual trust Winnie built with the various characters. Especially since we learn that she does not give her trust easily.

The Witchwood Knot takes place in the same universe as Half a Soul, but we are now in Victorian England. There are even references to the Regency Faerie Tales series (with a hint of possible reunions later in the series🤞🏾). I am super excited to see where the rest of the series goes!

Thank you to the Netgalley, author Erika Johansen, and, Dutton Books for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of November 28, 2023. 

In this very dark retelling of the Nutcracker, twin sisters Natasha and Clara, have been cursed from birth as light and dark. Natasha, the dark sister, seems to be forever destined to live in the shadow of Clara. One Christmas Eve, they are transported to the Kingdom of Sweets where Clara spends the evening living out a fantasy. Natasha spends the night peeling back the veil on the mysterious land and learning some secrets that have been kept from her. The sisters then end up embroiled in a vicious cycle of envy and misery that sends ripples through their lives for many years. It was hard to see them fail to realize the weight of their choices until it was too late. I kept hoping they would turn things around and make different decisions, but their paths seemed doomed.

I picked up this book because I love retellings and the Nutcracker. While it was much darker than I expected, I appreciated the interesting twist on the tale. Natasha’s “informed” view of the world ensured that readers are fully aware of every flaw each character possessed, including her own. Her narration was an excellent guide in this tense story where no heroes would emerge.

Thank you to the Netgalley, author Erika Johansen, and, Dutton Books for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of November 28, 2023. 

Si, se puede is a graphic novel detailing the history of Latino people in the United States. It starts this history in the pre-colonial Americas and brings us to the modern-day United States. I enjoyed reading and learning greatly. I kept stopping to look up the history of the people and events being described. Even as a primer, this graphic novel covers a lot of ground so be prepared to sit with the material. This is a book I would definitely recommend, and I am planning to add a physical copy to my bookshelves.

Thank you to the Netgalley, author Julio Anta, and, Ten Speed Graphic for an advanced copy of this book! All opinions are my own. Available as of October 10, 2023.

Mingshin used her cleverness to help her ex-fiancé secure the position of crown prince over his three other brothers in her past life. However, it is too late when she figures out she is being used. While dying she promises to correct her wrongs if given a second chance. So when she wakes up two years in the past, she makes sure to make good on her promise. 

I loved that Mingshin started acting towards revenge immediately, and made sure she protected herself and her family early on. I also liked that her desire to make those who harmed her and her family pay did not erase her personality or what she stood for. The narration probably really enhanced my reading experience, so I am glad I was able to listen to the audiobook. I wonder if there will be a second book based on the ending, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for confirmation. 

 

Stories of the Islands is a beautiful graphic novel containing the retellings of three Indonesian folk tales. Each tale is written to center around the women and girls in the story and give them agency. Since I was not previously familiar with these myths, I appreciated that the original tales were included as well. It highlighted what changes were made, while simultaneously making them more impactful. The color palette and art style were very comforting, which added to the atmospheric feeling of reading fairytales. It was great to see the beautiful landscapes and detailed backgrounds in this style as well.