Liliana Amaro Poot Amaro Poot itibaren Carruba-san Leonardello CT, Italy itibaren Carruba-san Leonardello CT, Italy

I won this book through the Goodreads giveaway and I was very excited to discover I won it because I love a good story based on a fairy tale. When I received the book in the mail, I began it right away…a sucker for fairy tale and this was a good one! I was familiar with the original tale and love what Tomlinson did and created to make this tale her own. The India setting created was beautiful. I feel the author did a nice job describing and giving the reader a good sense of the story’s surroundings if they were unfamiliar with it before beginning the story. Having taken an art and architecture class based in India, I loved the stepwells included! I liked how even though the sisters were stepsisters, there wasn’t the expected fighting and general unpleasantness that is usually found in stories, mostly fairytales that include stepsisters or step families. Solid displays of testing who one is, friendships, and hardships are clearly seen and I think that allows for many positive lessons in this story to come through to the reader. Also, both girls envy something of the other, but it isn’t done in a negative way. Almost as if the other appreciated what the other girl had and acknowledged this instead of hating the other for what they envied. Although it is a YA book, I think adults who enjoy fairy tale re-tellings/re-spinnings would truly enjoy this tale! I definitely will check out Tomlinson’s other books very soon!

Entertaining noir. So far, I prefer him to Raymond Chandler, though I'm curious to read a bit more by each.