Tender Morsels

a twisted fairytale, but I had to know how it ended.

I wanted to like this book...I really did. And I can see where this is a well written book. The setting is magical and well drawn. The characters interesting and complex... but.... I don't know who I would recommend this book to. Maybe a 12th grader who is taking advanced english and doing an analysis of retold fairy tales. Because after all...this is a re-telling of Snow...more

I wanted to like this book...I really did. And I can see where this is a well written book. The setting is magical and well drawn. The characters interesting and complex... but.... I don't know who I would recommend this book to. Maybe a 12th grader who is taking advanced english and doing an analysis of retold fairy tales. Because after all...this is a re-telling of Snow White and Rose Red. A different version of the tale...probably just as dark as the original version. This one has sex (with a dwarf as a bonus!); incest; witchcraft; gang rape; beastiality and a few things that I am forgetting. Again, while the writing is beautiful, I am at a loss to know the intended audience.   hide

Wow! Tough, intriguing, dark and disturbing. Teen book that adults will want to read.

I love this book! It's definitely not for everyone, but if you like beautifully written folk and fairy tales with all the grim and gritty bits left in and happy endings that aren't sugary sweet you may want to give it a try.

If you are looking for a nice, if mature, fairytale, this story is not it. More like authentic Grimm tales of old, the tale includes gritty if not shocking events and most unsavory characters. If you can tough it through the first 1/3 of the book, the web of details begins to take shape and patterns emerge to twine into a intricate fabric of tradition, magic and morality lessons. Good does win...more

If you are looking for a nice, if mature, fairytale, this story is not it. More like authentic Grimm tales of old, the tale includes gritty if not shocking events and most unsavory characters. If you can tough it through the first 1/3 of the book, the web of details begins to take shape and patterns emerge to twine into a intricate fabric of tradition, magic and morality lessons. Good does win out but not in the way you might expect. Due to sensitive content, I could not recommend this book for the under 14 crowd. Older readers who like folktales will enjoy this other worldly story. see other review above   hide

Well, I half way read it. Not my cup of tea and just couldn't finish it.

Depressing! It makes you question life and wonder why one should live if life were like this. Definitely not what I expected and I had to drag myself through it although it was a good book, a good story. Humans... what good are they!

First of all, I will say that I did not exactly *enjoy* reading this book which is one reason why I took away one star. It's a bit too heavy to *enjoy.* I also think that although this is technically a "young adult" book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 16 years old - the themes seem like they would resonate most strongly with someone older (whether you should...more

First of all, I will say that I did not exactly *enjoy* reading this book which is one reason why I took away one star. It's a bit too heavy to *enjoy.* I also think that although this is technically a "young adult" book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 16 years old - the themes seem like they would resonate most strongly with someone older (whether you should shelter your children from the evils of the world or just do your best to equip your children to handle them; being overlooked by the younger, more beautiful woman; and so on). I don't think younger readers should be prevented from reading it, I'm just not sure how interested they would be. If you do give this book to someone on the younger side of "young adult" be prepared to discuss some of the issues that arise in it with them. As other reviewers have stated, there is incest, rape, forced abortions, contemplations of suicide, and borderline bestiality. The audience for this book is not the same as say, "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine or "Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast" by Robin McKinley or "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. If you want a fairy tale re-telling that is funny, or adventurous, or romantic, this story is NOT the right story for you. So who is the audience for this book? I think that those who like the SNOW WHITE, BLOOD RED series of adult fairy tale re-tellings edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling are good candidates to like (maybe even love) this book as well. So far, it sounds like I hated the book, but obviously, giving it four stars, I didn't. It is beautifully-written and very powerful. I'm still thinking about it even though I finished reading it over a week ago. It's the kind of book I think I'll probably come back to years from now to re-read, and I know I'll get something different out of it than I did the first time through.   hide

everything a great novel should be - difficult, beautiful and not dependant on giving everyone a happy ending