Great update to the original!

I loved the weaving and intricate pattern of the story... it was nostalgic while being new and modern, all in the same tale. Can't wait to listen to the next in the series!

2 people found this helpful

Predictable

Despite a few plot twists, the story was a bit predictable. Neither boring nor enthralling.

1 person found this helpful

Fascinating

this was a very interesting book, kept me interested. the narrator did a great job, brought the characters to life. looking forward to the next one.

1 person found this helpful

Wow! Twists and turns.

I struggled to put it down. Every time i knew the outcome it would reverse!

1 person found this helpful

Meh

This was a two-dimensional story about a girl, a witch and a life sustaining potion that needs to be harvested from an unwilling victim. It wasn’t horrible but too much didn’t make a lot of sense within the framework of the story. It’s like the author created a little world with its own rules and then violated those rules when (in one case) the antagonist needed to be stronger. Much of the characters actions and reactions also didn’t jive with basic human nature and seemed to be forced just to keep certain characters alive long enough for the grand finale.

It listened to it until the end. While I don’t completely regret it I also will not be continuing with this series.

Great Read

I enjoyed the story very much! Wonderful take on Hansel and Gretel. And the witch was awesome! Story was well-read and the narrator was very good. I would like to find more books by her and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Loved the modern revamping of the story...

definately kept me wanting more, couldnt wait to finish and see what was going to happen next. The storyline had a lot of twists that i didnt expect. Was worth the listen. Starting the next book in the series immediately!

It's great 👍

It's great suspense kept you on the edge of your seat having to hear what happens next

Impressive

While definitely not what I was expecting, this was an interesting retelling with good pacing and great characters.

Lisa Flanagan gives a phenomenal audio performance with a wide range of authentic voices and great accents. Her vocal inflections are nearly perfect, and her tempo shifts are skillful.

Naturally, there is a massive shift in the focus from the original fairy tale to this book. At first it irked me a bit, but I ended up actually really enjoying it.

All of the characters are very well drawn and feel like real people. I loved the presentment of the family dynamic and the interactions between the siblings.

The plot is well constructed and (despite moving a little slow through a large chunk of the book) excellently paced. There were enough twists and mysteries to keep me guessing almost all the way to the end. It was really nice to not guess all the twists from the start.

I have just a couple of minor critiques.
In general, the writing is very good. However, many of the POV shifts are very abrupt, leaving a listener slightly confused about who's POV they are in at certain points. Especially toward the end. And there are a few plot points and character motivations that I don't quite believe. It's not bad enough that I would call it Deus Ex Machina though.

In the end, numerous threads are tied together to create a very satisfying end that is, in many ways, remarkable.

While I wouldn't classify this as horror, it's definitely a great supernatural suspense that could easily give Dean Koontz a run for his money.

Meh

Was just too slow going and I got bored and couldn't even finish it halfway through