A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Two girls destined to die have their fates crossed, perhaps altering their once doomed outcomes, in this whimsical modern-day reimagining of Sleeping Beauty
Due to an industrial accident, Zinnia Gray, was left with a rare and fatal condition. The prognosis of which means she won’t live to see her 22nd-birthday.
As bleak as that is, Zin has had a great life, surrounded by people who love her so much. Including her best friend, Charm, who decides to throw Zin a Sleeping Beauty-themed party for her 21st-birthday, complete with tower and spinning wheel.
Zin, not really in the mood to party, goes along with it nevertheless. Charm put in so much effort. As the festivities come to a close, Zin pricks her finger on the spinning wheel at midnight, and is thusly transported into another world. It happens to be where the real Briar Rose lives.
It is there that the two women’s lives become intertwined, as they work together to try to save themselves from their fates.
It’s no secret that I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, but I never give up on an author off after only one try. This story is the perfect example of why. Oh, my goodness!
Wow, holy smokes. I am floored by how different my opinion of Harrow’s writing is now; after only 128-pages. Alix E. Harrow redeemed!!!
As mentioned above, this is a fairly short novella, but no less impactful because of it. It is a rollicking good time, with adventure, friendship, danger and just the right amount of hat tipping to the original story.
I loved the feminist undertones woven throughout, as well as the relationship formed between Zin and Briar Rose. The dynamic between them was just so fun. Because they were from completely different worlds, they had a lot to discover about one another, but Harrow kept it so witty and fun!
I’m really interested to see if Harrow tackles other fairy tales in this format. If so, I would definitely be willing to pick them up.
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy to read and review. I listened to it all in one night and had an absolute blast doing so!!
