A Spindle Splintered
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- Create Date：2021-08-25 09:16:17
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Alix E. Harrow
- ISBN：1250765358
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Summary
USA Today bestselling author Alix E。 Harrow's A Spindle Splintered brings her patented charm to a new version of a classic story。
"A vivid， subversive and feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty， where implacable destiny is no match for courage， sisterhood， stubbornness and a good working knowledge of fairy tales。" ―Katherine Arden
It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday， which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have。 When she was young， an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition。 Not much is known about her illness， just that no one has lived past twenty-one。
Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience， complete with a tower and a spinning wheel。 But when Zinnia pricks her finger， something strange and unexpected happens， and she finds herself falling through worlds， with another sleeping beauty， just as desperate to escape her fate。
"A vivid， subversive and feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty， where implacable destiny is no match for courage， sisterhood， stubbornness and a good working knowledge of fairy tales。" ―Katherine Arden
It's Zinnia Gray's twenty-first birthday， which is extra-special because it's the last birthday she'll ever have。 When she was young， an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition。 Not much is known about her illness， just that no one has lived past twenty-one。
Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience， complete with a tower and a spinning wheel。 But when Zinnia pricks her finger， something strange and unexpected happens， and she finds herself falling through worlds， with another sleeping beauty， just as desperate to escape her fate。
Reviews
Bentgaidin
，
'A Spindle Splintered' （another ARC from work） is a really cute novella about a dying girl and a bunch of Sleeping Beauty stories all jammed together。 It's queer， it's ironic， it's hopeful and witty and just a delight to read。 It's also pretty - the pages are all wrapped through with silhouette illustrations in fairytale styles and the design is just very very good。 Look for this in early October; you won't be disappointed。 'A Spindle Splintered' （another ARC from work） is a really cute novella about a dying girl and a bunch of Sleeping Beauty stories all jammed together。 It's queer， it's ironic， it's hopeful and witty and just a delight to read。 It's also pretty - the pages are all wrapped through with silhouette illustrations in fairytale styles and the design is just very very good。 Look for this in early October; you won't be disappointed。 。。。more
Amy Blehm
，
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 （rounded up）Harrow’s writing is every bit as magical as the fantasies she weaves。 I was completely enchanted by this clever retelling with a powerful message。 Zinnia Gray was cursed at birth， not unlike Sleeping Beauty with whom she is consumed。 Knowing her congenital disease destines her to no more than 21 years of life， Zinnia lives stilted and cautiously。 But on the night of her 21st birthday， caution is thrown to the wind as she is thrust upon an adventure that just might set her f ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 （rounded up）Harrow’s writing is every bit as magical as the fantasies she weaves。 I was completely enchanted by this clever retelling with a powerful message。 Zinnia Gray was cursed at birth， not unlike Sleeping Beauty with whom she is consumed。 Knowing her congenital disease destines her to no more than 21 years of life， Zinnia lives stilted and cautiously。 But on the night of her 21st birthday， caution is thrown to the wind as she is thrust upon an adventure that just might set her free。 “But the curse isn’t quite broken， the prince isn’t quite charming， and that’s not happily ever after I see swimming in the princess’ eyes。” Harrow creates an ingenious multiverse where we find various versions of Sleeping Beauty。 They each may be trapped by a curse， but these princesses are not powerless to fate and don’t need saving by patriarchy。This is a brilliant， modern version of a classic fairy tale reimagined to allow the damsel to be her own heroine with abundant adventure and just the right amount of witty banter and self-reflection。“Maybe the universe doesn’t naturally bed towards justice either; maybe it’s only the weight of hands and hearts pulling it true， inch by stubborn inch。”Harrow’s writing is consistently compelling， always full of beautiful prose， adept world building， and rich characterization。 Her storytelling pulled me in from the very first page and kept me enrapt until the very last word。 I’m not usually a fan of novellas because I often find they lack the depth I crave。 That is not true of A Spindle Splintered。 Harrow has created a fully complete story with all the details and emotions one would expect from a longer work。 And to say her messaging is on point would be a vast understatement。After a few darker reads， I needed a book I could escape into， and this book provided exactly the adventure and magic I longed for。 I was lost in the multiverse with Zinnia and hated for it to come to an end。 Thank you Alix E。 Harrow and Macmillan-Tor for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Ally
，
4。5/5Received an ARC from my job at Barnes and NobleI had never read anything by this author before though I have the once and future witches on my tbr， so I was going into this book completely blind from the plot to the author’s writing style。I really， really enjoyed it！It took me a little while to get into it， the first few pages felt like it was trying a liiiiittle too much to be Feminism！！ Not like other girls！ （Because I’m terminally ill！！！！） but in a book this short it doesn’t linger on th 4。5/5Received an ARC from my job at Barnes and NobleI had never read anything by this author before though I have the once and future witches on my tbr， so I was going into this book completely blind from the plot to the author’s writing style。I really， really enjoyed it！It took me a little while to get into it， the first few pages felt like it was trying a liiiiittle too much to be Feminism！！ Not like other girls！ （Because I’m terminally ill！！！！） but in a book this short it doesn’t linger on that for long and when it finds its footing I was hooked。 The worldbuilding， the way it takes established stories and tropes and turns them into something delightfully unexpected， one whole character being a build up to a shitty Gideon-The-Ninth-Style meme reference that had me cackling so loud I startled the cat， etc。 It very much felt like the story itself， or perhaps just the character’s POV as Zinnia was a solitary figure early on， went from “Not like other girls” to “other girls are freaking awesome and we’re all in this together。” And I really really liked that。Those first few pages and a tongue-in-cheek Harry Potter/“We don’t talk about Harry Potter！！” Joke were what cost it that half a star but otherwise it’s a fun， fantastical little read I highly recommend。 。。。more
Beth Bissmeyer
，
This reimagining of Sleeping Beauty features Harrow’s signature elements that I love: strong & smart female characters， wit that makes you audibly laugh， and prose that leaves you in awe of the magic of words。 While a delightful read， this novella also doesn’t shy away from the darkness that is found in both our world and the fairytale world， and it is all the more powerful for it。
Justine
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Check out more bookish thoughts and videos on my YouTube channel。I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This review is spoiler-free。Fairy tales meet the multiverse？ Sign me up。 I've always loved fairy tales — it doesn't matter if they're the darker， older versions or the sanitised Disney stories — despite their flaws。 Alix E。 Harrow's upcoming novella， A Spindle Splintered， is simultaneously a celebration and critique of fairy tales， all while draggin Check out more bookish thoughts and videos on my YouTube channel。I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 This review is spoiler-free。Fairy tales meet the multiverse？ Sign me up。 I've always loved fairy tales — it doesn't matter if they're the darker， older versions or the sanitised Disney stories — despite their flaws。 Alix E。 Harrow's upcoming novella， A Spindle Splintered， is simultaneously a celebration and critique of fairy tales， all while dragging old stories into the modern world。 It's clever and snarky and fun， subverting fairytale tropes and our expectations and shows how two women seize control of their destinies。Real talk: Sleeping Beauty is the most boring fairy tale。 She's passive （I mean， she's literally asleep for almost the entire story so it's not entirely her fault） and she has no agency。 Unlike other women who are active in their stories， Sleeping Beauty is really just a pretty prize for the prince to win and not much more。 Harrow acknowledges this at the very beginning of the novella， and then manages to inject so much life into the tired （ha ha） story。 I loved the characters in this book and the way they're their own special subversion of Sleeping Beauty's classic character。 Zinnia is a sparky， sarcastic， modern woman with a serious illness that she has always known will kill her。 She uses humour to hide the deep sadness she faces due to her illness。 Primrose fits the mould of the classic Sleeping Beauty princess — she's beautiful and perfect and seems to be the perfect fairy tale princess。 These two seem so different， but I loved the way they grew into their friendship and subverted each other's （and our own） expectations through their adventures。A Spindle Splintered is a different kind of retelling — one that makes us think critically about fairy tales， how we consume them， ultimately how we can break the mould of our own stories。 I cannot recommend this more highly to fans of fairy tales， portal fantasy， or feminist stories。 I certainly hope this is the start of a series exploring more fairy tales！Content warnings: mention of rape （off page）， terminal illness， misogyny 。。。more
Kallie Harlow
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A packed a punch for the size。 Would have loved a longer book to get to know the characters better。
Amanda
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4。5 stars！Talk about the perfect book for the perfect moment。 I read this right after finishing the last book in a favorite series and needed a quick read。 It was so fast and fun to read with all the fairy tale vibes。 I loved all the dialogue and banter and the twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty tale made this feel familiar and new all at the same timeFull review to come！
Wendy
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Book Review:A Spindle Splintered 🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀/5🥀One of it the perks of being a @bn bookseller is we get access to ARCs。 And that’s how I got my hands on this coming soon book by @alixThe introduction letter describes it as Sleeping Beauty meets Spider-verse。 That’s so spot on。 It’s also an unapologetically kick-ass， queer， and empowering story。 The shadow illustrations throughout are *chef’s kiss*。 And it’s definitely a single sitting read clocking in at 119 pages。 The story follows dying girl Zinna in Book Review:A Spindle Splintered 🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀/5🥀One of it the perks of being a @bn bookseller is we get access to ARCs。 And that’s how I got my hands on this coming soon book by @alixThe introduction letter describes it as Sleeping Beauty meets Spider-verse。 That’s so spot on。 It’s also an unapologetically kick-ass， queer， and empowering story。 The shadow illustrations throughout are *chef’s kiss*。 And it’s definitely a single sitting read clocking in at 119 pages。 The story follows dying girl Zinna into a fairytale， her favorite， Sleeping Beauty。 Also here are Zinna’s best friend Charm and Primrose， a Princess with no interest in Princes。 The writing is snarky and badass。 The story is beautifully different and full of lessons on agency and bucking the roles assigned to us and learning to be true to who we are。 When this comes out in October make sure you grab a copy！！More book reviews here: https://maybesbooks。blogspot。com 。。。more
Emily ~ emhoardsbooks
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"Maybe the universe doesn't naturally bend toward justice either; maybe it's only the weight of hands and hearts pulling it true， inch by stubborn inch。"This Sleeping Beauty retelling was not at all what I expected。 It completely turned the fairy tale – which I personally always found kind of boring – on its head and made it into an exciting adventure where the princesses got to have a say in their story。 I loved the Into the Spiderverse vibes combined with the magic of a fantasy setting。 The na "Maybe the universe doesn't naturally bend toward justice either; maybe it's only the weight of hands and hearts pulling it true， inch by stubborn inch。"This Sleeping Beauty retelling was not at all what I expected。 It completely turned the fairy tale – which I personally always found kind of boring – on its head and made it into an exciting adventure where the princesses got to have a say in their story。 I loved the Into the Spiderverse vibes combined with the magic of a fantasy setting。 The narrator wasn't always likeable but I enjoyed her journey and sarcastic， humorous narration。I'm so happy I was able to trade someone from an ARC of this novella because it was absolutely magical and I highly recommend reading the book when it comes out。Rep: wlwTW: blood， genetic disorder， terminal illness， mention of sexual assault， hospitals"We might not be able to fix our bullshit stories， but surely we can be less lonely inside them， here at the end。" 。。。more
Katie Mercer
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I wanted to love this book， I did not love this book。 I think it fell apart a bit because it's an adult book， with really young characters so I had a lot of trouble connecting， To be blunt， I think it would have been stronger if it was a novel - 100 pages set some things up really well， but it read as a first few chapters of a book rather than a novella。 The writing was smart and funny， and I did really like how the author brought the actual depth of fairy tales into the story。 I fell hard for H I wanted to love this book， I did not love this book。 I think it fell apart a bit because it's an adult book， with really young characters so I had a lot of trouble connecting， To be blunt， I think it would have been stronger if it was a novel - 100 pages set some things up really well， but it read as a first few chapters of a book rather than a novella。 The writing was smart and funny， and I did really like how the author brought the actual depth of fairy tales into the story。 I fell hard for Harrow's writing in the The Thousand Doors of January， and the Once and future Witches， and this one just。。。。 left me wanting。 For an author known for brilliant character development I felt a little。。。 bored？ There's such solid stuff out there on princesses refusing to be boundaried， but again， maybe that's a length thing？ Still generally going to grab whatever Harrow puts out next！I got a free ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Stacey
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"Only dying girls like Sleeping Beauty" and that's exactly what Zinnia is， a dying girl。 "Cursed" with an abnormally in her RNA Zinnia has a life expectancy of 21 years。 Growing up obsessed with Sleeping Beauty her best friend， Charm， throws her an amazing 21st birthday party in the closest thing they have to an enchanted tower。 It isn't long till Zinnia feels the lightheadednes she expected to come with death， but when she hits the ground， she's not dead， though she has left her world。 Tossed i "Only dying girls like Sleeping Beauty" and that's exactly what Zinnia is， a dying girl。 "Cursed" with an abnormally in her RNA Zinnia has a life expectancy of 21 years。 Growing up obsessed with Sleeping Beauty her best friend， Charm， throws her an amazing 21st birthday party in the closest thing they have to an enchanted tower。 It isn't long till Zinnia feels the lightheadednes she expected to come with death， but when she hits the ground， she's not dead， though she has left her world。 Tossed into a fairly tale Zinnia faces her own mortality and learns there are fates worse than death。 While determined to see if her curse can be lifted， she also meets her fairytail idol and realizes stories aren't always as they seem。 Primrose （Sleeping Beauty） now needs her help to avoid a marriage with her not so charming prince。A subtle queer romance， coming of age， and acceptance of things we cannot change story that reads through fast and effortlessly。 While the dialog at times seems cheesy or overly worked， the story is fresh and the characters are likable。 🎬🚫❌I did have one MAJOR gripe with the following problematic line and do hope the publishers as well as the author pull。Page 108， Lines 23-25"You wouldn't be a princess anymore， but you're hot and white and young， so you could be pretty much anything else if you wanted。" 。。。more
Ash
，
Got ahold of the ARC thanks to working at a bookstore！I am always a sucker for reimagined fairy tales。 And this one is really cool。 Zinnia Gray was born with the genetic disorder Generalized Roseville Malady and grows up fascinated with the tale of Sleeping Beauty。 On the night of her 21st birthday， believing she has less than a year left before she will succumb to her illness， she is whisked away into a literal fairytale。 Now she has to decide if she can save the poor cursed princess Primrose， Got ahold of the ARC thanks to working at a bookstore！I am always a sucker for reimagined fairy tales。 And this one is really cool。 Zinnia Gray was born with the genetic disorder Generalized Roseville Malady and grows up fascinated with the tale of Sleeping Beauty。 On the night of her 21st birthday， believing she has less than a year left before she will succumb to her illness， she is whisked away into a literal fairytale。 Now she has to decide if she can save the poor cursed princess Primrose， and herself as well。The story itself is pretty straightforward and keeps your attention the whole way through， which is to be expected since it's such a short book。 It is nice to read a book that doesn't hesitate with its story once and a while， there wasn't a need for a ton of worldbuilding since we all already know the story it's based on。 That being said it would have been nice at least to see more of this "sleeping beauty multiverse"。 （view spoiler）[ It would have been nice if at least we learned the names of all three of the princesses that showed up at the end （hide spoiler）] Overall it was a fun engaging story that I think wrapped itself up nicely。 If you looking for adventure， well-written heroines， and a good fairytale retelling， you'll find it here。 。。。more
Holly （Holly Hearts Books）
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Alix E。 Harrow proves to me in 100 pages she has a masterclass in the art of doing a great deal with very little。 A Spindle Splintered is an entertaining and frequently tense portal fantasy adventure， one full of oddball characters and offbeat diversions that made each trek through the world of Sleeping Beauty feel unique and totally worthwhile。 Harrow has done a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of this childhood nostalgic story while giving us a massive toolbox of modern elements。 A main c Alix E。 Harrow proves to me in 100 pages she has a masterclass in the art of doing a great deal with very little。 A Spindle Splintered is an entertaining and frequently tense portal fantasy adventure， one full of oddball characters and offbeat diversions that made each trek through the world of Sleeping Beauty feel unique and totally worthwhile。 Harrow has done a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of this childhood nostalgic story while giving us a massive toolbox of modern elements。 A main character with an incurable illness， gay princesses， and cleft chin princes who don't do any of the saving。Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www。youtube。com/hollyheartsbooks 。。。more
Jessica Milverton
，
A quick but incredible and magical read。 I love Harrow's writing and really enjoyed it in a short story format。Full of badass female characters and a wholesome retelling of a classic fairytale。 If you want a quick， but engaging read， this is the book for you！ A quick but incredible and magical read。 I love Harrow's writing and really enjoyed it in a short story format。Full of badass female characters and a wholesome retelling of a classic fairytale。 If you want a quick， but engaging read， this is the book for you！ 。。。more
James
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If you are a fan of retellings， than this feminist， queer sleeping beauty meets the multiverse story is a must read！ This is a super quick and highly enjoyable story that takes what we're used to expecting from fairy tale retellings and turns it on its head。 If you are a fan of retellings， than this feminist， queer sleeping beauty meets the multiverse story is a must read！ This is a super quick and highly enjoyable story that takes what we're used to expecting from fairy tale retellings and turns it on its head。 。。。more
Michelle
，
The Spindle Splintered is a re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty by Alix E。 Harrow。 This is a super quick， and fun read。 In this version， we meet our main character Zinnia， who has a rare genetic disorder and who is obsessed with the story of Sleeping Beauty。 To cheer her up， her friends throw her a sleeping beauty themed sleepover for her birthday。 When Zinnia pricks her finger on the spinning wheel， she doesn't fall asleep。 Instead she is transported to another dimension， where she finds a real lif The Spindle Splintered is a re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty by Alix E。 Harrow。 This is a super quick， and fun read。 In this version， we meet our main character Zinnia， who has a rare genetic disorder and who is obsessed with the story of Sleeping Beauty。 To cheer her up， her friends throw her a sleeping beauty themed sleepover for her birthday。 When Zinnia pricks her finger on the spinning wheel， she doesn't fall asleep。 Instead she is transported to another dimension， where she finds a real life sleeping beauty princess。Zinnia embarks on a quest to help this sleeping beauty from succumbing to the curse。 If you are fan of books featuring strong female characters， and you love the idea of multiple dimensions and worlds being explored you will love this tale of Sleeping Beauty。 I loved seeing all the different sleeping beauty princesses from different worlds all come together。 It was a ton of fun。 I loved Alix's writing， and it makes me really interested in checking out her other books。 I do wish the book was a little longer， because the story did feel a little rushed， but if you are a fan of fast paced quick reads， I think you will really enjoy this multi-dimension sleeping beauty tale。 This felt like a special coming of age tale with wonderful themes of girl power and female bonds。 。。。more
Bethany
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Sleeping Beauty meets the multiverse in this feminist retelling！ I really loved A Spindle Splintered。 It's smart， funny， and offers a modern perspective on the changing mythologies of Sleeping Beauty。 Zinnia is turning 21 and with only weeks to live due to a chronic disease she's lived with since childhood。 She's always loved Sleeping Beauty and her friend throws her a themed birthday party， but the spindle slips her into another world where other versions of the same tale exist。 This novella of Sleeping Beauty meets the multiverse in this feminist retelling！ I really loved A Spindle Splintered。 It's smart， funny， and offers a modern perspective on the changing mythologies of Sleeping Beauty。 Zinnia is turning 21 and with only weeks to live due to a chronic disease she's lived with since childhood。 She's always loved Sleeping Beauty and her friend throws her a themed birthday party， but the spindle slips her into another world where other versions of the same tale exist。 This novella offers a subversive look at this story that has often been about female subjugation and passivity， even abuse of the titular character depending on the version。 It's about taking back control of your own narrative， getting out of assumed heteronormativity， and the importance of sisterhood and fighting for other women。 Given that the main character suffers from a chronic， life-threatening disease I was wondering if this would include a magical "cure"。 There has been discourse on how harmful that trope can be。 I won't spoil what happens， but I think the author does a good job of deconstructing the magical cure trope in an interesting and empowering way。 Definitely would recommend checking this one out！ I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Hannah
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4 STARS"A feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty。" Umm， how could I not fall in love with this book？ A tale of fate and miracles， A Spindle Splintered reinvents the classic fairytale and creates a riveting story that would surely appeal to fans of dark and twisty fantasy books。A Spindle Splintered is an adult novella that retells the story of Sleeping Beauty。 Zinnia Gray is turning 21， which is， quite frankly， a miracle considering she has a rare condition that has doomed her from a young age。 4 STARS"A feminist reimagining of Sleeping Beauty。" Umm， how could I not fall in love with this book？ A tale of fate and miracles， A Spindle Splintered reinvents the classic fairytale and creates a riveting story that would surely appeal to fans of dark and twisty fantasy books。A Spindle Splintered is an adult novella that retells the story of Sleeping Beauty。 Zinnia Gray is turning 21， which is， quite frankly， a miracle considering she has a rare condition that has doomed her from a young age。 Determined to make her possibly last birthday a memorable one， Zinnia's best friend throws a Sleeping Beauty inspired birthday party that includes a tower and a spinning wheel。 When Zinnia pricks her finger， her fates become intertwined with another Sleeping Beauty。A Spindle Splintered caught my attention from the very beginning。 I knew that I would love it from the moment I read the first page。 The characters were written with such detail and background and they were compelling to read about。 I definitely loved Zinnia the best， but Primrose and Charm were also amazing。 The setting spanned across multiverses and will leave readers with a sense of wishing to be in the story with Zinnia。 The plot was enjoyable， but I think this book was more of a character driven story。 I loved the representation of queer and terminally ill characters。 Harrow did a great job at spinning this classic fairytale into a feminist reimagining that had me hooked from the beginning。 After reading this novella， I thought to myself， "How have I not read any of Harrow's work before？" I'll definitely be on the lookout from now on for her work。Thank you tordotcom for sending me a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Leticia Ramos
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A Spindle Splintered is a fun， lighthearted novella that is a nice twist to Sleeping Beauty。 While I am used to the more darker approach to modern retellings， Spindle Splintered was a lighter and more enjoyable retelling of a classic story。 Zinnia and Primrose were interesting and delightful interpretations of Sleeping Beauty。 Different yet the same。 both tragic yet reclaiming their stories and lives。 I enjoyed this novella。 I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest A Spindle Splintered is a fun， lighthearted novella that is a nice twist to Sleeping Beauty。 While I am used to the more darker approach to modern retellings， Spindle Splintered was a lighter and more enjoyable retelling of a classic story。 Zinnia and Primrose were interesting and delightful interpretations of Sleeping Beauty。 Different yet the same。 both tragic yet reclaiming their stories and lives。 I enjoyed this novella。 I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cayla
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Thank you Tor books for sending me this ARC copy of A Spinle Splintered。 I was super shocked when I got this and how little it was！ But the length of the book doesn't matter because it still gave you a great full story！ It was a lot diff from something I usually read and it had humor involved among the story which was nice！ It was really unique and a fun/quick read with a bit of humor， adventure and just overall a fun little fairy tale with a twist！ Thank you Tor books for sending me this ARC copy of A Spinle Splintered。 I was super shocked when I got this and how little it was！ But the length of the book doesn't matter because it still gave you a great full story！ It was a lot diff from something I usually read and it had humor involved among the story which was nice！ It was really unique and a fun/quick read with a bit of humor， adventure and just overall a fun little fairy tale with a twist！ 。。。more
Grace
，
This was such a nice surprise！！ My manager at Barnes and Noble was just like， “You like fairy tale retellings， right？” and gave me this ARC， and I decided to try it because it was so short！ I ended up liking it so much！ It was such a unique， well written retelling of Sleeping Beauty （a story we need more retellings of！） and I enjoyed every page！
Brianne Lewis
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Dare I say 4。75 stars。Zinnia truly finds the meeting of happily ever after from this retelling of sleeping beauty。 Briar Rose and Charm bring a fantastic supporting cast to this story about finding your own path and love。
Allyson
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What a cool concept， honestly！ When I saw that this book was so small， I thought it would feel rushed or like not enough， but it doesn't at all。 I also think it's such a refreshing taste of magical realism。 I love how the story is resolved， but could also be continued if the author wanted to do more。 Honestly just loved it What a cool concept， honestly！ When I saw that this book was so small， I thought it would feel rushed or like not enough， but it doesn't at all。 I also think it's such a refreshing taste of magical realism。 I love how the story is resolved， but could also be continued if the author wanted to do more。 Honestly just loved it 。。。more
Heron
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“Maybe the universe doesn’t naturally bend towards justice， either; maybe it’s only the weight of hands and hearts pulling it true， inch by stubborn inch。”When I read the blurb and comps for A Spindle Splintered by Alix E。 Harrow， I was enthusiastic as all get out about the premise but skeptical about the execution。 To make a long story short: I needn’t have been。 Harrow delivers a satisfying， robust， feminist， queer reimagining of Sleeping Beauty in this novella with an Into the Spiderverse mul “Maybe the universe doesn’t naturally bend towards justice， either; maybe it’s only the weight of hands and hearts pulling it true， inch by stubborn inch。”When I read the blurb and comps for A Spindle Splintered by Alix E。 Harrow， I was enthusiastic as all get out about the premise but skeptical about the execution。 To make a long story short: I needn’t have been。 Harrow delivers a satisfying， robust， feminist， queer reimagining of Sleeping Beauty in this novella with an Into the Spiderverse multiverse flavour。There’s so much to love about this novella I hardly know where to start。 Protagonist Zinnia Gray’s voice shines in a much different way than Harrow’s previous books; the informal tone and irreverent humor somehow adds to rather than detracts from the emotional gravity of the story。 The relationships in the book， particularly the one between Charm and Zinnia， are three-dimensional and compelling。 And of course， the moral of the story—because every fairy tale has to have one， right？—hits home in all the right places， a testament to the resilience of those who rail against their unjust fates。Saying too much more would spoil the experience， I think， but if you like clever reimaginings full of heart and feeling， with healthy doses of nerdy folkroricism and meme references heaping on the side， please be sure to check out A Spindle Splintered。Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for an advance reader copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Helen | readwithneleh
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3。5 （rounded up）Zinnia Gray is a 21-year-old with a terminal illness we don’t know much about， only that most people don’t live past the age of 22。 As she struggles with her mortality， her best friend， Charm， throws her a Sleeping Beauty-themed birthday party， where Zinnia is thrown into another world with the prick of her finger。 But in this world， she might just be able to save another girl from her fate。A short， modern-day， feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty， A SPINDLE SPLINTERED by Alix E 3。5 （rounded up）Zinnia Gray is a 21-year-old with a terminal illness we don’t know much about， only that most people don’t live past the age of 22。 As she struggles with her mortality， her best friend， Charm， throws her a Sleeping Beauty-themed birthday party， where Zinnia is thrown into another world with the prick of her finger。 But in this world， she might just be able to save another girl from her fate。A short， modern-day， feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty， A SPINDLE SPLINTERED by Alix E。 Harrow immediately challenges the traditional sexist fairy tale narrative。 Through queer and disability representation and the reframing of conventional characters， the typical fairy tale tropes are flipped on its head and it is quite refreshing。 I loved the representation in this book and the different take on the evil enchantress。 I also enjoyed the multiverse aspect， which I think could lead to an interesting series。 However， I wished this was longer。 Primrose’s character felt underdeveloped， which I can understand because she does play a passive character （I mean， she is a princess who’s been asleep for 100 years in the original story）。 But in this retelling， I definitely wanted more from her。 The different versions of Sleeping Beauty were interesting but thought it suffered a bit due to the shortness of the book。 It felt too quick and again， I was left wanting more。 The writing is immersive and beautiful， so I’m not surprised that I wanted more of it。 I will definitely be reading more from this author and secretly wish she would turn this into a series。 If you enjoy feminist retellings with diverse representation， this one is for you！Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC！ 。。。more
Mimi Arndt
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Alix's prose are beautifully descriptive， with literary references peppered into modern references so we don't forget where the main character came from all while being clever and funny。 I especially liked " and for the first time in my life I fully appreciate the difference between a crow and a raven。 This bird is huge and wild looking， clearly built for midnights dreary rather than McDonald's parking lots。"I also really enjoyed the use of Artists in the description of the environment。 This wa Alix's prose are beautifully descriptive， with literary references peppered into modern references so we don't forget where the main character came from all while being clever and funny。 I especially liked " and for the first time in my life I fully appreciate the difference between a crow and a raven。 This bird is huge and wild looking， clearly built for midnights dreary rather than McDonald's parking lots。"I also really enjoyed the use of Artists in the description of the environment。 This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read some of the authors other works！！ 。。。more
Mandie
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Please， can I have some more？
Pam
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This modern， feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty has a snarky protagonist who is dying， but longs purpose。 Filled with humor， friendship， and the magic of fairy tales， A Spindle Splintered is enchanting！
CR
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I was so excited when this one showed up。 It was short and I was so happy to read it。 Once I started reading this I felt that something was missing in the full story。 It felt tossed together and I just felt lost。 There was a lot of telling vs showing and I just couldn't get into the story。 I was so excited when this one showed up。 It was short and I was so happy to read it。 Once I started reading this I felt that something was missing in the full story。 It felt tossed together and I just felt lost。 There was a lot of telling vs showing and I just couldn't get into the story。 。。。more
Kameryn Finnerty
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First and foremost， thank you to Tor publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novella。 I received this ARC in exchange for an honest and free review。 This review is not impacted by the nature of this relationship。 Let's get started - 4/5 Overall， this novella is a quick paced portal fantasy disguised as a fun fairytale/multiverse retelling。 However， beneath the cover lies a darker truth and a critical analysis of fairytales， sleeping beauty， and of course Alix's universal trope - identi First and foremost， thank you to Tor publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novella。 I received this ARC in exchange for an honest and free review。 This review is not impacted by the nature of this relationship。 Let's get started - 4/5 Overall， this novella is a quick paced portal fantasy disguised as a fun fairytale/multiverse retelling。 However， beneath the cover lies a darker truth and a critical analysis of fairytales， sleeping beauty， and of course Alix's universal trope - identity。 This novella is rife with humor， memes， and tributes to published works including an almost cringe worthy book metaphor。 I think to write a fair assessment of this novella， we must first acknowledge that we are working with roughly 120 pages of content。 We are getting a small glimpse into Zinnia's life and her friends/family。 Many people will certainly feel this story is rushed， too short， or underdeveloped。 I argue that we are given exactly what we need to understand the story and no more。 Do I believe Alix could have written a full length novel for this character and her journey？ Absolutely， but the novella itself also feels complete to me。 I gave this novella a 4/5 simply because I felt it was missing the classic Harrow ending。 Both The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches concluded and left me sitting in awe。 I had felt like magic existed and I just had it in my hands。 It's a feeling that is incredibly difficult to describe， but this novella just didn't have it。 Despite this， I enjoyed the story， the LGBTQ representation， and underlying critique of fairytales。 I definitely recommend this novella for any fans of Alix， sleeping beauty， or simple portal fantasies。 CW: chronic illness， death， implied SA。 See a more detailed review on my BookTok: @comingupnovels。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Spindle Splintered
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Spindle Splintered&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Spindle Splintered&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0