J từ Yukarıaksu Köyü, 55200 Yukarıaksu Köyü/Atakum/Samsun, Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ từ Yukarıaksu Köyü, 55200 Yukarıaksu Köyü/Atakum/Samsun, Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ

Beautifully written and very sensual. This is how fairy tales should be retold. Carter writes in such a lyrical and yet mature prose that it never sinks into sentimentality as other fairy tale re-tellings have. Here, horror and beauty blend seamlessly, creating a rich, dark world that in its skewed ways mirrors ours. I'm sure I haven't fully grasped the ideas Ms. Carter was trying to impress on me, but even if you don't understand a thing, the visual smorgasborg she weaves is certainly reason enough to read it. Every word she uses is weighted, carrying more than just its meaning, giving a richer, fuller image of the world she is creating. Among the stories, my favorites include: "The Bloody Chamber" -- a retelling of Blue Beard. The images of the story stayed with me long after I had finished the book that I drew a frontispiece for it. (see my photos) "Snow Child" -- a retelling of Snow White "The Lady of The House of Love" -- Sleeping beauty with a touch of goth; Carter paints a town asleep and a Vampire princess waiting for someone. A little sad but beautiful "Wolf-Alice" -- little red riding hood

Blow My Mind. Because that's what Cynthia Hand did. A crater of my skull rests on my shoulders and that's it. Now enough with the melodramatics. On to the book. I spent the first half dreading Tucker's and Clara's obviously inevitable break up. Because we all know that Clara's purpose can't just be done. That she must either get a second chance or that her purpose will be moved. Then I spent the rest freaking out. "Someone she loves very much must die" I'm not going to say who this someone is, but God i did i cry. At least 15 tissues over a multitude of different pages. (although that may not seem like much, that's a lot of snot and tears.) Thing is, the whole book is pretty much about that. From the prelude, when Clara has the vision, right to the end. And nothing much penetrates that dark cloak that Hand casts on the book. Even the characters that were so prominent in Unearthly seem to have taken to the sidelines. Which i found sad. Even the one dying seems to have taken to the sidelines a little. But that does not mean that there weren't twists and turns in the book, right now, off the top of my head, i can count a good solid.......5 major Plot Twists that started at the beginning of the book and exploded every once and a while when the action got dull, straight through till the end. So at least the plot was steady, right? I found this book to be utterly powerful and revealing. You learn a lot more in this book than you did in the first. More about the world and a whole trunk full of background 'skeletons in the closet' information about the characters. Hand did it beautifully, and i can't wait for the second. I need to know how Clara will face these challenges. Because she has many more of them, without as much help.