Nettle & Bone

DNF at Chapter 6 (Page 68)

I see this author praised time and again for fairy tales and retelling. With all the praise this one was getting, I thought it'd be worth trying.

There is some interesting aspects. The world and the the inclusion of domestic violence in a fairy tale. The idea of a bone dog and the blend of old magic.

So why the DNF? It felt incredibly slow and rushed at the same time. I felt like I never got to know the characters before they were put into a scenario. It felt a bit like tokens on a board game. The characters have a purpose but no real substance to them. I found myself putting down the book with no real inclination to pick it back up again. I wish that the writing was doubled in size. I wish that more pages were devoted towards their small kindom and introducing the family. I'd have liked to learn more about the oldest sister and have a small connection with her before she died. Plus the start of the bone dog was meant to draw the reader in, but instead it had the opposite affect. I just felt confused.