This novel wasn’t as immersive as what I was expecting from a story that claimed to be a modern retelling of a narrative poem as iconic and ethereal as “Goblin Market.” The poem is famous for having multiple layers of meaning and interpretation, and I was hoping to find something comparable in this book, but I ultimately found it to be just a very standard teen/new adult fantasy novel. I would recommend to younger adults and less discerning fantasy fans.

"A novel about goblins... I'm sure it'll be amazingly creepy as hell!"
What a pity that those poor goblins were more bit players than real characters. Really, why ruining a book that could have become super intriguing and spooky and entertaining with an endless load of mawkish ROMANCE?
Every 5 pages someone was kissing or pining for their romantic interest; I seriously had an hard time finishing the book.

I did enjoy the concept of the "liaison", a human who acted as a mediator between men and goblins who guaranteed that no harm would happen to the first ones by giving the latters what they wanted. Moreover Kit is the kind of male character who usually catches my attention.
Sadly, this characters fell too in disgrace as soon as he gets to involved with the right girl and becomes a sort of medieval knight with suicidal instincts.

Last but not least, I found a bit too rushed the last part, especially the one concerning Livy. Avoiding any kind of spoiler, I'll just say that the "trials" she had to go through felt more ridiculous than adventurous, because she actually did nothing by herself.
Pity, I really felt like reading some nice paranormal fantasy about goblins!

I was immediately drawn to The Goblins of Bellwater. The cover is absolutely stunning, and I'm all about goblins and creepy forests.

Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. Not that it was bad, just not exactly what I expected. The writing style made it hard for me to get through. There were a few times where I had to put the book down because it wasn't compelling enough to keep me focused - both with the writing and the plot.

Speaking of plot, that was another issue for me. The enchanted sex in the forest - while a bunch of goblins are peeping - was super strange to me. It didn't seem all that... consensual?

I guess this one just wasn't my flavor of milkshake.

While I liked the creepy atmosphere the writing seemed lackluster. There where moments where it jumped from different characters and the way of was written was confusing to me. I liked the premise of the book though.

3.5

Solid YA! I was very impressed with how goblins were worked into the story (okay, are the story) in a non-traditional, non-frightening way. The story was new, creative and the author did a superb job illustrating the lush backgrounds of Washington and the fae that come with it.

A great story and not overly complicated which is great. Sometime it's nice not to have a book where you need to think about it.

Occasionally the chapter heading is at the bottom of the page and this could be changed by double spacing so it's attached to the right chapter. Not a big thing though.

a intriguing read I definitely enjoyed it. I would recommend this to YA and those who like fantasy.

I found this book to be very interesting since it was based off of the eerie poem "Golbin Market" by Christina Rosetti's senual poem which I was just introduce to in my English college course. I found this book a very enjoyable read giving where the inspiration of the novel came from. I also that thigh it was a great story with a lot of great concepts, high entertainment qualities with many quirky or wierd moments in between. A must read for anyone who is a fan of the poem.

Loved this book! It was well written and captivating.

Goblins of Bellwater was an interesting story that got more interesting as it went on. I feel it was a bit rushed though. I love how the characters were older (20’s) because that helped relate the story more to me. I loved the take care of the environment message hidden throughout the book.

Spring-boarding a modern story off of Christina Rossetti's The Goblin Market seemed like a clever premise for a novel. Unfortunately, this failed badly in the execution.

While the pacing is decent and the characters are likable enough, the positives end there. The writing (especially the dialogue) is ham-handed and juvenile, the solve is hokey, and the plot is problematic and unimaginative.

This was a cute idea, but the final product isn't a good read.

In the small town of Bellwater, it feels like there is something lurking in the forest. Some call them fae, or as sister Skye and Livy refer to them, “teenie tinies”. And though you can’t see them, they are always there. Kit has always been able to see them, in fact, he acts as a liaison to them, bringing them gold every month to satiate their appetites. Who are they? Goblins. Unlike the picturesque pixies found in some folklore, the Golblins are ruthless, cunning, and horrifying beings that have been plaguing Kit’s family for generations. When Skye is taken by the Goblins and forever changed, she and Livy, along with Kit and his cousin Grady have to figure out how to reverse the curse upon her before it’s too late.

This book hooked me almost instantly, the creepiness of the lurking Goblins ensnared me much like Skye was. Unlike many portrayals of fae in modern folklore, these Goblins were truly terrifying. I believed in their ruthlessness and trickery and their abilities as an antagonist. It was fascinating how Ringle used “The Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti as a basis for the novel and it was interesting to see how the poem weaved its way into the novel. For those who enjoyed that poem, this novel is just as eerie and whimsical. The setting and story were very atmospheric and even found a way to bring in a moral about the environment. I thought it was an entertaining and thrilling piece of work that had me frightened at some points and laughing at others.

I loved the characters and the relationships between them all. It all felt very “Midsummer Nights Eve” to me, which added to the whimsy of the story and the character connections. The ties between family were nice to see, as familial bonds were the focus of the original poem and it gave the plot more depth. I enjoyed that the romances between both pairings were complicated. Each person was worried about the feelings of the other, insecure about their own feelings and actions. With many short novels, the romance can seem like “insta-love”, but with this novel, the bonds that formed were justified by the trauma, the small-town feel, and the characters personalities. I thought their relationships were very realistic and enjoyed reading about them immensely.

Overall, the story had elements of everything I loved and it was a nice, quick read that will have me rushing to draw my own pictures of disturbing Goblins and off to read Rossetti’s poem again.

(p.s. Is this not the most beautiful cover you’ve ever seen in your whole entire time on the planet earth because holy moly I could stare at that thing all day)

Great teen read that I read in a single sitting. Well fleshed out characters in a setting clearly loved by the author. Will be of particular interest to residents or those interested in the Pacific Northwest.

Not quite my cup of tea, but an interesting take on the world of fae!
This is pretty sexually charged--and that works well. Fans of Maas' ACOTAR (which I quite enjoyed) might also like this trip into the world of fae!

This is a wonderful and magical tale about fae creatures that resided in the local Washington forests one wintry season. From page one, this story was so atmospheric and I was completely swept away in this tale of goblins and the horrible things they are capable of in their treetop village. Yet, the goblins only do terrible things if their need for gold is not met by their goblin liaison, Kit.

*thank you to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

Not since The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald have I enjoyed a novel about Goblins so much. This fantasy story was brilliant! I love the cover! It's stunning! I also really liked that the characters were in their 20s. It was a nice change from most fantasy stories I've read were the characters were in their teens. Though, I really could have done without the sex parts. The really didn't need to be in there at all and I probably would have given this an extra half star if that had been taken out. Still, this was enjoyable and the ideas the author came up with were really good. I liked the relationship between Skye and Livy, the sisters. Definitely recommend if your in the mood for a good fantasy with older characters.

This book was just not my cup of tea and I was not able to finish it. Thank you for this opportunity, though!

I cannot force myself to finish this. The characters are not particularly unique: they aren't exactly dislikeable, but they don't stand out from random 20-year-olds on the street. The paranormal element isn't strongly tied in: there is not history presented in the town, no references to established outside folklore. The writing is choppy: the narration is a little melodramatic, and the boy-girl scenes are, I think, trying to be frank but come off as crude.

I heard quite a bit of chatter about this because it's set in a local-ish made-up place; the descriptions and incorporation of the scenery is the smoothest and most accurate part of the writing, but cannot stand by itself as a reason to read a whole book.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

This story surprised me in a good way!I loved the concept and the settings and it was so atmospheric that I couldn't put it down! The writing is quick and easy!My only complain is about the ending!It felt so rushed that it was disappointed!Overall if you are looking for a unique read this is perfect!

Wonderful YA title! Very fast moving, lots of quirky characters, a main character that can't stay out of trouble and the boy she never knows what will happen with. Loved the ending! It's always refreshing to not have it end with the usual rainbows and unicorns!!