I liked the twist on the well known fairytale of Hansel and Gretel.
The story was interesting and I wanted to know how it would end.
But somehow it didn't feel completely right, I think it was the language that contained a bit to many obscure words.

loved the use of fairy tale retelling, it was a unique take on the Hansel and Gretel tale. The characters were great and I enjoyed the storyline going through it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

An absolutely gorgeously written re-telling of Hänsel and Gretel, Elna Holst adds their unique spin to this dark and tragic tale. However, fear not, this is a romance, and the ending is as sweet as Dortchen's confections.

Gretel on Her Own is my first experience with the writing of Elna Holst, and I'm blown away. Clever, dark-dry humor, alternates with moments of absolute poetry, and results in an overall feeling of unnamable emotions. Simply lovely!

A re-read of the Grimm Brothers' classic tale is in my very near future!

I sadly couldn't get into this book. The idea was good but for some reason I could not connect with it. The use of the German language also felt forced in places.

I liked the twist on the story, and I consider it to be a surprising adaptation of the classic fairytale. It starts quite realistic, but slowly some of those fairytale signs come creeping up. During the read it is easily noticed that something is not being told and this can only trigger a lot of possibilities.
I enjoyed the fact that the story brought in the topic of mental illness and it was such a delightful read. The only thing that I would have liked more was if the story was longer and it would have explored the domestic conflicts of the families more.

Gretel On Her Own by Elna Holst is marketed as a sapphic retelling of the Grimm Brothers' Hansel and Gretel. With an almost whimsical narration style, the book opens to a promising start that just didn't live up to my personal expectations.

Below contains spoilers for the book:
There were a lot of things that didn't work out. Before I get into that bit, I want to say that I did like seeing the use of German. I felt it was a great nod to the fact the original fairy tale was German. Sadly, I do have some gripes with the use of the language. I'm glad that the author included a translation guide. Unfortunately, the story suffered some with the amount of German used. I think that it would have been fine to have used the titles and the greeting/parting terms and possibly a few terms of endearment, but there were times where it felt like German had been thrown in just to use it. I couldn't tell if everyone in this village was fluent in both languages or not. I couldn't tell you if they were bilingual because it didn't feel truly natural to how a lot of bilinguals spoke. It felt more like someone who was learning the language and wanted to remember the phrases and terms and would just use them sporadically and without real purpose. (As an avid language learner, I'm calling myself out there. Ouch)
And because of how the German was used, I couldn't tell you where exactly this story was taking place. If it was in Germany, one would just assume that they were speaking German the entire time and it was only "translated" for us. But because of how the German was thrown in, it didn't feel like it could really take place in Germany.
The next thing was how mental health was regarded in this story. There were a lot of terms like "nutcase" and "lunatic" and other such terms thrown about to describe people with mental health struggles. While, yes, that could just be depicting Gretel as an ableist jerk, it still doesn't change the fact it felt like it was only adding to the stigma of mental health.
One character, Maria, left me uncomfortable when mentioning having a "home-grown therapeutic programme" that Hänsel was welcome to sign up for in relation to him being called a "nutcase". It felt very sexualizing. As someone who does struggle with mental health, this story felt like it was full of ableism. At one point Gretel was explaining her brother's mental health (while yes, to a child, but that didn't change how it made me feel) as him being "very ill. Sometimes people catch a bug in their head, just like you can catch a stomach bug or a cold. You sneeze a whole lot, but you don't mean to. It just happens. It's sort of like that. Hänsel doesn't really know what he's doing, but the doctors are doing all they can to help him." Something about that doesn't sit well with me. People with mental health battles are not the same as having a cold. Are you implying that it's a virus that we need to be cured of? And in terms of what happened with Hänsel, are you seriously equating him attempting to burn down a building to sneezing? Again, that comes off more like it is trying to add to the stigma of mental health battles. Do some people take medication to help them manage some of the struggles? Yes. Are they taking medication to cure them? No. To add to my discomfort with how the mental health aspect was handled, Hänsel and their mother were in some sort of mental institutions. The only examples of characters with mental health struggles and they have to be in mental hospitals? Bad representation.
There were many Once Upon a Time sections that felt very out of place. They were honestly rather jarring and I can't figure out what the purpose of them was. I'm guessing that they were partly to tell some of the backstory with the whimsical fairy tale vibes, but it oftentimes just didn't seem to add anything to the story aside from padding the word count. Who was even narrating them if the story was being told by Gretel?
There was another section that just felt a bit unnecessary to me. And it was Gretel at the pool thinking over the nicknames she'd had by her family. Wassertier (water animal) and Wasserhexe (water witch). What was the point of this scene? It didn't come back up. The nicknames were never mentioned again. And why would her mother refer to her as a witch if she didn't like witches? (My Wiccan/Pagan upbringing felt really torn on this story. I had wanted to enjoy a story with witches) It just felt unnecessary. If that whole part was taken out of the story - her being at the pool and whatnot remaining - the story wouldn't have been impacted at all. That was how much it felt unnecessary.
The next thing is the relationship. I'm not a huge fan of insta-love. It's just not my preference. Insta-attraction is one thing. And while I got that feeling from it, I also didn't. Gretel's feelings were too conflicting to me throughout the story. And then there was a quick progression to the bedroom - there were no intimate scenes in the story - that felt rushed. The characters hadn't really spent that much time together on page for their feelings to really get to that point. Of course, what contributed to my issues with their relationship spawned a lot more issues with it. Gretel was being given, while temporary, a love potion through the foods she was being given. So, their relationship went from uneasy to yikes real quick. When someone is under the influence of something they cannot give true consent. Their judgment is impaired and so their relationship went into a situation of sexual abuse/assault. The romance wasn't real. And the ending felt rushed. It's explained that Gretel stopped taking in the dosed foods and was instead feeding it to a neighbor's dog (since the drugged food was sugary stuff, animal cruelty much? And that was given only a fleeting note of concern.). She stopped taking it when her friend, Maria, reacted badly. Does this mean Maria knew her friend was being drugged and taken advantage of? Sounds like it. That's not a good thing. But after she stopped being dosed, she is somehow all right with what Dorothea had done and somehow was still in love with her? That doesn't sit right with me. It doesn't make it all right either.
Maria is a character that didn't sit well with me at all. From her comment about Hänsel all the way to the ending scene where she was buying love potion laced food that is presumably for him. No. This is assault. This isn't something to romaticise or anything like that. This is something that causes trauma.
The ending overall felt severely rushed. It felt a bit more heavy in exposition. It would have been honestly rather cool to have seen more magic used in the story. Especially for the ending. Have Gretel revisit the memory of what had happened in the past through magic and have her come to an understanding with Margrete Heckscher and what had happened.
The use of magic felt very thrown on at the last second. There was no real indication of magic truly existing until the ending with the love potion. If the author was trying to say the overwhelming sweet scent of Dorothea that changes was a hint of magic, that missed the mark because I more inferred that to being associated with the fact she was helping with a confectionery shop.
There were still questions that I had at the end and no answers. This felt more like a first or second draft and would have benefited from several more go-overs to flesh it out and adjust the parts that didn't work. Like the drugging and using of a love interest because that turns into a case of assault. No, not letting that go. That's a big no.

Overall, there were things that I did enjoy about the story. While it didn't have near as much setting detail as I prefer, I think the author did a decent job with the details that were included. I liked the writing style. I liked the slight twist on the story (the whole what had happened while they were kids) and I would have loved to see that better explored. It honestly had been promising, but this story just did not work for me.

thank you, netgalley and ninestar press, for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

i think i am in the minority here. EVERYONE seems to love this book! and i expected to love it too! a sapphic hansel and gretel retelling? sign me the FUCK up!!!!!

this book follows gretel's journey AFTER the events of hansel and gretel. and while i love reading retellings, i absolutely *adore* reading books that are set after the events of the actual story. i love reading about the characters, love knowing what happens after the showdown.q and this is probably why i was so eager to read this book.

while this book had a strong premise, the execution just felt weak. my main problem with it was the writing style. i know the writing was supposed to be ~mysterious~ with this fable / folktale vibe, but it just ended up being confusing.
i feel like i would have loved to read about the events of the book and the characters had the writing style been a bit more.....straightforward instead of being shrouded in mystery to the point that it ended up being extremely confusing and put me off the whole thing.

overall rating: 3/5 stars ⭐ (because i DID love the premise and also the plot!!)

Sadly this wasn't my cup of tea. It read like some kind of quilt. One snipped here, one snipped there, no fluid story at all. I lost track several times and actually can't say more about this book. It's a romance, it contains a little bit witchcraft nearing the end but up to that point its mostly about people having a depression. Something happened in Gretels ans Hänsels childhood, don't know exactly what. Did they imagine they got almost eaten by a witch? Did she actually try to do so? Who is talking in these italic phrases?

A very interesting take on a Hansel and Gretel retelling. This is my second Elna Holst and I will say that I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first, personally. A lot of this was really good for me. The book follows a mid-to-late-20's Gretel Kindermann dealing with the aftermath of her mother and brother accusing Frau Heckscher, the small village's confectioner, of witchcraft and general devilish actions. Out of nowhere arrives Frau Heckscher's niece, Dorothea, and she is bubblegum pink and sweet as can be. Gretel develops a crush on Dorothea...but is it pure?

In general, I liked this. The time jumps between the plot of the story and the omniscient "narrator" voice providing commentary was really interesting. The specific elements of the original Hansel and Gretel fairytale were also used imaginatively. What fell short for me was what I felt was the rushed ending. I knew this was going to be quick because it's a novella more than a novel, but the rest of the plot was paced okay. Getting to the big reveal and tying everything together needed a little more explanation for me to understand it as much as I wanted. Other than that, it was a fun read and I would look into Elna Holst's other works.

My hopes were set so high for this book and this book certainly didn’t let me down. This retelling was sooo good and it was such a unique novella. The atmosphere of this story was so immersing. Although the romance could’ve been more developed or made into a slow burn i really enjoyed this book!

Gretel on Her Own is a re-imagining of the Brothers Grimm story Hansel & Gretel, set in the modern (or nearly modern) era, and focuses on the psychological effects on Gretel maybe 20 years later. Gretel lives in her family home, in the same small town her family has lived in for centuries, and does her best to look after her family. Her mother, a diagnosed schizophrenic, is a permanent resident in a psychiatric clinic and frequently give Gretel cryptic warnings. Gretel's father succumbs to the family woes and leaves town, though he does his best to provide financial assistance from afar. Hansel never quite recovered and receives his own intensive psychological treatment. Gretel does her best to convince herself that the witch was just a story told to her by her deranged mother, and move on.

Told in a style reminiscent of Grady Hendrix meets Brooklyn Ray, this novel is told in quick snapshots that give the reader brief insights into what's going on without offering any real depth to the story. This is forgivable, if not overly entertaining, except for the bungling of the twist at the end. It was obvious the twist was coming, but what it eventually turned out to be was underwhelming and poorly transitioned. For such a lightly written story, the literary devices were heavy-handed.

So, what do you think happened to Hansel and Gretel after they came back from the witch's house? As someone who adores fairy-tale retellings, I am generally predisposed to enjoy them. Gretel On Her Own was a lovely surprise. At first it seemed like a "loosely inspred by" real world drama. A mother with a mental illness whose delusions had led to a childhood trauma for her kids and the nice owner of the village sweetshop. A brother who seems to have inherited his mothers condition who disappears into the woods for days at a time. A father who was unable to cope with the all of the above and left as soon as he could. This, plus a queer Gretel having feelings for the new girl in town who just happens to be the niece of the aforementioned sweet shop owner who has been persecuted by Gretel relatives, would have been enough for me to go on with. What Holst really succeeds with is a hint of fear and suspicion, a pinch of uncertainty and unreality, and a dash the fantastic all mixed into a bunch of cooking metaphors. .
A quick read, "bite-sized" if you will, with a sweet treat of a twist

I am a huge fan of fairy tale adaptations and retellings - or spins. This retelling of Hansel and Gretel - or sequel perhaps would be more accurate! - is good fun and beautifully written. Keeping to a lot of the traditional elements of Germanic folklore, it truly feels connected to the original Hansel and Gretel. The only issue I found with this is that the story is drawn out for no particular reason at times - the writing gets very wordy and really tempts you to skim past it - a note at the end of the book indicated this was extended from an originally published short story - I think it would have made a very good short story or even a long short story! As a part of a collection of fairy tale retellings/sequels/spins, it would have been a fabulous piece with some better character development or more severe editing of the slow sections. All in all, a successful story that will keep you looking out for more by this author.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Elna had done it again. In this retelling of Hansel and Gretel, there are aspects that we never considered. This is from Gretel's point of view. What happens when your childhood demons come to visit?

Quick, one sitting read that you will enjoy and want more of. Elna always leaves you wanting for more.

4.25 stars. This was such a fun and surprising adaptation of the classic fairytale. In fact, it is not really an adaptation, but more the story after. It’s a novella, so it was a short read and I flew through it.

The writing style really has this fairy/folk tale feel to it, the book is told in the third person from Gretel’s POV. She is a young woman now, still living in the same small town and stuck with a dysfunctional family. At the start, it all feels quite realistic, but slowly some of those fairytale signs come creeping up. Gretel is trying to find her way in life, but discovers that she’s still tempted by everything sweet.

This is one of those books that did not finish for me when I finished reading, just because I had to go over everything again to see how everything fits. I think this would make an excellent book for a book club as I for one would be able to drive a discussion for quite a while. While reading, you know there is more to the story, something is not being told, what is real, what is not, and my imagination ran wild with possibilities. The book made me guess until the end and did I guess right? No, so one more plus, it’s not predictable. I have to confess, my theories were far more out there, but I did like the final outcome. In the end, not all my questions were answered, I may have missed some points, but I think there are simply some things not fully explained. Did I mind, strangely enough, no. I enjoyed the ride and I love it when a book engages me so much that I start forming theories and need to know how it ends.

This was the first book I read by Holst, and I will read more by her for sure! If you like fairytales and their spin-offs you will likely have a good time reading this book, recommend!

I ADORED the concept of this book, and it absolutely lived up to expectations.
20 years after The Incident, Gretel finds herself still haunted by the well-known events of her chidhood. With her father moving away, her mother in a psych facility, and her brother still troubled (claiming to actually remember the witch trying to burn them alive, though psychologists have assured them it was just hysteria), Gretel tries to put the past behind her and focus on herself-- until someone moves into town, someone with a tie to the one person in town Gretel still has trouble facing. And now, things only get harder.

The tension in Gretel on Her Own is absolutely delicious. I wanted a million more pages, and yet, I think it was the perfect length. Absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes fairy tales, magic, dark tales, and sapphic content.

Gretel on Her Own is a great retelling of the classic Hansel & Gretel Fairytale.

The plot moves quickly and contains many twists that add a special something to this retelling. The writing style felt a bit disjointed to me, with long and wordy sentences that could have been more succinct. Occasionally you'll come along a Novella like this and imagine that had it been longer the reader might be able to better connect to the characters; this is one of those books.

Overall a great book for loves of Brothers Grimm.. Otherwise I might skip it.

I do love a sapphic fairy tale retelling/ sequel and this did not disappoint. It is a fairly short story and I read it in one sitting. Although it seemed to be a bit rushed, especially the romance, it is a re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel all grown up and was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The family has been torn apart due to the after affects of the children's time in the woods and Gretel is determined not to step foot anywhere near Frau Heckscher's sweet shop until she meets her niece, Dorothea, and everything changes.
For the majority of the story, the reader and Gretel are unsure of what is happening and who Dorothea is and what she is up to but this takes nothing away from the plot, in fact it only makes it more intriguing and you will want to keep on reading to find out what happens!
It is a cute and quick read that fans of fairy tales will be sure to love and it puts a new, interesting twist on a well known story.

DNFed at 37%.

My main problem with this book is that it's a little hard to get into it. The narrator uses so many deep and inaccessible words, it's a little hard for me because english is not my first language. I don't feel connected to the story or the characters. The narrator also has a habit of telling simple things with much more unnecessary flowery words that again, makes it hard for me to be fully immersed into the story and it also makes me confused.

It's a shame though, because Hansel and Gretel retellings are my favorites.