It's been a long time since I've picked up a fairy tale retelling that I liked so much. Usually, I find some major problems with them, or they're simply too predictable and I slouch through them. But this book was just the perfect combination of classic and original. Instead of the main character going through a traditional Sleeping Beauty arc, she aids another on hers and learns a bit about life along the way.
The characters in this book were all so well developed and perfectly loveable. I thought the author did a really good job writing about Zinnia's illness and how it's affected her. It felt so real and made sense in a way that representation like this usually doesn't. Of course, I have no similar experience of my own to relate it to, so I'm simply going off of my instincts. My one wish is that we got to see more detailed descriptions and experiences and that we had more time to settle into every scene.
I personally listened to the audiobook, something which I highly recommend. The narrator's voice felt perfectly suited to Zinnia and the story and she delivered the perfect amount of expression in her tone. The voices she gave to other characters, for example, Primrose, really added to the experience and made it easier to understand the author's ideas.
Overall, I loved it and cannot wait to see these characters expanded on in the next book.

The premise for this fairytale multiverse reimagining had me immediately. I’m a sucker for fairy tales and every way that they’re told. Eventually you’d think that they all blur together or stop feeling unique, but that wasn’t the case with this one. Bonus points that this story was set 20 minutes from my hometown.

We have a bisexual modern-day feminist meets secretly-lesbian medieval princess gone rogue scenario and I’m SO here for it. Zinnia is grim and quip in every way that I love for a heroine. For a cynical dying girl, she’s surprisingly easy to relate to. Her best friend Charm is truly a badass and I absolutely adored her.

The plot line was so fun to follow. I was surprisingly intrigued by the amount of times it caught me off guard. This was a super quick read and so much fun. I definitely recommend it!

Alix Harrow tells the story of Sleeping Beauty from a completely new perspective, and it is absolutely beautiful.
I was so enamored with it. One of my favorite kinds of stories are stories that tell other, popular stories in a different POV and adds so much characterization into it.

I loved that this book took a classic fairy tale and turned it into something inspiring. The characters are hilarious and though Zinnia is facing a terrible situation, her humor, strength, and grace shine through. I loved every minute of the narration. The narrator brought each character to life and let me feel the emotion of the story. There is some language, so if that's not your thing, here's your warning.
This twisty fairy tale was unlike any I've read before, and despite not having the ending I expected, I found I didn't mind the difference. Alix Harrow has a brilliant mind for fairy tales and her world-building allowed me to adventure far from home without having to take a single step. She understands her characters and allows them to be quirky, snarky, and exactly who they were meant to be. I look forward to more books by this author. And narrator!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this novella. I think I would have really loved it when I was closer to 25 than 35.
The narrator did a great job.
It feels like the story really picked up around the halfway point.

I do think I’ll be continuing on with the series.

This book is a Contemporary Fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty. At only 128 pavges, it's fun as hell!

I had so much fun with this one. A sick, dying girl gets pulled into another dimension where she teams up with none other than Sleeping Beauty to rewrite their stories. Full of badass characters (lgbtq included) proving you don't need a prince to have a happily ever after, and sometimes a "curse" is a blessing in disguise.

I truly enjoyed every moment of this one.

🎉HAPPY PUB DAY! 🎉 to one of my long time preorders!!! Thank you Beach Books!!! I read this in one sitting and I don’t ever get to say that!

🐝 R E V I E W 🐝

🔺A Spindle Splintered
(Fractured Fables # 1)

By Alix E. Harrow ❤️

👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼/5

🔺The Queen returns, with the first novella of a promising feminist series! This one is a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty. 🌈

🔹Of all the auto-buy authors I have, this might be my favorite. I will read anything she writes. Thank you @beachbooks for recommending The Ten Thousand Doors of January, that’s where it all started. I know a lot of you are reading The Once and Future Witches and I’m so excited for you! I wish I could experience that book for the first time again.

🔺SS Synopsis: Zinnia Gray is about to turn 21, which for most people is exciting. But Zinnia has a terminal illness and doctors have promised this will be her last birthday. Her best friend from day 1 is set on making her birthday special and leans in on Zinnia’s affinity to sleeping beauty, complete with a tower and spinning wheel. Just like the fairy tale, Zinnia pricks her finger but unlike the fairy tale she finds herself traveling through the multiverse and finding that there are many iterations of the sleeping beauty story.

🔹My thoughts: A strong, modern, feminist, queer retelling of a classic that has always been misogynistic. We all grew up with these stories, and therefore we all NEEDED this! Short and sweet (120 pages) but packs a major punch. I know it’s been touted at Sleeping Beauty meets Into the Spiderverse, and I agree, but I also got a feminist Peter Pan feel. Maybe even Alice in Wonderland 😂❤️ You’ll have to read to understand! I love that Alix Harrow created this story - princesses can determine their own fate!

🔺“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.”

🔹 “…for the first time it occurs to me that princesses grow up to be queens.”

Positives:
+ I love that I learned about more ‘sleeping beauty’ retellings than i had ever heard about AND that since the main character and the author obviously took such an interest in those tellings, that i now also have a burning desire to read them as well, just so I can connect more fully with THIS retelling.
+ I love that all the female characters were heroines in their own right. SO awesome.
+ The narrator did the most fantastic job. I loved her tone and cadence for the various characters. 10 of 10, would listen to again <3

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the heck out of this portal fantasy. There is something exceedingly refreshing about the way that Alix E. Harrow rewrote ‘sleeping beauty’ - maybe the dialogue, or the flipping it completely on its head, or it could even be the cast of almost all female characters. I like that I didn't think that ‘Sleeping Beauty’ could be made interesting and then BAM! Slapped in the face with this awesome short story. I can’t wait to see what the author does with whatever she decides to do a retelling of next.

Sleeping Beauty meets the multiverse and feminism, get into it!

“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.”

I loved A SPINDLE SPLINTERED, a modern remix of an old and, let’s be honest, shit for the ladies fairytale. This story follows Zinnia Gray, resident of Ohio and diagnosed with Generalized Roseville Malady. No one with GRM has lived past 21, giving Zinnia a strong affinity for the story of Sleeping Beauty (and, after finishing high school early, a dissertation on chronic illness and disability in European folklore). Her best friend, Charm, throws her an ironic Sleeping Beauty-themed birthday party involving a spindle and a high tower, accidentally casting Zinnia into a honest-to-god fairytale - and giving her a chance to change how her story ends.

A brief list of things to look forward to in this incredible little book:
- Smart and searing feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty, where the curse is both that of a medieval witch and a fatal illness caused by corporate malfeasance and lax environmental regulations
- Badass and grim-humored lead
- Brilliant and sassy queer best friend
- Gorgeous actually-not-as-helpless-as-she-seems medieval damsel in distress
- Surprise multiverse travel!
- Taking back the agency that’s been stolen from you
- Learning to take risks and live FOR something, instead of just running out the clock
- Lots of fun banter
- Nerd culture references
- Side sapphic romance
- Truly the most beautiful and loyal and tender best friendship
- Chronic illness rep
- Written in what I’m coming to recognize as Harrow’s signature style - rhythmic, magical, and sincere, with a heavy dash of wit and snark
- First in a fairytale retellings series (!!!)
- GORGEOUS art interspersed in the physical copy
- A lovely audiobook version, if that’s your thing!

Really enjoyed this one and I’m very excited to read what’s next in the series. Thanks Tor.com Publishing for the eARC and ALC!

Content warnings: mentions of suicidal ideation and sexual assault, some violence, chronic illness, hospitalization, brief HP references

This may be the shortest audiobook I have ever listened to! Though it was short, it was packed with adventure. Alix Harrow has given a modern twist on a classic fairy tale, and I loved it!
Zinnia is funny, brave and smart. She is the perfect heroine for young adult women. I loved the fight in her, and her drive to give women the right to their own happy ending. This is definitely a girl power kind of book, and will appeal to early highschool aged readers.
As an audiobook, the story was fantastic. The narrator did a great job with all the voices, adding humor and emotion when needed. I got so caught up in listening the story, with no real gage on when it would end, that I was disappointed it ended when it did. lol. Thankfully, the story is the first of a series, so there will be more!!

This story is a clever modern take on Sleeping Beauty with a feminist twist. Alix E. Harrow really knows how to write rich descriptions and complex characters. I couldn’t get enough!

I received the audiobook and from the first sentence to the last I was captivated. Amy Landon gave the characters unique voices and captured their personalities perfectly highlighting the differences between them. She really brought story and each one of them to life.

I am looking forward to the next installment of the series “A Mirror Mended” to see where the author takes Zinnia next. It cannot come soon enough!

I want to thank NetGalley, Alix E. Harrow and Macmillan Audio for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Author Alix E. Harrow is an absolute treasure and a major gift to literature. Her new book takes charge at Sleeping Beauty and the idea of a multiverse. Zinnia Gray is turning 21. While that's a big deal in most lives, it's even bigger because she has an extremely rare medical condition where no one has lived past 21. Exhausted, scared, and facing her mortality, Zinnia has been obsessed with the story of sleeping beauty since she was a child. Her best friend, Charm, goes all out for this possible final birthday. She goes to their regular spot in the tower of an abandoned facility and has fully decorated it for the full sleeping beauty experience, including a spinning wheel. As a joke, Zinnia pricks her finger, but finds herself in a different world. 

What follows is Zinnia trying to save sleeping beauty, but finding out that maybe the sleeping sickness was the greatest kindness that could have occurred. With a blend of other sleeping beauties in other universes,  readers get a bit of fantasy, a bit of sci-fi, and a fabulous fairy tale that keeps you involved the entire way. The audiobook of this story is performed by Amy Landon. 

A Spindle Splintered is available today from Macmillian Audio.

Rating 4.5
“A Spindle Splintered” was such a fun and unique sleeping beauty retelling. What makes this story special is the queer feminist take on a classic story. The author did a great job of taking a well known story and truly making it their own. Honestly, I was laughing from the first page due to the main character Zinnia. She has such a fun and blunt personality even though she is expected to die after her twenty-first birthday due to an illness. She spends what little time she has trying to please her family and her best friend Charm instead of living her life full of adventure. So when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel she finally uses this time to live a little. I absolutely loved Charm’s character. I thought she was just so charming (haha). Zinnia and Charm had such a sisterly bond it was heartwarming to see them interact with one another. Charm is the type of friend who would literally give her heart and soul if it meant saving Zinnia from her illness. She was ready to devote her whole life to finding a cure for Zinnia.

This book is filled with twists and turns, time travel, larger than life characters, laughable moments, and moments that will rip your heart out. Compared to other books I’ve read this one was definitely shorter and honestly, that didn’t bother me. I never felt like I was missing out on anything important due to the shorter length. I listened to the audiobook version and was happy that the story kept constantly moving. The narrator did a great job of keeping me interested and to me, I feel as though the narrator really connected with Zinnia’s character. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves a retelling that is unique, fun, and completely original.

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I have already listened to it twice! I adored Alix E. Harrow’s first book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so I was eager to give her newest offering a try even though I don’t usually rush to pick up fairy tale retellings. This was such a fantastic twist on Sleeping Beauty’s tale and the characters were utterly amazing. I found this story to be entertaining and thought-provoking from beginning to end.

Zinnia Gray is turning twenty-one at the opening of the story. That wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that Zinnia has a rare disorder that will most likely kill her before she makes it to her next birthday. Her best friend, Charm, decides to throw her a Sleeping Beauty party complete with a spinning wheel. When Zinnia pricks her finger on the spindle, she is thrust into another world where Sleeping Beauty’s life is as desperate as her own.

I loved the characters in this book. Zinnia was such a strong character. Her life has had a lot of challenges but I felt like her outlook was as positive as could be expected. I love that she wanted to help Primrose change her life and was able to rally others to make that happen. I felt like Zinnia showed a lot of growth during this story by learning to fight for herself and others. I also thought that the supporting characters were all expertly crafted, likable, and added a lot to the story.

Amy Landon did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I loved the way that she was able to bring Zinnia’s character to life. She added a lot of excitement and emotion to the story. This was just a really great listen!

I would highly recommend this story to others. The writing was superb and I really liked the modern elements brought into the tale. I thought that the multi-verse was well done and I liked what it brought to the story. I will definitely be reading more of Alix E. Harrow’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

A Spindle Splintered gives us a fresh take on a beloved fairytale most of use are familiar with; Sleeping Beauty. Zinnia Gray just turned 21 and it’s a special birthday because it will be her last! She has a rare condition that not doctors don’t have much knowledge on, the only certain thing up until now is that no one has lived past twenty-one. On her birthday she pricks her finger and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty that’s just as desperate as her to escape her fate!

The premise of this story is amazing; multiverse crashes with sleeping beauty plus the sapphic representation is the cherry on top. However, I didn’t love everything about it. All the perfect elements were there, but there was something missing. I think it could have been that I just didn’t connect with the main character at all. We aren’t given much time to care about her, before we find out she’s going to die anyway. Since that connection wasn’t established early on, I found I didn’t really care about the outcome of her story. When it came to the first Sleeping Beauty we meet, I realized I cared more about her and her story than about Zinnia.

Plot was good, concept was amazing, and overall the story is a quick and fast read. Personally I felt like something was missing, so I only gave it three stars; but I definitely think it’s a story a lot of people could enjoy. I would absolutely recommend it to friends and customers.

3.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/10/05/a-spindle-splintered-by-alix-e-harrow-review/

Zinnia Grey is a normal 21-year old—one that has but one year to live. Born with a rare illness, she’s grown up knowing that no one has ever lived past the age of 22. In spite of this—or perhaps because of it—Zinnia has developed a full-on obsession with Sleeping Beauty. Not the Disney version either, but the older, darker, Grimm’s one. And as such, it should be no surprise when her best friend Charm throws Zinnia a sleeping beauty bash, complete with a tower and spinning wheel.

But when Zinnia accidentally pricks her finger on the spindle, something strange happens. Something that sees her awaken in a strange tower, in a strange world, with a strange honest-to-god princess also keen to escape her own fate. Something Zinnia can relate to.

And, maybe, something she can help with.

A funny and entertaining retelling that unfortunately suffers from holes in its story, setting, and otherwise short format. What A Spindle Splintered does have is a full cast of badass heroines, and if that’s what you came for—that should be enough to see you through. A love-at-first-sight romance complete with a fully fairy tale ending, whereas the subject itself goes in an entirely different direction.

I rather enjoyed Zinnia’s POV (which is the only one in the book), particularly her wit and sarcasm, and the fact that she totally owns her disease enough to constantly refer to herself as “the dying girl”. This title even comes with its own set of rules of living—complete with swearing off distraction, romance, and school. The humor of this is pretty heavily self-deprecating, as Zinnia attempts to grapple with the reality of her own mortality, one that is now looming over her. It’s one thing to hear that you’ll never make it past 22—but when you get to 21 it all suddenly gets real. The way she copes with this (mostly through humor), and how her journey into a faerie tale makes her confront it again is quite the thing.

The story wasn’t a complete hit with me, I’m afraid. The setting is incomplete, something I feel the short format (as a novella) worked against it. There just wasn’t enough time to build up the faerie tale, little alone for the real world or Zinnia’s place in it. What might’ve otherwise been little details became glaring missteps when you realize that the entirety of the plot is resting on them. Like Zinnia’s cell working from a faerie tale. Or her friend just up and accepting this without comment.

A Spindle Splintered may not have blown me away, but it’s done more than enough for me to recommend it, particularly to those that need a competent, badass heroine role-model, have a love for retellings, LGBTQ+ stories, novellas, and/or Alix E. Harrow. Where I have trouble recommending this is its price. $11 for a 120 page ebook? Ridiculous. Heck, the audiobook is cheaper, and that way you get to listen to the honeyed tongue of Amy Landon—something which I did, by the way. Landon did an excellent job bringing both Zinnia Grey, and the rewritten Sleeping Beauty fable to life. Still, maybe get it on sale.

My 17yo daughter and I listened to this audio and loved it !
It is a great reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and a great start to a new series. Finally the princess takes charge of her destiny !
We both already loved this author, my daughter liked Once and Future Witches a lot and I was quite delighted by 10.000 Doors of January but we were both surprised at this wonderful novella after those heftier tomes. The character development especially as relates to the main character Zinnia was fabulously done with such little space !

A Spindle Splintered is a wonderful, fun and wildly creative retelling. It is a quick read, however it adventures through heavy topics of life, love, death and sisterhood. I liked the chronic illness representation and Zinnia’s candid thoughts about growing up with a fatal illness hanging over her and how it affected her relationships. A more lighthearted tale than A Fault In Our Stars but still great not silly representation (spoiler alert: there is no simple magic cure which I think is important if you touch this topic).

A reimagined "Sleeping Beauty" but with a sci-fi twist and a way more strong-woman centric storyline.

At her 21st Birthday, Zin attends a little shin-dig thrown by her best friend Charm complete with a spinning wheel and all the musical background! This birthday is not as cheery as it should be because Zin knows those with her disease never reach 22. At this party, she intentionally pricks her finger to play the part and is thrown into another universe where another princess isn't supposed to make it past her 21st either.

I wondered at first if this would be a bit silly and YA level reading. It wasn't! It was definitely grown up. Lots of sarcasm and explicatives! There are a lot of different issues that are touched upon in this novella beyond breaking down the tired trope of the prince always saving the princess in distress. It didn't go super deep, but I did appreciate the deeper issues raised specifically of living, really living in a world where our time is limited as are the lives of those we love. There were some really funny moments and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio. It was a very fun, quick, remake of a familiar story with a satisfying ending.

The narrator, Amy Landon, did a really good job with all the voices and I felt carried along the tale!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own, and this is definitely one to pick up and enjoy today!

4.5/5

I 100% agree with Zinnia Gray that sleeping beauty was never given a voice in her fairytale. She pricks her finger, falls asleep, and doesn't wake up until the end of the story. For that reason, sleeping beauty has always fallen on the back burner. Alix E. Harrow's modern retelling gives Sleeping Beauty life!

When Zinnia Gray reaches her 21st birthday, she knows she is just counting down the clock until her life threatening illness kicks in. No one with her disease has ever made it to their 22nd birthday. As an avid Sleeping Beauty fan, Zinnia's best friend Charm celebrates her birthday in style with a Sleeping Beauty party complete with a spinning wheel. Zinnia pricks her finger and is transported to a whole new world complete with another sleeping beauty.

I loved this modern rendition. The characters were likable and the audiobook had a good mix of humor and emotion. The audio reader was fantastic and drew me in. I can't wait to read more modern retellings by Harrow!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for granting me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun twist on a classic story! I loved Zinnia and her snappy comebacks. Like, who flips off a queen?? ZINNIA DOES.

This book was too short, but mainly because I just loved it and wanted more!!!

-fairytale retelling
-a self aware MC
-queer characters
-destroying gender roles
What more could you need?!

I really enjoy Alix E Harrow's writing and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!!