Anomalia's Phases

4/5  Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Sexual Assault, grooming, murder, guilt, descriptions of gore  Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Fairytale Retelling Published: May 2022 Another spoiler-free review. For a debut novel, Maria Adelmann has done an incredible job.  How to Be Eaten takes the lives of five woman who have lived through modern adaptations of fairytales. These fairytales get a new face with a modern twist.  Some things that people should keep in mind if they wish to read this novel, is that the chapters are pretty long. Each woman has her own chapter about her trauma. A tasteful writing technique was using multiple point of views throughout this book. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but Adelmann was able to execute this beautifully. Each chapter is in third person, however when the character is explaining her trauma, she speaks in first-person. Adelmann speaks well with using fairytales to have a deeper message. One that resonates with many--...

4.5/5 rating Genre: Fantasy Fiction Trigger Warnings: Forced marriage, decapitation, murder, suicide references,  fat shaming "'As it so happens, Mr. Jest, I've sometimes come to believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast" (Meyer 59). I love this adaptation of the Red Queen. She already has a strong female presence, but with Meyer's take, she stands out more.  It is quite hard to not compare this to the novel by Lewis Carroll. Despite the struggle, I will do my best to refrain from that. Cath only wishes to own the best bakery in Hearts and find true love. With the elegant description of these pastries, readers can't help but have their mouths water and a longing to try them. It was an excellent incorporation of the famous Wonderland tarts that the Red Queen was fond of. I also loved how Meyer's wrote a relationship between a young skinny man and a plus-sized woman.  Apart from the fatphobic relationship Cath has with her parents...

3.5/5 rating Genre: Greek mythology, historical fiction, novel, fantasy  Trigger Warnings: Mentions of rape, murder, subtle gore As one reads books required by the school, it's not expected to like the book. So, it was to my surprise that I enjoyed reading Circe by Madeline Miller.  This review will be a little different than some of my other reviews. Below is an essay that I wrote for Circe. Spoilers ahead.  Shipping Mythological Characters in Circe (2018) By: Milana Smith Whether it be Greek, Roman, or Norse, mythology is something that is incorporated within every culture. It is something that fascinates people, so seeing it become adapted is a draw to many. In Circe by Madeline Miller, Greek mythology became adapted with the incorporation of her own personal and mythological ships, to create a beautiful story. This is the story of the Goddess of Witchcraft, also known as the Witch of Aiaia named Circe. The character Miller created is engrossed in development and refe...