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Sweetly Fairy Tale Retelling Jackson Pearce Books

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Sweetly Fairy Tale Retelling Jackson Pearce Books

This remix of Hansel & Gretel is a must for all fairytale buffs, young and old, but beware. Jackson Pearce's version is darker, more grisly version of the story you heard as a child and scary enough to make you question the original.

I was drawn in from the first page with the story of how Gretchen and Ansel lost their sister to the witch in the forest when they were young. Pearce kept me engaged with the depth of detail in her writing and her smooth story telling.

After both of their biological parents die, Ansel and Gretchen stepmother kicks them out, sending them off on a quest to start over. Gretchen has been living in the shadow of her sister -- a girl whose name hasn't even been mentioned in years -- and she feels like part of herself is missing. She is the half that survived, and for years she has wondered why. Why wasn't she the one who was taken?

When their car breaks down in Live Oak, South Carolina, the siblings believe they've hit a streak of bad luck. Busted car, no cash, and everyone in town is treating them like pariahs. The plan is for Ansel to do some work for the owner of the local chocolate shop, Sophia Kelly, but plans quickly change as he and Gretchen become attached to her. Their unplanned detour and newfound friend may be just what they needed to leave their old lives behind.

But just as Gretchen gets comfortable her fear of the woods comes roaring back. Girls have gone missing in the tight-knit southern town and it's all too eerily familiar for Gretchen. Enter Samuel Reynolds, who saves Gretchen from a brush with death and the witch she thought she left behind in Washington years ago and gives her the chance to stamp down her fear for good.

Sweetly held true to the slow build that classic fairytales tend to have, yet the pace felt off somehow. I wanted more action. Things got intense occasionally, but intrigue prevailed. My interest was often piqued and still there was no payoff. I thought that if I held out and absorbed all the clues that the end would be worth the wait. Like a good mystery novel, I was waiting for the big reveal. That aha moment when it all comes together.

If you've ever read a well constructed mystery novel then you know what I'm talking about. The story held me because it was beautifully written and carefully pieced together like a complex mosaic, but I didn't feel my heart racing as the bigger picture was revealed. In fact, with the exception of one small facet (which I won't reveal to avoid spoilery), I predicted the plot twist well before the characters put it all together. Perceptive readers will likely do the same.

That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy the Sweetly. Some of the smaller reveals in the story are very emotional moments, including Gretchen's realization about the witch and Sophia's confession. Watching Gretchen and Samuel's relationship unfold was one of my favorite parts of the book. They are two extremely guarded people who very slowly, over the course of the novel, dare to be vulnerable with each other. The brief moments they share early on are pure magic and the trust built between them is unshakable.

Despite a somewhat predictable plot, Sweetly is such a multi-faceted book that is definitely worth a read. It's difficult not to become invested in these characters and the relationships they build and destroy.


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Sweetly Fairy Tale Retelling Jackson Pearce Books Reviews

One sunny afternoon in the forest turns into a nightmare for Ansel and Gretchen when Gretchen's twin sister is stolen by a witch. When the girl never returns, Ansel and Gretchen's parents both eventually die from grief, leaving them to the care of their stepmother who throws them out of the house shortly after Gretchen turns eighteen. Not sure what the future holds, the pair head cross country in hopes of starting a new life. When they make it to South Carolina, Ansel's Jeep gives out, and the pair find themselves in the town of Live Oak with only a few dollars to their name. Soon, they find themselves working for Sophia, a beautiful and charismatic candymaker who's house and shop are on the outskirts of town. Ansel and Gretchen are useful in the chocolatier, and the three become fast friends. Gretchen is still haunted by the memories of her sister, however, and is plagued with fear of the woods surrounding Sophia's house. Her fears are worsened when she learns that Live Oak has a terrible secret that seems to involve Sophia, a secret that sounds eerily similar to what happened to her sister years before. Could the witch have followed Ansel and Gretchen to their new home in Live Oak?

This clever spin-off of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel makes for a very entertaining and unique read that is scary at times but always enjoyable. The novel opens with Ansel and Gretchen as children playing in the woods with their sister, Gretchen's identical twin. When their sister is stolen by a witch with golden eyes, Gretchen is haunted not only by memories of the terrible incident, but with guilt over the fact that she survived but her sister did not. When the pair wind up in Live Oak, South Carolina, the author does an excellent job of slowly building up the suspense over what will inevitably be another encounter with the witch from their past. One of the major ingredients in the sense of foreboding that the novel invokes are the forests surrounding the small town. Anyone with any sense of trepidation over forests will undoubtedly find what lurks within the trees unsettling and sometimes downright creepy. Pearce does an excellent job of taking the novel to some scary places, but never pushing it over the edge into pure horror. Overall, an original take on an old tale that readers are sure to enjoy.

I am a huge fan of fairy tale spin-offs and this is definitely one of my favorites. The whole concept of the creature lurking in the woods, waiting and watching really creeped me out, but also increased my enjoyment of the novel even more. Pearce really knows how to set the stage for a dramatic climax in the story. I also found myself genuinely caring about the fates of Ansel, Gretchen and Sophia, which made the novel that much more engrossing. I hope Pearce continues to write novels like this! I will certainly be reading them!

Like my review? Go to my profile to find the link to my blog to see other books I recommend!
This remix of Hansel & Gretel is a must for all fairytale buffs, young and old, but beware. Jackson Pearce's version is darker, more grisly version of the story you heard as a child and scary enough to make you question the original.

I was drawn in from the first page with the story of how Gretchen and Ansel lost their sister to the witch in the forest when they were young. Pearce kept me engaged with the depth of detail in her writing and her smooth story telling.

After both of their biological parents die, Ansel and Gretchen stepmother kicks them out, sending them off on a quest to start over. Gretchen has been living in the shadow of her sister -- a girl whose name hasn't even been mentioned in years -- and she feels like part of herself is missing. She is the half that survived, and for years she has wondered why. Why wasn't she the one who was taken?

When their car breaks down in Live Oak, South Carolina, the siblings believe they've hit a streak of bad luck. Busted car, no cash, and everyone in town is treating them like pariahs. The plan is for Ansel to do some work for the owner of the local chocolate shop, Sophia Kelly, but plans quickly change as he and Gretchen become attached to her. Their unplanned detour and newfound friend may be just what they needed to leave their old lives behind.

But just as Gretchen gets comfortable her fear of the woods comes roaring back. Girls have gone missing in the tight-knit southern town and it's all too eerily familiar for Gretchen. Enter Samuel Reynolds, who saves Gretchen from a brush with death and the witch she thought she left behind in Washington years ago and gives her the chance to stamp down her fear for good.

Sweetly held true to the slow build that classic fairytales tend to have, yet the pace felt off somehow. I wanted more action. Things got intense occasionally, but intrigue prevailed. My interest was often piqued and still there was no payoff. I thought that if I held out and absorbed all the clues that the end would be worth the wait. Like a good mystery novel, I was waiting for the big reveal. That aha moment when it all comes together.

If you've ever read a well constructed mystery novel then you know what I'm talking about. The story held me because it was beautifully written and carefully pieced together like a complex mosaic, but I didn't feel my heart racing as the bigger picture was revealed. In fact, with the exception of one small facet (which I won't reveal to avoid spoilery), I predicted the plot twist well before the characters put it all together. Perceptive readers will likely do the same.

That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy the Sweetly. Some of the smaller reveals in the story are very emotional moments, including Gretchen's realization about the witch and Sophia's confession. Watching Gretchen and Samuel's relationship unfold was one of my favorite parts of the book. They are two extremely guarded people who very slowly, over the course of the novel, dare to be vulnerable with each other. The brief moments they share early on are pure magic and the trust built between them is unshakable.

Despite a somewhat predictable plot, Sweetly is such a multi-faceted book that is definitely worth a read. It's difficult not to become invested in these characters and the relationships they build and destroy.