This book is going to be divisive, I know it. It sits firmly in weird-girl-lit, and is unsettling and disturbing and intriguing all with a sheen of familiarity. At times, it felt like a (very, very graphic) train wreck that was impossible to look away from. My stomach definitely turned at least once from each woman's retelling of their story.

And yet, I think I liked this author's interpretation of fairytales in a type of horror that rivals the Grimm's tales and through the lens of feminism. The author did an excellent job of making my heart break for each of our leading women, even the ones who were absolute bullies. And the narrarator was phenomenal, hitting the tone of some phrasing or jokes so perfectly -- 👩‍🍳👌🏼

Unlike other reviewers, I thought the ending was fine-good (but not great). I think it underscored that these women had been routinely and systematically manipulated and exploited for commercial gain. As much as I appreciate that some folks were hoping for a more "feminine rage"/vengeful ending... I think the reality is that we don't get the benefit of that in the U.S. (and here I'll remind folks that self-defense is informally not a defense afforded to women who are victims of DV/assault, as judges and juries alike tend to punish women for using violence to defend themselves - at least from studies from 2020 examining incarceration rates).

I would recommend this book with caution. This book spares no detail in retelling incredibly graphic stories in a way that toes the line with trauma porn. Please heed the content warnings and take care of your mental health first. I would say if you've previously enjoyed Chuck Tingles' work, you'll probably absolutely get a kick out of this story.

If you think I got something wrong in my review or misunderstood the author or text, I invite to you start a conversation in the comments!

There is no review that I can write that will do justice to this book so that is all i'm gonna say about it. Wow