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Damsel
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. Its all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale. As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.
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AroundTheBookWorld
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Elana Kuczynski Arnold is an American children's and young adult author. Her 2017 novel What Girls Are Made Of was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and her 2018 novel Damsel was named a Michael L. Printz Award Honor title in 2019.

#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #book #books #bookbag #bookbags #bookbinding #bookbeau #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Fiction #YoungAdultFantasy #Retellings #NewAdult #Feminism #FairyTale

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AroundTheBookWorld
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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And in her bed, surrounded by cats, the queen mother watched through her window as a great opaline dragon cut across the sky and disappeared, singular, into the night.
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #lastline #closingline #book #books #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookshelfie #bookshelfies #bookstack #stack #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Fiction #YoungAdultFantasy #Retellings #NewAdult #Feminism ❤️‍🩹

review
cottagelantern
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
Pickpick

4 ⭐️s
for a book that only took me a day to read, I have a LOT of thoughts. I didn‘t fully realize until after I finished this that the story is an allegory for rape, and the fact that the story can be carried without that realization is impressive to me. upon that realization, I saw so many subtle hints woven throughout the tale. I liked the MC a lot. biggest gripe with the story: frequent lewdness. definitely adult and not YA. look up the TWs.

4 likes1 stack add
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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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review
KittenColossus
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Panpan

The first thing that caught my attention was the cover. So pretty; the glass motif is very fitting for the content. But this is definitely a case that shows that judging a book based on its cover goes both ways. There are very few instances that I can think of where I have thrown a book while reading it, and this was the first time I did so out of disgust. Even the creeping feeling that I knew what Emory‘s third weapon was didn‘t curb my ire.

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Victoriahoperose
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Panpan

This read like a grown up fairy tale. It was okay but honestly I felt like the story was majorly missing something. It just ended abruptly and didn‘t really lead up to the ending well. I‘m glad it was a short and quick read, but I wasn‘t really a fan of the writing or the story.

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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Roary47 I wish it was just 50 for me. 😅 2y
Gissy 🙋🏽‍♀️📚📚📚📚📚but I‘m happy, I can‘t die, too many books to read🤣🤣🤣 2y
28 likes3 comments
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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

This was such a beautifully written book. It really gets you thinking. It has such elegant symbolism throughout the story. It‘s such an empowering story it is definitely one of my favorites. I would definitely read this over and over again. This is such an important book to be read right now. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #book #books #bookvibe #bookvibes #bookvsfilm #bookvsmovie #bookbag #bookbags #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Feminism 💗💗💗

25 likes1 stack add
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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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The story centers around a young girl who discovers what it means to be a damsel in distress when she's forced to marry a mysterious, dangerous prince.
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #book #books #bookperson #bookpeople #bookpassion #bookpicture #bookpictures #bookphoto #bookphotos #bookphotograph #bookphotographer #bookphotography #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #shelfie #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Retellings 💘💘

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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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And in her bed, surrounded by cats, the queen mother watched through her window as a great opaline dragon cut across the sky and disappeared, singular, into the night.
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #lastline #closingline #book #books #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookshelfie #bookshelfies #shelfie #shelfies #bookstack #bookstacks #stack #stacks #bookstore #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Retellings 🖤🖤

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KateReadsYA
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Definitely a book for a woman needing to feel empowered again. I enjoyed it, especially the ending!

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KateReadsYA
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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So far I am 100 pages in and liking it so far! 👍

GondorGirl This was an emotionally difficult read at times, but AMAZING. 3y
KateReadsYA @GondorGirl yes, I am feeling that! So far the part where he kills the momma cat had me wanting to throw the book! 3y
15 likes2 comments
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VioletMoonBooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Sharpeipup
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Thanks @RamsFan1963 for the tag!
1. Mysteries
2. Hmmm…
#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Thanks for playing and happy Tuesday! 3y
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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wideeyedreader
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m so glad I chose to read this for school! It‘s such an interesting, unique take on the damsel rescued from a dragon story, and how forcing a woman to be a compliant toy hurts her.

Sharpeipup Love the cover! 3y
KateReadsYA I have this on my list, I can't wait to read it. I received your book today and I am so excited about it. Thanks for the generosity. 💖 3y
wideeyedreader @KateReadsYA It‘s really good! I‘m glad the book got to you safely! 3y
31 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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ea.ae
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Mehso-so

2021 || No. 2

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LostInSpace
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

This was unexpected, such a massive twist at the end!

A fairytale turned into a girl with power, a girl who isn‘t going to let a man rule her life or make choices for her.

Powerful, original and really addictive, I enjoyed this one a lot!

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm That cover! ❤️😍🤤❤️ 3y
33 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Writeme
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

I‘m totally in a “feminism through fairytales” kick, and this is a great addition to the genre. I listened to the audio book, which was terrific. So dark, so powerful, and so good.

KarouBlue This was trippy, but also sooo good! 4y
8 likes1 comment
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ulrichyumiodd
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

I must say that I already knew the biggest spoiler before starting the book. Yet, it did not truly spoil the story in any way. Perhaps it was even more interesting to know. I can‘t say that I “enjoyed” the book; in truth, it messed me up emotionally. But it was definitely a good read, apart from a few details I thought were unnecessarily provocative.

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UnabridgedPod
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

I finished Elana K. Arnold's Damsel on the @unabridgedpod flight back from @podfestexpo. Well, actually, I finished it while we were in the midst of a delay leaving the airport in Orlando. And this book is so good, friends, that I. Didn't. Care. about the delay. (Well, not much, anyway.) What a brilliant book!⠀

This YA novel opens with Emory, a handsome prince of the fairy tale variety, on his way to fight a dragon and rescue a damsel. ⬇️

UnabridgedPod Does he know her? No. But to become king, he has to (1) kill a dragon and (2) rescue a damsel . . . who will then, of course, become his wife and queen (whether she wants to or not). We see events through Emory's eyes as he climbs a tower, finds the dragon, outsmarts the dragon . . . and then we shift to the damsel's perspective. She has no memory of her captivity or of anything before the rescue. ⬇️ 4y
UnabridgedPod She's not sure who she is, until Emory names her. He chooses the name Ama because a woman's name should be "open." Huh. Feel free to read into that one! ⠀

Arnold sets EVERYTHING from the fairy tales that I really love on its head. It's just brilliant in the questions it asks, the tropes it pokes at, and the underlying message about a woman's agency to choose her own path in a fairy tale. ⬇️
4y
UnabridgedPod It's just brilliant in the questions it asks, the tropes it pokes at, and the underlying message about a woman's agency to choose her own path in a fairy tale. 4y
18 likes3 comments
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AudiobookingWithLeah
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Mehso-so

BOOK TAGS⇣

⤏ DARK FAIRYTALE RETELLING
⤏ QUITE SEXUALLY CRUDE & SHOULD COME WITH A WARNING
⤏ WITH A FORCED SEXUAL ACT...BUT NO ACTUAL SEX
⤏ DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YA TO ME
⤏ A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS...
⤏ WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE NEEDED RESCUING

See My Full Review Here: https://leahsbookishobsession2.blogspot.com/2020/02/review-damsel.html

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Johanna414
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

It's been awhile since a book grabbed me so hard as this one did. I could not put it down! This feminist reimagining of classic fairy tale tropes was such a powerful musing on what its like to be a woman in a man's world - but with dragons!

46 likes1 stack add
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Johanna414
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Starting this while I do some #audiocooking during the kids‘ nap time. I‘ve been craving some Italian wedding soup - although I cheated and bought frozen meatballs

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GondorGirl
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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37 likes1 stack add
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kaykay521
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
Bailedbailed

Listened on audio for a little over an hour or so, it‘s not holding my attention and I have a HUGE stack...maybe I‘ll return to it some other time.

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Cortg
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

Wow! Read this for a work training on Monday. This one totally took me by surprise! It‘s YA fantasy, but DEFINITELY mature YA as there were LOT of triggers and mature themes throughout the story. Basically a prince slays a dragon to become king as tradition entails, is horrible to “his damsel” but the ending is nothing like I expected! This will make a great discussion with my coworkers in the car next week!

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Foragingfantasy
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
Mehso-so

Ok this is not YA. It has several triggering moments. I actually skipped a few chapters in the middle. The last couple of chapters saved the book.

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MusicallyMorgan
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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1. Tagged book! Although I‘m still on page one. 🤷‍♀️
2. Probably “Cinder.” It‘s always Cinder.
3. Eight, plus two ebooks.
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

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MistyNichole
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
Mehso-so

I bought this book last fall but it sat on my shelf until last night when I pulled it off to read, based on some negative reviews. It is a National Book Award Finalist, but I am not sure I can see what makes it so. The story begins like a typical fairy tale -- prince slaying a dragon, rescuing the damsel, going on to live happily ever after. Then it changes. The last three pages are really WTF moments. I'm still trying to process the ending.

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xxjenadanxx
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
Pickpick

Every King of Harding must conquer a dragon & save a damsel before he can claim the throne. At just 20, Emory‘s time has come & within days he‘s returned to the castle with his betrothed, Ama, who has no memories before waking in his arms. As Ama spends more time in the castle she realizes things are not as they seem. The castle is little more than a cage, Emory her captor.

A feminist spin on the traditional fairytale. Sorrowful and satisfying.

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xxjenadanxx
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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I started this one today for ‘A Book Chosen Because You Love the Cover‘. It‘s so pretty, I couldn‘t resist it!Hopefully the story will be just as beautiful.

11 likes1 stack add
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emtobiasz
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Mehso-so

This book uses the frame of a fairy tale— prince defeats dragon & rescues princess— to tell a larger story about gaslighting, assault, and rape culture. I wish that had been better communicated in the cover design and description. I think it‘s a good book, but it‘s so unrelenting in its depiction of misogyny I can‘t say I enjoyed it. All the trigger warnings here if you need them. #hubchallenge19 #ya

emtobiasz Also, ppl on Goodreads/around the internet are using this book to jumpstart a conversation about what makes a book YA vs adult and trigger warnings and appropriateness. I don‘t know that I have a lot to add to that, other than I‘m glad these conversations are happening. I‘m not against this being in YA at the library but I‘m not sure how I‘d decide when to recommend it or what audience it best serves. 5y
61 likes1 comment
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HeathersReadingHideaway
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

[#BookReview] Damsel by Elana K. Arnold. Damsel is about waking up female in a man's world. It's about power, and abuses of power by powerful men. It's about secrets. It's about pride, and anger, and action. Arnold takes the anger she has about the way the world treats women and puts it all in this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

https://heathersreadinghideaway.blogspot.com/2019/03/book-review-damsel-by-elana...

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Onceuponatime
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

LOVED THIS. I so enjoyed the simplicity of this modern, “mature-themed” fairy-tale. And yet what seemed like a simple story was so deep and powerful and beautiful...I just love writers who can do this. And that cover! 😍

ReadingRover I just finished this too and I loved it. 5y
Linear Ook gorgeous cover! 5y
35 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Endowarrior21
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Thank you so much for my #happilyeverafterswap package @Chrissyreadit I love everything the candy looks good and holy moo cow the treasure box sadly one of the candles shattered. And the other is cracked but I will make it work. That print is pretty and I can‘t wait to read the books.

Chrissyreadit Glad you like it. Sorry about the candles. 5y
bullbunny Wow! 5y
Avanders Ooooh 😍😍😍 5y
53 likes3 comments
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MarriedtoMrT
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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I‘m so far behind on review posts that I don‘t even know where to start. So here‘s a book I haven‘t read. Isn‘t it gorgeous? Damsel won a Printz Honor this year and I do plan on reading it at some point (when I can handle being gutted, from the sound of the reviews) but for now it will be returned to the library for another lucky reader.

Johanna414 I‘ve been anxiously waiting for a student to return this so I can read it! 5y
47 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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swynn
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

This is a wow-- both for readjusting my ideas about how YA fantasy works, and for doing it so well. It's a feminist re-vision of "handsome prince slays dragon and rescues rescues fair damsel." It is uncompromising (warning: scenes of sexual assault), eloquent, and effective. I picked this up to prepare for a children's literature festival later this spring, though I expect there the author will talk about her works for a younger audience.

27 likes2 stack adds
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Chrissyreadit
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

This #retelling for #booked2019 is a dark unique sleeping beauty. It is Grimm in the way of Grimes original fairy tales. I did not love the story - but I did love the writing and originality. The story was heartbreaking (to me).

Cinfhen Great review!!! 5y
alisiakae I love the darker retellings. 5y
grumpygirlbooks I didn‘t love the story either 5y
See All 7 Comments
ReadingRover I just got it on Audible. I hope I like it. It seems like my type of book. 5y
Chrissyreadit @ReadingRover I look forward to your review. 5y
Cinfhen Are you using this book or the other book ( a curse so dark) for #booked2019 😜😜i have this one entered but it‘s fine to switch 5y
Chrissyreadit @Cinfhen I forgot about Damsel! I thought I still had fairytale retelling on my to do.... my happy place is hard! I‘m reading an amazing non fiction book but it is slow going. 5y
95 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Akire1
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
Pickpick

Holy hell! That was not at all what I expected. Sorrow becomes fury becomes freedom.

1 like1 stack add
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TNbooklover66
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Pickpick

My first audiobook of 2019 was really good. I mean look at that cover. Plus dragons 🐉 #audiobook #dragons #ya #ireadya

aeeklund The narrator of this one was so fantastic, too. 5y
11 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chrissyreadit
Damsel () | Elana K. Arnold
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This is definitely a book I judged by its cover and had to treat myself to. Now that I‘m on break I‘m trying to pick my next read: this, Lonesome Dove, The Golem and the Jinni, or Emergency Contact.

KarouBlue Oh man - toss up between this and Lonesome Dove. Although this is a quick win compared to LD! 5y
Ruthiella Lonesome Dove is awesome but long! 😀 I‘ve not read The Golom and Jinni yet but the covers for it that I‘ve seen are also very beautiful! 5y
78 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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introvertedbooks
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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To become king, Emory must defeat a dragon and save the Damsel but is he really a hero?

22 likes1 stack add
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glitterkitty459
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Me, 20% into this book: Hmm do I even want to keep reading this one?? :/
Me, one (1) hour later reading the last pages and crying: What did I just read? Really good, I think? 😭💞

If you want a fierce, painful, and heartbreaking fairytale featuring dragons 🐉 and cats 🐈 then this is for you

(But also I would put a definite Trigger Warning for several different things- more about in comments⬇️)

glitterkitty459 Trigger Warnings for animal abuse, rape, and self-harm/ suicide mentions 5y
Marilyncjackson The cover is beautiful 5y
bg_reads I'm glad you mentioned the triggers. 5y
Texreader Love the bleeding heart flowers on the cover. I wish they grew in Texas. 5y
90 likes12 stack adds4 comments
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Elisa
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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I treated myself to this beauty yesterday and so excited to start!!

GypsyKat Ooooo it‘s so pretty!!! 5y
Elisa @GypsyKat the photo doesn‘t even do it justice. This is such a beautiful cover, it looks like the flames and flowers are coming out of the book! It‘s so atmospheric and just made me want to read it even more 😅 5y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Sarahandhella
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Mehso-so

I have read a lot of reviews on Good Reads after finishing this book. I agree with most people that are concerned this is aimed at YA. There are a lot of triggers in this book. That said, I am an adult and I could handle all the icky parts. I think that the writing was beautiful, and the concept was interesting. Will I read it again or buy it? Probably not.

Sarahandhella Had no picture of the book, so I had to use my dragon puppet picture from two years ago 🤣 5y
4 likes1 comment
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Karen3
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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Mehso-so

I have sat on this review all night because I really don‘t know what to say other than that was weird. It obviously kept my attention because I finished it quickly but it‘s not one of my favorites. Parts of it had me wondering. But that cover.... for that it gets 3🌟

Linsy Beautiful! ♥️ 5y
34 likes1 comment
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aeeklund
Damsel | Elana K. Arnold
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And then some days you end up accidentally chatting with an author you admire on Facebook. (!!!???!!! 😱😱😱)

She graciously responded again and said she so thanked me for saying so. I‘m just going to go be dead for a while...

#booksellerlife