Welcome to Litsy!

Wow what a great story and an awesome twist at the end!

For the rest of my review, visit my Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/iigW1X7comE

Enjoy!

#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #booktattoo #booktree #bookthief #booktopia #booktoday #bookyourself #bookunion #bookutopia #bolunicorn #bookunicorns #bookunhaul #bookish #bookishfeature #bookishfeatures #bookishlife #booksoflitsy #bookobsessed #bookobsession #bookoholic #bookoholics #bookperson #bookpeople #bookpassion #bookpicture #bookpictures #bookphoto #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #Fiction #Retellings #Audiobook #NewAdult #Feminism #FairyTales 🐴📚💓

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

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 ❤️‍🩹

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.

The castle seemed to grow from the cliffs that cupped the shoreline.
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #firstline #openingline #book #books #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookshefie #bookshelfies #shelfie #shelfies #bookstack #bookstacks #bookstore #bookshop #bookshopper #bookshopping #stack #stacks #bookdeal #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #YoungAdultFantasy #Retellings #Fiction #NewAdult #Feminism ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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.

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.

#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #book #books #bookfeature #bookfeatures #bookfair #bookfan #bookfans #bookfandom #bookfever #bookfanatic #bookfrenzy #bookgeek #bookgeeks #bookgeeky #bookgang #bookgasm #geek #geeks #geeky #bookhoarder #bookhoarders #bookhaul #bookhauler #bookholic #bookholics #bookheaven #bookjunkie #bookjunkies #bookjunky #bookjacket #bookjackets #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #YoungAdultFantasy #Retellings #Fiction #NewAdult #Feminism 💝💝

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 💗💗💗

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 💘💘

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 🖤🖤

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

So far I am 100 pages in and liking it so far! 👍

The castle seemed to grow from the cliffs that cupped the shoreline.
#Damsel #ElanaKArnold #firstline #openingline #book #books #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #bookshelves #bookshelfie #bookshelfies #shelfie #shelfies #bookstack #bookstacks #stack #stacks #bookstore #bookshop #bookshopper #bookshopping #booksale #bookstore #bookdesign #bookdesigner #bookdeal #Fantasy #YoungAdult #Dragons #YoungAdultFantasy

Thanks @RamsFan1963 for the tag!
1. Mysteries
2. Hmmm…
#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

2021 || No. 2

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!

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.

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.

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. ⬇️

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

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

[#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...

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! 😍

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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

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.

To become king, Emory must defeat a dragon and save the Damsel but is he really a hero?

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⬇️)

I treated myself to this beauty yesterday and so excited to start!!

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.