by disguising herself as a boy, since that way she’ll likely do hard labor instead of being forced into sex work, as many young females are. It’s not all doom and gloom: The author makes several entertaining nods to classic fairy tales, sometimes directly and other times more generally (shoes, as they do in many fairy tales, play a crucial role in this novel). Rose’s aunties provide a touch of comic relief, with their nonstop banter complicating many conversations, whether they’re arguing or in complete agreement. The action picks up in the story’s latter half, and while the final act is definitely in no rush to reach the ending, the journey to get there is well worth it."⭐ 4.5/5(6)
