This was an interesting story/book. I didn't fully love this book but I did like some parts of the story. The ending did annoy me but in a way, I wish I had more to the story. There might be a chance I'll read more of her books especially when it comes to her wicked retellings. ( )

I'm a firm believer that it's a rare re-telling that's better than the original.

This is not that rare re-telling.

In general, I'm 'meh' about fairy tales anyway, at least as an adult, though I can't remember any I loved as a kid either. Even in my innocent youth I lacked romance. But I needed a fairy tale and this was on the FOTL shelves for a buck and the cover was pretty.

The star is for the pretty cover and for serving its purpose. Otherwise the writing was juvenile, which is fitting for a fairy tale, but the sex and language were not. Perhaps the dichotomy is part of the darkness of the re-telling, but it didn't work for me.

But what really didn't work for me was that the story didn't end. It didn't have a happy ending or a dark ending or a sad ending; it lacked any ending - it just stopped. No resolution for Snow White, the Woodsman, the elves or the witch. There's an epilogue, from the POV of a minor character, but it does nothing to offer any kind of closure. Again, probably part of the whole "dark retelling" but obviously, I'm not the target audience, because it didn't feel all that dark, or all that twisted, or all that wicked.

By the last page of the book, I felt nothing for any of the characters, which I guess is the best possible outcome since that means I won't waste any time wondering what the hell happened at the end??

I read this for the A Grimm Tale square for Halloween Bingo. ( )

After reading my first Sarah Pinborough book, Behind Her Eyes, I couldn't resist looking through her back catalogue. The amazing cover of Poison caught my eye and once I knew it was an adult retelling of the fairytale, Snow White, I just had to buy it. Even better, it's part of a trilogy with Charm (Cinderella) and Beauty (Sleeping Beauty) completing the set. I have to say that if you want to read these books, do go for the hardbacks as the colours when they catch the light are simply magical.

There is enough of the original Snow White story to be recognisable, with the huntsman, dwarves and poison apple, but Sarah Pinborough has cleverly embellished and twisted it to make this a story of Snow White as never told before.

It's actually hard to review this without giving away any of the plot. Ah but we already know the story of Snow White, you say...not this version you don't. Will Snow White get her happily ever after in this twisted tale? I'm not saying but suffice to say it captivated and entertained me from start to finish. At the appearance of the poisoned apple, I would have clapped my hands with glee if it didn't mean putting the book down. Not that I meant ill to Snow White, but we all know how the story goes...or do we?

Poison is fun, ingenious and risqué and I'd definitely recommend it to fans of Once Upon a Time. I can't wait to read the next two in the series. ( )

Okay, so I've been thinking about this retelling of Snow White tales for a couple weeks now. I really liked how Pinborough gave all the characters more depth. BUT. And it's a big one: I loathed that she chose to end it the way she did. Frankly, it really rubbed me the wrong way. All of a sudden Snow's submissive? Then she apologizes profusely for doing once what the Prince had done repeatedly in his past... Then all of a sudden people are dropping f-bombs?! Don't get me wrong, profanity isn't the issue, inconsistency is. If you're looking for subversive retellings, look elsewhere.

SPOILER BELOW

The Prince, who is sooooo in love with Snow when she's in the glass coffin and he thinks she's all purity and perfection, is repulsed when it becomes obvious Snow isn't a virgin and that she's being assertive their first night together as man and wife. He repeatedly tells himself that Dreamy lied to him, tricked him, that Snow isn't at all what he told the Prince and what the Prince fantasized about. Totally ignoring her kindness, generosity, and zest for life. Her obvious devotion to fairness and give and take in their relationship. And then he proceeds to trick Snow into drinking the apple, which he had liquefied so there's no chance of Snow coughing it up again, puts her back in the coffin, and says he now has the perfect wife he thought he was getting to begin with, to take home to show off to his kingdom and parents. GRRRRR!!! There's more bad news in the Epilogue... basically all the bad "guys" win in this one. Boooo!!!

This wasn’t good, and I’m disappointed. I like fairytale retellings but this didn’t bring anything different to the table. Unless you count all the unneeded sex scenes. Whhhyyyyy?? is every character so obsessed with sex. Ugh. Not what I wanted from Snow White. Sorry. I don’t need a detailed description of her nipples. Or to know that the Evil Queen gives good head. That’s not necessary to move the story along. Could’ve done without it completely. It doesn’t make the story edgy or interesting, it makes it gross.

I thought this book was written by a woman? These characters aren’t empowering or strong, or showing me something different. I don’t enjoy reading this garbage. Why is every single male character so disgusting? If you’re going to change a fairytale you need to make it interesting and different. This is not it. ( )