Read This F@!%ing Book (49)

Welcome to a feature I'm going to post on Mondays called:

Read This F@!%ing Book!

This is a feature for me to push my favorite reads that just aren't getting enough attention! 

I'm also opening it up to anyone who would like to guest post. Do you have a book that you just LURVED but feel like its not getting the play it deserves? Email me to let me know and I'd be THRILLED to have you post about it here! Especially if its something I haven't reviewed yet - that's even better (but not necessary)! If you're interested email me: 

Goldilox3weres@hotmail.com

 This week's post comes from our very own: 
Rose Red!

Read This F@!%ing Book Post 49: Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

(Click book cover to go to Goodreads page)

Remember me saying I was rereading a lot of my favorite books from my childhood and teen years? Well, it's been nonstop Robin McKinley books at my house for the past couple of weeks. My best friend once told me that Robin McKinley is an acquired taste. Which I can see from watching him read her books. If it's not apparent yet, I absolutely adore her books, but even I will admit that a lot of people won’t. McKinley has an unusual way of writing sentences that sometimes turn them into paragraphs. It is a very unique style and it’s one that I LOVE!

The one word that comes to mind to describe this story is ‘odd’. It’s a wonderfully odd fantasy placed in an odd setting and filled with odd yet loveable human and animal characters. The narrative style is detailed, quirky, and often had an edge of subtlety that required the full attention of the reader. It is so beautifully written. McKinley masterfully wove an elaborate story of high adventure, mischievous magic, mystery, foreshadowed the potential greatness of the involved characters and then somehow broke all of the stereotypes that the reader was expecting. Who else but Robin McKinley would write a book where magic works on inanimate objects as well as living things? Imagine having to convince your tea kettle that it is in fact a tea kettle and not something else. Overall, the story feels homey to me. Every time I read it I want to jump inside the book and live in the little cottage with Aunt, Katriona, and Rosie forever.

As much as I love it, Spindle’s End is a book you have to take with a pinch of salt. It is not perfect. I found some parts of the story frustrating but I had forgotten them by the end. One thing I really admire about Robin McKinley is that she doesn’t give you the ending you expect. It did not end the way I hoped it would but I’m glad it ended the way it did. This is definitely a case where the author knows best. The story needed to end the way it does even if it wasn’t the way I would have wanted it to. It all ties in with how McKinley focuses so much on the characters and their development. She actually develops Rosie’s character from infancy to womanhood and that is a time-consuming investment for both her and the reader. But it is oh so worth it in the end. All of the classic elements of the original fairy tale are included such as the princess in hiding. The story takes on a life of it’s own and is quite unlike any fairy tale retelling I’ve ever read.

This is a fantastic story that is done perfectly. You fall in love with the characters slowly and then all at once. The ending was both unexpected and satisfying in the way that you hate and love the author simultaneously for. Spindle’s End was exceedingly well done.

Recommended for fans of: 
I recommend this to fantasy readers who enjoy epics like J.R.R. Tolkien’s.