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Dark and Deepest Red
Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.
Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
With McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.
Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.
With McLemore's signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2020
205 people are currently reading
25861 people want to read
About the author
Anna-Marie McLemore
32 books3,502 followersAnna-Marie McLemore (they/them) is the author of William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist The Weight of Feathers; Wild Beauty; Blanca & Roja, one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time; Indie Next List title Dark and Deepest Red; Lakelore, an NECBA Windows & Mirrors title; and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, which was also a Stonewall Honor Book; The Mirror Season; and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. Their latest release is Venom & Vow, co-authored with Elliott McLemore, and Flawless Girls will be released by from Feiwel & Friends in May 2028. Their adult debut, The Influencers, is forthcoming from Dial Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 888 reviews
February 18, 2021
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’d know that any new release by McLemore pulls me along like a child who has hold of my sleeve. I’ve read all of their books, and was racked by them. Each time I turned the last page, I wanted to hold their stories for a while in the quiet undercurrents of myself, until their edges are worn smooth as creek stones. I thought reading Deep and Darkest Red would feel just as familiar, like slipping into your favorite pair of shoes. But this novel lacked the sort of alchemy that made the author’s previous books so indelible to me, and holding on to this particular story felt like trying to hold on to smoke or shadow.
McLemore’s new book, “Deep and Darkest Red,” slips through the fissures of recorded history the way smoke rises through dense canopy to illuminate known stories from a new perspective. Without giving too much away, this novel weaves together two distinct timelines: the first is grounded in the present time, and the other traces its way back to 1518 in Strasbourg.
Rosella and Emil were familiar to each other: the brown of their skin and their family heritage set them apart from the rest of their friends, but it also hung between them like a tiny sun, radiating warmth, remaking their faces in red and gold.
Rosella’s Latinx heritage came with magic, and it sank into her very self, like taproots. During a week of October of every year, the “glimmer” touches every pair of red shoes her family makes and leaves stories too, strange and dreamlike—tales of enchantment, of quarreling neighbors turning into friends who exchange recipes, and pining lovers falling into each other’s arms. But this year, a fine layer of gloom settles on Rosella’s shoulders like a dusting of snow when the red shoes her grandparents sewed make her dance with a fury like a fever—a horror reminiscent of the dance plague that racked Strasbourg in 1518.
Emil has always regarded his family’s history as a graveyard; segments of it were buried there, lying in separate graves, and he had no intention of reviving them, lest they open up like a hungry mouth, and swallow him in one gulp. Still, Emil wondered about it constantly, like a cut on the inside of his mouth he could never stop worrying with his tongue. And it came to him in dreams: Lavinia, a five-centuries-ago ancestor who chose to try to find a different way a young Romani woman might live in the world, her kind and fearless trans lover Alifair who refused to shrink like a nail under the hammer of their town’s ire, and the secrets that bound them together far more tightly than anything ever could.
As the story hops back and forth between them, these two young lovers—separated by centuries undergo travels and transformations and gradually learn that they’re young enough to carry fear with them without letting it into their hearts.
Young adult fantasy gets a jolt of diversity with Deep and Darkest Red, a hearty novel that’s a meditation on family, heritage, love, and the magic mixed up in them, while exploring themes of gender and sexual identity with grace and acute sensitivity. It’s also a powerful illustration of a difficult truth that sifts down to many of us only by degrees, but which nonetheless leaves an imprint on our souls, like tyres on the desert sand: that hate is baked into our history no matter its evolving shape, that there are people who believe they are more valuable to the world, as though they hold it in the lightness of their skin, and that the world has little mercy, but it does have heart, and it’s strong and defiant, and much like the characters in this book, it goes on despite its scars.
The novel’s biggest triumph, for me, lies in the way the story dwells in a place where the real and the fantastic blur, creating a fluid feeling of not knowing precisely where reality leaves off and fantasy takes over and leaving layers of mystery for the reader to unfold. Sometimes it felt the characters were drifting into a kind of reverie that was more mystical than material, and it was in those moments that I remembered how much I loved McLemore’s storytelling with an intense, penetrating relief. But it was a fleeting feeling, forever elusive like a lover’s face receding in the mist, when it’s dampened by the prosaic characters and their too-forgettable point of views, the lack of tension and suspense in the back-and-forth structure, and the absence of some unknown factor that could have turned this story from just okay to utterly splendid.
That said, if you have yet to read a McLemore novel, please do not let this review discourage you. I really recommend you still pick one of their earliest works!
If you liked this review please consider leaving me a tip on ko-fi !
History, no matter who writes it, cannot hide the blood on its hands. But neither can it hide those who lived it.
McLemore’s new book, “Deep and Darkest Red,” slips through the fissures of recorded history the way smoke rises through dense canopy to illuminate known stories from a new perspective. Without giving too much away, this novel weaves together two distinct timelines: the first is grounded in the present time, and the other traces its way back to 1518 in Strasbourg.
Rosella and Emil were familiar to each other: the brown of their skin and their family heritage set them apart from the rest of their friends, but it also hung between them like a tiny sun, radiating warmth, remaking their faces in red and gold.
Rosella’s Latinx heritage came with magic, and it sank into her very self, like taproots. During a week of October of every year, the “glimmer” touches every pair of red shoes her family makes and leaves stories too, strange and dreamlike—tales of enchantment, of quarreling neighbors turning into friends who exchange recipes, and pining lovers falling into each other’s arms. But this year, a fine layer of gloom settles on Rosella’s shoulders like a dusting of snow when the red shoes her grandparents sewed make her dance with a fury like a fever—a horror reminiscent of the dance plague that racked Strasbourg in 1518.
Emil has always regarded his family’s history as a graveyard; segments of it were buried there, lying in separate graves, and he had no intention of reviving them, lest they open up like a hungry mouth, and swallow him in one gulp. Still, Emil wondered about it constantly, like a cut on the inside of his mouth he could never stop worrying with his tongue. And it came to him in dreams: Lavinia, a five-centuries-ago ancestor who chose to try to find a different way a young Romani woman might live in the world, her kind and fearless trans lover Alifair who refused to shrink like a nail under the hammer of their town’s ire, and the secrets that bound them together far more tightly than anything ever could.
As the story hops back and forth between them, these two young lovers—separated by centuries undergo travels and transformations and gradually learn that they’re young enough to carry fear with them without letting it into their hearts.
“Powerful men may count you as lowly as an animal, Lavinia,” he says, “but remember that the Lord counts men hating you as a sign of that which is holy within you.”
Young adult fantasy gets a jolt of diversity with Deep and Darkest Red, a hearty novel that’s a meditation on family, heritage, love, and the magic mixed up in them, while exploring themes of gender and sexual identity with grace and acute sensitivity. It’s also a powerful illustration of a difficult truth that sifts down to many of us only by degrees, but which nonetheless leaves an imprint on our souls, like tyres on the desert sand: that hate is baked into our history no matter its evolving shape, that there are people who believe they are more valuable to the world, as though they hold it in the lightness of their skin, and that the world has little mercy, but it does have heart, and it’s strong and defiant, and much like the characters in this book, it goes on despite its scars.
The novel’s biggest triumph, for me, lies in the way the story dwells in a place where the real and the fantastic blur, creating a fluid feeling of not knowing precisely where reality leaves off and fantasy takes over and leaving layers of mystery for the reader to unfold. Sometimes it felt the characters were drifting into a kind of reverie that was more mystical than material, and it was in those moments that I remembered how much I loved McLemore’s storytelling with an intense, penetrating relief. But it was a fleeting feeling, forever elusive like a lover’s face receding in the mist, when it’s dampened by the prosaic characters and their too-forgettable point of views, the lack of tension and suspense in the back-and-forth structure, and the absence of some unknown factor that could have turned this story from just okay to utterly splendid.
That said, if you have yet to read a McLemore novel, please do not let this review discourage you. I really recommend you still pick one of their earliest works!
“Those who go looking for demons always find them,” Tante says. “Even in angels.”
If you liked this review please consider leaving me a tip on ko-fi !
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January 15, 2020
I've given every Anna-Marie McLemore 5 stars, so this is a bit of a surprise even to me! Trying to sort out my feelings is hard because the story telling I know and love was still there. Their vivid descriptions and dynamic characters—still there. The passion and personal connection you can just FEEL in their work—absolutely there. Obviously this and each one of their titles is deeply important to so many readers, what with the characters and representation Anna-Marie offers.
So why was this one just okay for me? I think it's one part the amount of characters and the time we had with them; each section was only 2-3 pages before switching perspectives, which definitely kept things fast paced and interesting, but ultimately was a little jarring. The thing with dual timelines and dual (or a manifold of) perspectives, is sometimes you'll love one section, or one character more than others, and in this case some of the sections were just stronger. I wanted more time to connect and understand the magic and setting and history before being whisked off to another moment.
The other part is hard to qualify without referencing their other work, which I hate to do as comparing other titles should have no impact on my enjoyment of a stand alone novel—but the fact is I feel like I've read these characters before. It's like when the same cast from American Horror Story plays totally new characters season to season. The story is still fresh and interesting, but the faces are the same. It felt familiar. Which could be great for some readers, but ultimately too conventional for what I was looking for. I've seen these character traits before from this author, felt this same chemistry before, the same interactions, saw the same scenes play out, like the classic McLemore life-altering-moment-set-in-a-body-of-water scene. It was all GOOD, just not the most impactful read I've had.
If this is the first or second Anna-Marie McLemore you're checking out, highly recommend. If it's the fifth? It may be a little monotonous. But that's just me!
This ARC was kindly provided by the lovely people at Raincoast Books.
So why was this one just okay for me? I think it's one part the amount of characters and the time we had with them; each section was only 2-3 pages before switching perspectives, which definitely kept things fast paced and interesting, but ultimately was a little jarring. The thing with dual timelines and dual (or a manifold of) perspectives, is sometimes you'll love one section, or one character more than others, and in this case some of the sections were just stronger. I wanted more time to connect and understand the magic and setting and history before being whisked off to another moment.
The other part is hard to qualify without referencing their other work, which I hate to do as comparing other titles should have no impact on my enjoyment of a stand alone novel—but the fact is I feel like I've read these characters before. It's like when the same cast from American Horror Story plays totally new characters season to season. The story is still fresh and interesting, but the faces are the same. It felt familiar. Which could be great for some readers, but ultimately too conventional for what I was looking for. I've seen these character traits before from this author, felt this same chemistry before, the same interactions, saw the same scenes play out, like the classic McLemore life-altering-moment-set-in-a-body-of-water scene. It was all GOOD, just not the most impactful read I've had.
If this is the first or second Anna-Marie McLemore you're checking out, highly recommend. If it's the fifth? It may be a little monotonous. But that's just me!
This ARC was kindly provided by the lovely people at Raincoast Books.
June 30, 2021
Considering: giving up on historical fiction forever.
There is just something about the way that old-timey-but-actually-it's-new-timey-it's-just-pretend stuff is written that I cannot cope with.
This is only 50% set in forever ago times, but that fifty percent was so snooze worthy that it actually permeated throughout the wonders of modern life.
This was only my second Anna-Marie McLemore, but the other one was so much more magicky and lovely and fun.
This was none of that. But then maybe I'm just cursed to dislike every ARC I receive until I'm blackballed by the publishing industry. (Speaking of...thanks, publisher...also sorry.)
Bottom line: Honestly I don't even know why I 3 starred this!
--------------
pre-review
currently: yawning very hard.
both because i keep forgetting to drink my coffee and because this was kind of a snooze?
review to come / 3ish stars
--------------
currently-reading updates
reading my second anna-marie mclemore book just days after my first. that's pride, baby
also this is an ARC i'm reading a year and a half late.
--------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
There is just something about the way that old-timey-but-actually-it's-new-timey-it's-just-pretend stuff is written that I cannot cope with.
This is only 50% set in forever ago times, but that fifty percent was so snooze worthy that it actually permeated throughout the wonders of modern life.
This was only my second Anna-Marie McLemore, but the other one was so much more magicky and lovely and fun.
This was none of that. But then maybe I'm just cursed to dislike every ARC I receive until I'm blackballed by the publishing industry. (Speaking of...thanks, publisher...also sorry.)
Bottom line: Honestly I don't even know why I 3 starred this!
--------------
pre-review
currently: yawning very hard.
both because i keep forgetting to drink my coffee and because this was kind of a snooze?
review to come / 3ish stars
--------------
currently-reading updates
reading my second anna-marie mclemore book just days after my first. that's pride, baby
also this is an ARC i'm reading a year and a half late.
--------------
reading all books with LGBTQ+ rep for pride this month!
book 1: the gravity of us
book 2: the great american whatever
book 3: wild beauty
book 4: the affair of the mysterious letter
book 5: how we fight for our lives
book 6: blue lily, lily blue
book 7: the times i knew i was gay
book 8: conventionally yours
book 9: the hollow inside
book 10: nimona
book 11: dark and deepest red
Read
January 19, 2020I've had a few reasons to not rate books over the years. But sometimes the reason is simply because I honestly don't know what the book deserves. This here is one of those times.
This is my first McLemore despite hearing nothing but wonderful magical things about their writing for.. years. And I can admit, this was magical and at times wonderful. But did I enjoy the experience? I'm not sure. There is so much to be gained by this story, the message within, the truths, the history.. some moments really did wow me. But, again, was this ever actually enjoyable? Not really? So I'm not rating it.
Would I recommend? Maybe. If you've read and loved this author before, I think this is going to be another winner for your shelf. With the added bonus of it being a queer retelling. For someone new to this author? I don't know if this is one to rush out and read. But if you're curious, feed the beast. Borrow it from your library.
I still have every intention on working through some of McLemore's backlist.. so maybe that, right there, says it all. Or at least enough.
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
This is my first McLemore despite hearing nothing but wonderful magical things about their writing for.. years. And I can admit, this was magical and at times wonderful. But did I enjoy the experience? I'm not sure. There is so much to be gained by this story, the message within, the truths, the history.. some moments really did wow me. But, again, was this ever actually enjoyable? Not really? So I'm not rating it.
Would I recommend? Maybe. If you've read and loved this author before, I think this is going to be another winner for your shelf. With the added bonus of it being a queer retelling. For someone new to this author? I don't know if this is one to rush out and read. But if you're curious, feed the beast. Borrow it from your library.
I still have every intention on working through some of McLemore's backlist.. so maybe that, right there, says it all. Or at least enough.
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Read
October 31, 2019DNF... I’m just not feeling it. I tried but I don’t find any of the character’s views interesting. The love sprung up out of nowhere since there’s an 11 years jump. All of a sudden Lala wanted to kiss Alifair and Emil saying he likes Rosella long ago but when did that happen? I hate to DNF but I just don’t care to find out the ending.
March 26, 2021
[3.5] like any other mclemore book, i couldn't do anything else but sit in silence after finishing, in awe of their writing.
in other words: i loved it.
in other words: i loved it.
March 26, 2021
"We are more than what we've survived."
I've realized that I cannot review a Anna-Marie McLemore book. Why?? Because they write with such effortless magic that's it's nigh impossible to define the power of it in a review. I have been swept away by everything they've written, all of their stories shamelessly queer and lovely fairytales that draw me in every time. No, they are not the greatest examples of writing nor something that I can shriek about how perfect it is on all levels BUT they really are magic of the best kind. And so long as that magic remains, that is where the true power of their stories comes from.
'History, no matter who writes it, cannot hide the blood on its hands.
But neither can it hide those who lived it.'
I received a digital ARC from Feiwel & Friends via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes in the review and reading updates were taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
I've realized that I cannot review a Anna-Marie McLemore book. Why?? Because they write with such effortless magic that's it's nigh impossible to define the power of it in a review. I have been swept away by everything they've written, all of their stories shamelessly queer and lovely fairytales that draw me in every time. No, they are not the greatest examples of writing nor something that I can shriek about how perfect it is on all levels BUT they really are magic of the best kind. And so long as that magic remains, that is where the true power of their stories comes from.
'History, no matter who writes it, cannot hide the blood on its hands.
But neither can it hide those who lived it.'
I received a digital ARC from Feiwel & Friends via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes in the review and reading updates were taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
September 8, 2023
pre-review:
”a brutal fairy tale. the true medieval events that may have inspired it. two girls of color, 500 years apart. and the queerest ending I've ever written.”
I CAN’T WAIT!!!
”a brutal fairy tale. the true medieval events that may have inspired it. two girls of color, 500 years apart. and the queerest ending I've ever written.”
I CAN’T WAIT!!!
January 31, 2020
This book was so beautiful and important and had so many important elements weaved into it, I can't possibly coherent about it right now.
That above is a previous update, right after I finished the book, and now, a month later, as I came here to finally write a (brief) review, I'm finding that it still holds true. Although this isn't one of my favorite Anna-Marie Mclemore's book the quiet words within its pages still had a big impact on me.
So if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for books with two timelines with actions of the past having an impact on the people of the present, and that's exactly what DARK AND DEEPEST RED DOES. It follows Rosella and Emil who are childhood friends living in the same small town and are the two minority kids in their class, Rosella is Latina and Emil is Romani. Rosella's family makes red shoes and as Rosella makes her won pair, it seems to be enchanted, trapping her feet and making her dance uncontrollably. Then in the past, Lavinia, a Romani girl, is peacefully living in Strasbourg in the 16th century while hiding her ethnicity because her people are being hunted, chased out and killed, but then people start uncontrollably dancing and dying from the dance plague and fingers start being pointed in her and her aunt's direction.
So yes, this is in many ways a Red Shoes retelling, with many elements of the original story sprinkled in both timelines, but the author puts their own magical spin on it. At its core this is a story of prejudice, racism and xenophobia and the kinds of coping mechanisms people my use to face the oppression that comes with it. It's a powerful story of embracing who you are in a world that's set on hating you and making you hate yourself. This story also shows that even 500 years apart things aren't as different as they might seem, as sad as that sounds, AND that the actions of our ancestors aren't always as resolved as we think they are and they might catch up with us no matter how hard we try to ignore them.
DARK AND DEEPEST RED has Anna-Marie's staple quiet whimsical writing threading this story together, and although as times I wasn't unsure I was 100% sold on it or really invested in what was happening, that kept me reading, which is something I was grateful for at the end when both stories started overlapping and the connections between them started to unfold and as our main characters grew and came into themselves. This story has also another character who doesn't have a POV but is Lala's (Lavinia) love interest and he's a trans boy. And I really liked how all these elements came together to make this book what it is.
That above is a previous update, right after I finished the book, and now, a month later, as I came here to finally write a (brief) review, I'm finding that it still holds true. Although this isn't one of my favorite Anna-Marie Mclemore's book the quiet words within its pages still had a big impact on me.
So if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for books with two timelines with actions of the past having an impact on the people of the present, and that's exactly what DARK AND DEEPEST RED DOES. It follows Rosella and Emil who are childhood friends living in the same small town and are the two minority kids in their class, Rosella is Latina and Emil is Romani. Rosella's family makes red shoes and as Rosella makes her won pair, it seems to be enchanted, trapping her feet and making her dance uncontrollably. Then in the past, Lavinia, a Romani girl, is peacefully living in Strasbourg in the 16th century while hiding her ethnicity because her people are being hunted, chased out and killed, but then people start uncontrollably dancing and dying from the dance plague and fingers start being pointed in her and her aunt's direction.
So yes, this is in many ways a Red Shoes retelling, with many elements of the original story sprinkled in both timelines, but the author puts their own magical spin on it. At its core this is a story of prejudice, racism and xenophobia and the kinds of coping mechanisms people my use to face the oppression that comes with it. It's a powerful story of embracing who you are in a world that's set on hating you and making you hate yourself. This story also shows that even 500 years apart things aren't as different as they might seem, as sad as that sounds, AND that the actions of our ancestors aren't always as resolved as we think they are and they might catch up with us no matter how hard we try to ignore them.
DARK AND DEEPEST RED has Anna-Marie's staple quiet whimsical writing threading this story together, and although as times I wasn't unsure I was 100% sold on it or really invested in what was happening, that kept me reading, which is something I was grateful for at the end when both stories started overlapping and the connections between them started to unfold and as our main characters grew and came into themselves. This story has also another character who doesn't have a POV but is Lala's (Lavinia) love interest and he's a trans boy. And I really liked how all these elements came together to make this book what it is.
Read
August 1, 2019i desperately need this book in my life
July 20, 2020
not to be dramatic but i would pay anna-marie mclemore to step on me
Dark and Deepest Red is Anna-Marie McLemore's fifth novel, and the third of their's that I have read. Somehow, I fall more in love with each McLemore novel I've read; I love each one more than the last, and that stayed true with their latest work.
Dark and Deepest Red is a re-telling of Hans Christian Anderson's "Red Shoes," told in three different perspectives. The novel switches between a more current timeline and a storyline 500 years ago in Strasbourg 1518. In current times, we read the story of Rosella and Emil - Rosella's family are shoemakers, and after she sews together a pair of red shoes, she is forced to uncontrollably dance, while Emil's family line descends from the origins of this curse 500 years ago, and he might be the only one with the answers Rosella is looking for. Then, we also read the story of Lavinia Blau, or Lala, in 1518, who gets blamed for the dancing curse that afflicts hundreds of people due to the color of her skin.
As usual, McLemore paints a beautiful picture with their lyrical words, but they also pack a powerful punch in a magical story that tackles real issues.
I did not expect to fall in love with the historical aspect of this story so much - taken from real history - but it was absolutely fascinating. McLemore exquisitely examines the discrimination against Romani and LGBTQIAP+ people that has existed throughout history.
Lala and Alifair's story is so powerful - it is a tale of magic and cruelty, of love and resistance; it is a tale of standing tall in that face of a hateful world. Their journey is powerful, and their ending is especially beautiful.
In recent times, we delve into Rosella and Emil's stories, separately and together. Again, there is something so magical about the way McLemore writes their stores; they manage to give their narratives a contemporary teenage feel, and still a fantastical and magical vibe.
The two teens' connection together is so evident, and it adds so much to an already rich story. Rosella and Emil are so powerful as individuals, and they are powerful together.
Reading McLemore's work is like entering another world for a period of time, and their work is simultaneously a magical escape and an honest depiction of realistic cruelties.
thank u for ur service anna-marie mclemore
i would like to end this review by saying i would die for rosella and emil and any author that can make me fall for a m/f relationships deserves e v e r y right
representation: romani main characters, latina main character, trans boy primary character, various queer side characters
trigger warnings: racism (specifically against romani and latinx people), homophobia/transphobia (ALL CHALLENGED), death
disclaimer: i received an arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this in no way impacted my opinion.
"'We can't ask him to hide everything about himself,' his father said. 'He didn't do anything wrong.'
'When has that ever mattered?'
Dark and Deepest Red is Anna-Marie McLemore's fifth novel, and the third of their's that I have read. Somehow, I fall more in love with each McLemore novel I've read; I love each one more than the last, and that stayed true with their latest work.
Dark and Deepest Red is a re-telling of Hans Christian Anderson's "Red Shoes," told in three different perspectives. The novel switches between a more current timeline and a storyline 500 years ago in Strasbourg 1518. In current times, we read the story of Rosella and Emil - Rosella's family are shoemakers, and after she sews together a pair of red shoes, she is forced to uncontrollably dance, while Emil's family line descends from the origins of this curse 500 years ago, and he might be the only one with the answers Rosella is looking for. Then, we also read the story of Lavinia Blau, or Lala, in 1518, who gets blamed for the dancing curse that afflicts hundreds of people due to the color of her skin.
As usual, McLemore paints a beautiful picture with their lyrical words, but they also pack a powerful punch in a magical story that tackles real issues.
I did not expect to fall in love with the historical aspect of this story so much - taken from real history - but it was absolutely fascinating. McLemore exquisitely examines the discrimination against Romani and LGBTQIAP+ people that has existed throughout history.
Lala and Alifair's story is so powerful - it is a tale of magic and cruelty, of love and resistance; it is a tale of standing tall in that face of a hateful world. Their journey is powerful, and their ending is especially beautiful.
"Because so often, that was what being Romani meant. It meant being blamed. It meant holding your ground as best you could, because if you gave every inch they asked for, they would drive you off the earth. And sometimes it meant they did anyway."
In recent times, we delve into Rosella and Emil's stories, separately and together. Again, there is something so magical about the way McLemore writes their stores; they manage to give their narratives a contemporary teenage feel, and still a fantastical and magical vibe.
The two teens' connection together is so evident, and it adds so much to an already rich story. Rosella and Emil are so powerful as individuals, and they are powerful together.
"My story was not fairy tale of a cruel-hearted girl whose shoes danced her to death, or a kindhearted one who threw her red shoes into the river. This was not a story about a wicked queen made to wear iron heels, or a lovely, golden-haired girl in slippers of glass.
This had been about a fever, a nightmare, a dance made into a curse.
It was about women turning their own fears into their sharpest blades."
Reading McLemore's work is like entering another world for a period of time, and their work is simultaneously a magical escape and an honest depiction of realistic cruelties.
thank u for ur service anna-marie mclemore
i would like to end this review by saying i would die for rosella and emil and any author that can make me fall for a m/f relationships deserves e v e r y right
representation: romani main characters, latina main character, trans boy primary character, various queer side characters
trigger warnings: racism (specifically against romani and latinx people), homophobia/transphobia (ALL CHALLENGED), death
disclaimer: i received an arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. this in no way impacted my opinion.
February 9, 2022
The blurb sounded to be something I would enjoy very much. Liked the play on the dancing shoes and place. However the audiobook didn't quite work for me. The story didn't make me as intrigued as I had hoped but it wasn't a bad story by any means. Just wasn't my cup of tea. Would try something else by Anna Marie McLemore in the future though
dnf
January 24, 2020DNF at 60%
i’m just bored and not focused and the audiobook is weird
i’m just bored and not focused and the audiobook is weird
Read
February 27, 2021ever late to the party but!! here I am (finally) reading my first anna-marie mclemore book!! hope everyone's proud 🥰
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April 30, 2020This was my first experience with this author and I can't say I'll probably be picking up anything else by her 👀 I wanted so badly to love this! The premise sounded so darkly whimsical and inriguing, I expected to be swept up and bewitched, but instead it was beyond underwhelming, disconnected and I was bored out of my bloody mind 😫
The chapters in this are super short, 6 pages max, but usually only around 4. You barely get your feet under you in one time period before you're whisked off to the modern time period and vice versa. It's flitting back and forth so much, with such short chapters that you don't get ANY time to connect to ANY of the characters in either time period. I couldn't care any less for the characters than this book made me 😖 Particularly Emil & Rosella in the modern time period. They were so flat n boring, omg just STOP! I was ever so slightly more interested in Lala & Alifair, and honestly I might've been able to press on and finish the book if it was just about them. But alas, it wasn't 😔
Lala insisting on keeping Alifair at arms length frustrated me as well. He was already "in danger" because he lived with them & was apprenticing to her Tante. Lala ignoring him only hurt him 😤
There's also a lot of cultural terms in here that I stumbled over and probably would've helped give authenticity to the story if I knew what they meant. A glossary at the front would've been sooo beneficial for this.
Anyway, I struggled and pushed, crawled and cried trying to get through this ever flitting, confusing & disjointed novel 😭 But in the end it beat me into the ground 🔨 I had 54% to go to finish in 2hrs time before the library sucked my ebook away 🔜 I gave up in defeat cause there was just no way I could finish it in time ⌛
So it's DNFed at 46% 🚫 If my renewed reservation comes in any time within the next month I may try and finish it, but we'll see 😶Since there wasn't an ounce of interesting bits in the 46% I got through I don't feel like there's much hope of that improving in the latter part of the story 😣
If anyone has read any of the other books by this author and would recommend them let me know. I don't want to completely write off an author based on just one of their books 😞
The chapters in this are super short, 6 pages max, but usually only around 4. You barely get your feet under you in one time period before you're whisked off to the modern time period and vice versa. It's flitting back and forth so much, with such short chapters that you don't get ANY time to connect to ANY of the characters in either time period. I couldn't care any less for the characters than this book made me 😖 Particularly Emil & Rosella in the modern time period. They were so flat n boring, omg just STOP! I was ever so slightly more interested in Lala & Alifair, and honestly I might've been able to press on and finish the book if it was just about them. But alas, it wasn't 😔
Lala insisting on keeping Alifair at arms length frustrated me as well. He was already "in danger" because he lived with them & was apprenticing to her Tante. Lala ignoring him only hurt him 😤
There's also a lot of cultural terms in here that I stumbled over and probably would've helped give authenticity to the story if I knew what they meant. A glossary at the front would've been sooo beneficial for this.
Anyway, I struggled and pushed, crawled and cried trying to get through this ever flitting, confusing & disjointed novel 😭 But in the end it beat me into the ground 🔨 I had 54% to go to finish in 2hrs time before the library sucked my ebook away 🔜 I gave up in defeat cause there was just no way I could finish it in time ⌛
So it's DNFed at 46% 🚫 If my renewed reservation comes in any time within the next month I may try and finish it, but we'll see 😶Since there wasn't an ounce of interesting bits in the 46% I got through I don't feel like there's much hope of that improving in the latter part of the story 😣
If anyone has read any of the other books by this author and would recommend them let me know. I don't want to completely write off an author based on just one of their books 😞
March 13, 2021
You can see this review and many others on my Blog
In this retelling of the classic story "The Red Shoes", this story is told in alternating perspectives. One set in 1518 Strausburg, France.
A dancing fever takes over its residents compelling them to dance without stopping and some to death. As rumors of witchcraft and demon possession spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia Blau.
Our second perspective set five centuries later, when a pair of red shoes seals to Rosella Olivia's feet, making her fall under this fever, It draws her to a boy who might help.
Emil has closed himself off from his family history, but in order to help Rosella, Emil will have to find the truth of what happened centuries ago.
I had never read a book by Anna-Marie McLemore, so I didn't really know what to expect. Any expectations I had were completely blown away!
This book was beautiful. Their writing is so whimsical and atmospheric, the pacing was amazing, the characters were well fleshed out.
I loved every single character in this book, the relationships were amazing and the ending was just absolutely perfect.
In the beginning, I preferred one perspective to the other, but by the end, I was so eager to see what would happen to both perspectives.
I will definitely be picking up more books by this author ASAP!!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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"We are more than what we've survived"
In this retelling of the classic story "The Red Shoes", this story is told in alternating perspectives. One set in 1518 Strausburg, France.
A dancing fever takes over its residents compelling them to dance without stopping and some to death. As rumors of witchcraft and demon possession spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia Blau.
Our second perspective set five centuries later, when a pair of red shoes seals to Rosella Olivia's feet, making her fall under this fever, It draws her to a boy who might help.
Emil has closed himself off from his family history, but in order to help Rosella, Emil will have to find the truth of what happened centuries ago.
I had never read a book by Anna-Marie McLemore, so I didn't really know what to expect. Any expectations I had were completely blown away!
This book was beautiful. Their writing is so whimsical and atmospheric, the pacing was amazing, the characters were well fleshed out.
I loved every single character in this book, the relationships were amazing and the ending was just absolutely perfect.
In the beginning, I preferred one perspective to the other, but by the end, I was so eager to see what would happen to both perspectives.
I will definitely be picking up more books by this author ASAP!!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Blog | Instagram | TikTok
December 16, 2021
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Lala & Emil (mcs) is Romani; Rosella (mc) is Latina; Alifair (li) is a trans man.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
▷ Representation: Lala & Emil (mcs) is Romani; Rosella (mc) is Latina; Alifair (li) is a trans man.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
Want to read
July 30, 2019ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
Want to read
October 24, 2019Romani Girl
Trans Boy
Hans Anderson's retelling!
I mean , Anna-Marie McLemore can just start barging in and ask people for money and I'll be okay with it.
I thank all the gods for an ARC opportunity! (Lol , thanks Edelweiss and MacMillan)
Trans Boy
Hans Anderson's retelling!
I mean , Anna-Marie McLemore can just start barging in and ask people for money and I'll be okay with it.
I thank all the gods for an ARC opportunity! (Lol , thanks Edelweiss and MacMillan)
January 17, 2020
I feel bad that this was my first Anna-Marie McLemore book because oh man, this is not what I expected.
This was such a choppy read. The decision to split the story into three perspectives, then split it again into third person present tense, third person past tense and first person past tense, and then split it AGAIN into these tiny three page chapters makes each little section feel very self-contained. I kept having to actively remind myself that the chapters were all connected because it was such a disjointed read.
Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing style is definitely lyrical and beautiful at times, but between all their floaty metaphors and the choppy structure, there’s no time to get to know the characters. Which is frustrating, because there’s some really important themes in here about loss of identity and about weighing the safety of assimilating against the danger of losing your own culture completely, and that’s something I can relate to really heavily so this book should have made me feel…something?? But the story never got me invested in the characters, so aside from one or two particularly hard-hitting lines, I didn’t feel connected anything.
In terms of my enjoyment this is more like a two-star read, but I’m giving it an extra star because it does deal with some really important topics that someone else could potentially benefit from (if they like the execution of this book better than I did).
This was such a choppy read. The decision to split the story into three perspectives, then split it again into third person present tense, third person past tense and first person past tense, and then split it AGAIN into these tiny three page chapters makes each little section feel very self-contained. I kept having to actively remind myself that the chapters were all connected because it was such a disjointed read.
Anna-Marie McLemore’s writing style is definitely lyrical and beautiful at times, but between all their floaty metaphors and the choppy structure, there’s no time to get to know the characters. Which is frustrating, because there’s some really important themes in here about loss of identity and about weighing the safety of assimilating against the danger of losing your own culture completely, and that’s something I can relate to really heavily so this book should have made me feel…something?? But the story never got me invested in the characters, so aside from one or two particularly hard-hitting lines, I didn’t feel connected anything.
In terms of my enjoyment this is more like a two-star read, but I’m giving it an extra star because it does deal with some really important topics that someone else could potentially benefit from (if they like the execution of this book better than I did).
October 22, 2019
TWs:
Mild descriptions of gore/body horror, peripheral depictions of racism and homophobia/transphobia.
Y'all are not READY for how hard this story goes in exploring the experience of being othered, of being feared and taught to fear yourself, and learning how to reconcile with history and trauma. Anna-Marie McLemore stuns yet again in this fairy-tale retelling that is at times dark and twisted, at times warm and hopeful, but consistently utterly awe-inspiring from start to finish.
Y'all are not READY for how hard this story goes in exploring the experience of being othered, of being feared and taught to fear yourself, and learning how to reconcile with history and trauma. Anna-Marie McLemore stuns yet again in this fairy-tale retelling that is at times dark and twisted, at times warm and hopeful, but consistently utterly awe-inspiring from start to finish.
October 22, 2020
3.5 stars. I’m always incredibly interested in stories where the author weaves in magic and history to create a backdrop and perspective of sorts on issues that feel raw, relevant and contemporary. Anna-Marie McLemore succeeds yet again in telling a beautiful story while also portraying some incredibly honest feelings and experiences through the lenses of her characters, and I thought it was super compelling.
May 22, 2020
I'm pretty sure I've read and loved all of Anna-Marie McLemore's published books, and I would consider them one of my favorite authors, so I had very high expectations going into this book, especially as the follow-up to the explosive Blanca & Roja. I really did enjoy this book a lot, but it wasn't everything I had hoped, so it's probably going to sound like I liked it a lot less than I did.
The concept drew me in immediately, because I always enjoy retellings of obscure fairy tales, and I knew McLemore could do that since Blanca & Roja is also a fairy tale retelling, which was amazing. I also really do like stories with concurrent POVs and plotlines, which is a big part of this book. The execution didn't really live up to my expectations though.
The multiple POVs actually became frustrating, because it seemed like I was just waiting for something to happen in the historical setting before anything could happen in the present day. It kind of bothered me that only Lala had a POV in the past (and Altair, her LI didn't have one) while both Rosella and Emil got POVs. That might have been what led to the seemingly unbalanced plot events between past and present. I also didn't like that Rosella was inexplicably in first person while the other two POVs were in third. I couldn't find a good reason for it, and it just became confusing to switch back and forth.
I love character-driven novels, but I actually wish there had been a bit more focus on plot. I think the main thing that kept me from fully enjoying this story is that, for the majority of the book, there was very little progress toward resolving the conflict, which made the middle of the story feel something stagnant. I still enjoyed reading it, but looking back on it, the rising action focused more on the development of the conflict and its affect on character dynamics than on the characters' efforts to stop it.
However, the characters are amazing, as always, and they each seemed to have their own specific motivations that made their actions very believable. The romance is very cute, and (again, as usual) the messaging about oppression and deviance from societal norms is impeccable. And of course, their writing style is amazing as always. So I guess I would still recommend this book, but if you haven't read anything by McLemore yet, start with one of their other books, particularly Blanca y Roja or When the Moon Was Ours.
CWs: prejudice against Romani people (one use of slur), transphobia, fear of genocide, implied homophobia, colorism, implied racism (all heavily challenged)
The concept drew me in immediately, because I always enjoy retellings of obscure fairy tales, and I knew McLemore could do that since Blanca & Roja is also a fairy tale retelling, which was amazing. I also really do like stories with concurrent POVs and plotlines, which is a big part of this book. The execution didn't really live up to my expectations though.
The multiple POVs actually became frustrating, because it seemed like I was just waiting for something to happen in the historical setting before anything could happen in the present day. It kind of bothered me that only Lala had a POV in the past (and Altair, her LI didn't have one) while both Rosella and Emil got POVs. That might have been what led to the seemingly unbalanced plot events between past and present. I also didn't like that Rosella was inexplicably in first person while the other two POVs were in third. I couldn't find a good reason for it, and it just became confusing to switch back and forth.
I love character-driven novels, but I actually wish there had been a bit more focus on plot. I think the main thing that kept me from fully enjoying this story is that, for the majority of the book, there was very little progress toward resolving the conflict, which made the middle of the story feel something stagnant. I still enjoyed reading it, but looking back on it, the rising action focused more on the development of the conflict and its affect on character dynamics than on the characters' efforts to stop it.
However, the characters are amazing, as always, and they each seemed to have their own specific motivations that made their actions very believable. The romance is very cute, and (again, as usual) the messaging about oppression and deviance from societal norms is impeccable. And of course, their writing style is amazing as always. So I guess I would still recommend this book, but if you haven't read anything by McLemore yet, start with one of their other books, particularly Blanca y Roja or When the Moon Was Ours.
CWs: prejudice against Romani people (one use of slur), transphobia, fear of genocide, implied homophobia, colorism, implied racism (all heavily challenged)
September 20, 2020
So, I read this beautiful book on a camping trip with my parents, and my happy sobbing in the last hour of reading really unnerved them. A quote from my mom, “in 32 years of being your mom, I have not seen you cry like this while reading and I find it very worrisome.”
I tried to explain how full it made my heart to see queer love in history, and for that queer love to triumph over bigots and repression- seriously, when do we ever get a historical queer happy ending? My mom was still confused about the book that triggered my (somewhat dramatic) catharsis cry, and I had to just leave my explanation at this: wonderful people face obstacles, magical and mundane, and find themselves and their beloveds in the process.
This book is, like the best fairy tales, terrible and beautiful all at once, and it’s is full to the brim with magic.
I tried to explain how full it made my heart to see queer love in history, and for that queer love to triumph over bigots and repression- seriously, when do we ever get a historical queer happy ending? My mom was still confused about the book that triggered my (somewhat dramatic) catharsis cry, and I had to just leave my explanation at this: wonderful people face obstacles, magical and mundane, and find themselves and their beloveds in the process.
This book is, like the best fairy tales, terrible and beautiful all at once, and it’s is full to the brim with magic.
May 10, 2020
4 stars
To this day, I have not read an Anna-Marie McLemore book that I haven't been surprised by.
This book is everything that it promises to be in the synopsis, but it's also so much more. It's about a dancing plague, yes, and it's about two girls born 500 years apart, and it's about the way they're both seen as outsiders in their respective communities.
But it's also about queer people and people of color finding and building safe communities for themselves. It's about the courage it requires to exist in spite of all the people who try to tell queer people and people of color that their presence isn't wanted.
It's also about recalling your roots. It's about remembering the history that the white allocishet people in charge seem to be determined to erase. It's about finding power in those stories and connecting to them and drawing strength from them.
I adored all of the characters in both of the timelines. They were all unique in their own way and I adored the way they played off of each other. I also adored the similarities between the two storylines and how they were tied up in the end.
I also really loved the development of all the relationships, especially because all of the characters were so well-established on their own that it felt like they relationships were developed really easily and naturally over the course of the story.
And of course, I cannot write a review of an Anna-Marie McLemore book without mentioning their gorgeous writing style that's definitely present in this one. It's lyrical and detailed and incredibly beautiful. It added so much to the story and I adored every second I got to spend reading this book.
My favorite thing about Anna-Marie's books is how they always make sure that the queer characters and the characters of color always get a happy or hopeful ending. In picking up a book by them, I'm always sure that I'll leave it feeling hopeful and validated and this book was no different. I finished up this book at 1am, crying in my bed, and I would not have it any other way.
To this day, I have not read an Anna-Marie McLemore book that I haven't been surprised by.
This book is everything that it promises to be in the synopsis, but it's also so much more. It's about a dancing plague, yes, and it's about two girls born 500 years apart, and it's about the way they're both seen as outsiders in their respective communities.
But it's also about queer people and people of color finding and building safe communities for themselves. It's about the courage it requires to exist in spite of all the people who try to tell queer people and people of color that their presence isn't wanted.
It's also about recalling your roots. It's about remembering the history that the white allocishet people in charge seem to be determined to erase. It's about finding power in those stories and connecting to them and drawing strength from them.
I adored all of the characters in both of the timelines. They were all unique in their own way and I adored the way they played off of each other. I also adored the similarities between the two storylines and how they were tied up in the end.
I also really loved the development of all the relationships, especially because all of the characters were so well-established on their own that it felt like they relationships were developed really easily and naturally over the course of the story.
And of course, I cannot write a review of an Anna-Marie McLemore book without mentioning their gorgeous writing style that's definitely present in this one. It's lyrical and detailed and incredibly beautiful. It added so much to the story and I adored every second I got to spend reading this book.
My favorite thing about Anna-Marie's books is how they always make sure that the queer characters and the characters of color always get a happy or hopeful ending. In picking up a book by them, I'm always sure that I'll leave it feeling hopeful and validated and this book was no different. I finished up this book at 1am, crying in my bed, and I would not have it any other way.
February 9, 2021
Wow. Wow. Wow.
If those three wow's don't say it all, well, just know that I adored absolutely everything about this book. I will even admit that the lack of chapters did annoy me in the very beginning. Mostly because I was listening to the audio book and when I do that I'm expecting to hear 'Chapter 1' and so on. Yet, I heard a date. A date that I wasn't going to remember because so much was already happening in the book.
Back to loving this book though. At one point, I stopped caring about not knowing where I was in the book (date or chapter wise). I just sat and enjoyed the adventure that I was going on. In the beginning, I met my spirit animal (Abuela) and just fell in love. She took zero shit from anyone in this book and I about died when she took the shoes and cut them in front of this customer. All because it was blasphemy that his daughter order red shoes instead of white. BLASPHEMY I TELL YA!
Besides that, you get to meet Rosella and Emil. Honestly, I loved them but Abuela was the apple of my eye. Rosella, the one with the awesome Abuela, and her family are shoemakers. Then there's Emil's family who is slightly connected to a curse. No big deal, right? Wrong. This curse alone is what brings these two closer together in hopes of understanding the origin and hopefully figuring out the cure.
The curse lies in red shoes that make you want to dance until you die. Kind of like that Hocus Pocus song. It doesn't sound that terrible to dance and dance. Maybe it would be if you were completely horrible at dancing or you are prone to injuries. Or maybe you just hate exercising in any way (unless it's opening a wine bottle?).
Then there's Lala, who unfortunately gets blamed for causing all this witchcraft due to the color of her skin. Racism at it's finest people. This reason alone made me love Lala's fire and spirt because she didn't just accept this accusation one bit. She fought and she fought hard.
This wasn't an easy journey by any means for any of these characters. There's discrimination, love, magic, and just an adventure that will open your eyes. I loved the diversity throughout this book and the romantic parts as well. I did kind of wish for more of it but I greatly appreciated what I got from this book.
In the end, this book was magical and I'm so happy that I added this to my TBR back in 2019. I can't wait to read the next book by Anna-Marie.
If those three wow's don't say it all, well, just know that I adored absolutely everything about this book. I will even admit that the lack of chapters did annoy me in the very beginning. Mostly because I was listening to the audio book and when I do that I'm expecting to hear 'Chapter 1' and so on. Yet, I heard a date. A date that I wasn't going to remember because so much was already happening in the book.
Back to loving this book though. At one point, I stopped caring about not knowing where I was in the book (date or chapter wise). I just sat and enjoyed the adventure that I was going on. In the beginning, I met my spirit animal (Abuela) and just fell in love. She took zero shit from anyone in this book and I about died when she took the shoes and cut them in front of this customer. All because it was blasphemy that his daughter order red shoes instead of white. BLASPHEMY I TELL YA!
Besides that, you get to meet Rosella and Emil. Honestly, I loved them but Abuela was the apple of my eye. Rosella, the one with the awesome Abuela, and her family are shoemakers. Then there's Emil's family who is slightly connected to a curse. No big deal, right? Wrong. This curse alone is what brings these two closer together in hopes of understanding the origin and hopefully figuring out the cure.
The curse lies in red shoes that make you want to dance until you die. Kind of like that Hocus Pocus song. It doesn't sound that terrible to dance and dance. Maybe it would be if you were completely horrible at dancing or you are prone to injuries. Or maybe you just hate exercising in any way (unless it's opening a wine bottle?).
Then there's Lala, who unfortunately gets blamed for causing all this witchcraft due to the color of her skin. Racism at it's finest people. This reason alone made me love Lala's fire and spirt because she didn't just accept this accusation one bit. She fought and she fought hard.
This wasn't an easy journey by any means for any of these characters. There's discrimination, love, magic, and just an adventure that will open your eyes. I loved the diversity throughout this book and the romantic parts as well. I did kind of wish for more of it but I greatly appreciated what I got from this book.
In the end, this book was magical and I'm so happy that I added this to my TBR back in 2019. I can't wait to read the next book by Anna-Marie.
December 3, 2019
this is SO BEAUTIFUL
August 6, 2020
A lot of the times I low-key hate alternating past/present chapters (I am impatient) but I actually loved them in this. Part of the reason was that the chapters were short and sweet, but perfectly crafted such that you still get enough plot to keep you going.
I genuinely could not decide if I liked reading about Lala and Alifair or Rosella and Emil more. Both of the timelines had me watching closely, and I love the parallels and subtle nudges McLemore used.
Definitely liked this more than Wild Beauty (which I did like!) but that's mostly because of taste.
Content Warnings:
I genuinely could not decide if I liked reading about Lala and Alifair or Rosella and Emil more. Both of the timelines had me watching closely, and I love the parallels and subtle nudges McLemore used.
Definitely liked this more than Wild Beauty (which I did like!) but that's mostly because of taste.
Content Warnings:
January 30, 2020
There is no way I can give this book anything less than 5 stars.
It’s very hard to articulate the power Anna-Marie McLemore’s stories & writing has over me, and to explain everything it has and means to me within a review. My expectations going into it were incredibly high; McLemore is among my top 3 favorite authors of all time. Also HOLY QUEER ENDING, BATMAN.
Every aspect of this was unique, starting with the story itself. In a time when YA fairy tale/myth/classic/etc/ retellings are all over the damn place, this one still stands out. This book felt like it was actually telling a previously untold story, unlike others out there, which made it feel much more fresh. On top of that, McLemore has talent for telling stories that need to be shared; ones about minorities, queer voices, and those who have been persecuted. They dig into those struggles without fear, but with so much care.
The writing was colorful and gorgeous as always… full of vivid imagery and carefully crafted passages. Things, the magic things specifically, were revealed slowly and kind of secretly, which is something McLemore always does. I personally don’t mind it, but I can see how it might be frustrating for some readers. To me it just feels lyrical and adds to the magical experience of their books. And yet while the writing was mostly “magical,” it also was erratic/frantic at times. But even in those moments, the erraticism fit the story well, because it reflected the characters’ confusion and experiences, and the world around them. The tone always matched the pace and setting.
As a whole these characters were fierce, fleshed out, and diverse. Rosella & Emil’s story was my lesser favorite of the 2 story-lines/settings. Bits of it were repetitive, to the point where I felt like I stopped learning anything new about those characters. Just the same internal struggles with rejecting their family’s histories, feeling “outside,” and being confused by the magic overtaking them. That being said, I did care deeply about those struggles they battled with, and think maybe it was repeated in an effort to show just how all-consuming their family & identity issues were to them. But Lala though! Just give me more Lala & Alifair please! I would read a sequel/companion/whatever novel just about their little lives in the woods together. SO PRECIOUS.
While this wasn’t my favorite of McLemore’s books - that award still goes to Wild Beauty - this was still exceptional. I may not be able to identify with the specific experiences happening in this novel, but my own queer experience and heart had bits of this still. I will hold so many lines of this book deep within me for many years to come, and will forever read everything McLemore writes.
There is immense power in accepting and loving who you are and where you come from, but there is also great risk in it. And it is terrible to know the suffering that so many go through just to live their most authentic lives and be unashamed of it. I am grateful to Anna-Marie McLemore for continuing to write stories that take back the power, and for helping to make the world a little bit more bearable and honest.
It’s very hard to articulate the power Anna-Marie McLemore’s stories & writing has over me, and to explain everything it has and means to me within a review. My expectations going into it were incredibly high; McLemore is among my top 3 favorite authors of all time. Also HOLY QUEER ENDING, BATMAN.
Every aspect of this was unique, starting with the story itself. In a time when YA fairy tale/myth/classic/etc/ retellings are all over the damn place, this one still stands out. This book felt like it was actually telling a previously untold story, unlike others out there, which made it feel much more fresh. On top of that, McLemore has talent for telling stories that need to be shared; ones about minorities, queer voices, and those who have been persecuted. They dig into those struggles without fear, but with so much care.
The writing was colorful and gorgeous as always… full of vivid imagery and carefully crafted passages. Things, the magic things specifically, were revealed slowly and kind of secretly, which is something McLemore always does. I personally don’t mind it, but I can see how it might be frustrating for some readers. To me it just feels lyrical and adds to the magical experience of their books. And yet while the writing was mostly “magical,” it also was erratic/frantic at times. But even in those moments, the erraticism fit the story well, because it reflected the characters’ confusion and experiences, and the world around them. The tone always matched the pace and setting.
As a whole these characters were fierce, fleshed out, and diverse. Rosella & Emil’s story was my lesser favorite of the 2 story-lines/settings. Bits of it were repetitive, to the point where I felt like I stopped learning anything new about those characters. Just the same internal struggles with rejecting their family’s histories, feeling “outside,” and being confused by the magic overtaking them. That being said, I did care deeply about those struggles they battled with, and think maybe it was repeated in an effort to show just how all-consuming their family & identity issues were to them. But Lala though! Just give me more Lala & Alifair please! I would read a sequel/companion/whatever novel just about their little lives in the woods together. SO PRECIOUS.
While this wasn’t my favorite of McLemore’s books - that award still goes to Wild Beauty - this was still exceptional. I may not be able to identify with the specific experiences happening in this novel, but my own queer experience and heart had bits of this still. I will hold so many lines of this book deep within me for many years to come, and will forever read everything McLemore writes.
There is immense power in accepting and loving who you are and where you come from, but there is also great risk in it. And it is terrible to know the suffering that so many go through just to live their most authentic lives and be unashamed of it. I am grateful to Anna-Marie McLemore for continuing to write stories that take back the power, and for helping to make the world a little bit more bearable and honest.
August 2, 2020
Yes, this book was on my radar already, but for some reason I only really registered that this was a red shoes retelling a couple of weeks ago. And that was the moment I decided I just had to have it, since I haven't read a red shoes retelling before. My only challenge? Fitting it into a reading prompt for the N.E.W.T.'s so I actually had a reason to get to it. And luckily I figured one out today and could pick it up!
This story is quite special and unique. It's quite slow, storytelling wise, and it takes a little while before the three different storylines start to connect. I also didn't think there was a very big finale at the end. This book was, more than a lot of other books, about the ride, about the lives of these three people, about their personal journeys. I personally really enjoy those kind of stories, so I was very pleasantly surprised, but I understand it's not for everyone.
However, the atmosphere of this story was absolutely perfect, partly because of the beautiful writing style. It was not an easy read. This book dealt with a lot of heavy themes, most of all with the theme of being different and how far people are willing or forced to go to hide that. Especially the story set in the 16th century is quite raw. So many people having to hide who they love, who they are and so many people have to give up their heritage and beliefs. Sad, but also very realistic.
I also loved how the fairytale elements of the red shoes fairytale were mixed with real historical events. It made the story rich, detailed and it also made it feel very real. But, most of all I loved the characters and how they, each in their own way, learned how to be proud of who they are, of what made them different. Maybe there is no spectacular finale, but the ending, for all of the characters we've grown to love, is still satisfying and really made me smile.
A very special read that really resonated with me. I'm very glad I picked it up, finally!
This story is quite special and unique. It's quite slow, storytelling wise, and it takes a little while before the three different storylines start to connect. I also didn't think there was a very big finale at the end. This book was, more than a lot of other books, about the ride, about the lives of these three people, about their personal journeys. I personally really enjoy those kind of stories, so I was very pleasantly surprised, but I understand it's not for everyone.
However, the atmosphere of this story was absolutely perfect, partly because of the beautiful writing style. It was not an easy read. This book dealt with a lot of heavy themes, most of all with the theme of being different and how far people are willing or forced to go to hide that. Especially the story set in the 16th century is quite raw. So many people having to hide who they love, who they are and so many people have to give up their heritage and beliefs. Sad, but also very realistic.
I also loved how the fairytale elements of the red shoes fairytale were mixed with real historical events. It made the story rich, detailed and it also made it feel very real. But, most of all I loved the characters and how they, each in their own way, learned how to be proud of who they are, of what made them different. Maybe there is no spectacular finale, but the ending, for all of the characters we've grown to love, is still satisfying and really made me smile.
A very special read that really resonated with me. I'm very glad I picked it up, finally!
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