Good Enough to Eat

Tales at Midnight #2

by Gina Blaxill

There is a witch in the woods and she likes to kidnap boys… The village of Westerleen has been suffering a harsh winter, food is scarce and if you end up lost you may find yourself in the witch’s cottage and no one leaves there alive. When Hansel and Gretel return from the woods, unharmed, everyone believes Hansel to have been the hero who has saved his sister. But it was Gretel who pushed the witch into the fire. Gretel has never been accepted in her village, will she finally be rewarded?

- A thrilling tale with twists and turns at every chapter
- Perfect for fans of All The Better To See You, Dark Unicorns, and Disney’s Twisted Tales and Villains series’
- A second dark and irresistible twist on a classic fairy tale

Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2022

About the author

Gina Blaxill wanted to be an author from a very young age - she started writing properly when she was eight and has not stopped since.

Gina lives in Essex with her family and two imperious cats and edits as well as writes. Prior to that, she worked in schools liaison, helping teenagers puzzle out the mysteries of higher education.

Reviews

[Beckee❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good twisted and dark alternative to the tale of Hansel & Gretel that we all know and love.

[Minx Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant in every way. I loved this book 5 stars :)

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite the page turner! It’s a crazy twist on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel and it’s nothing you expect it to be. I initially wanted to give it a lesser rating because I didn’t like the ending, buttttt I was too fast because it ended how I wanted it to end so 4 stars for me!:)

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT is a Hansel and gretel retelling that twists the narrative to make you continually wonder who is at fault, and what lengths people will go to get what they want.

This is a non-linear book, with a main "present" story that alternates with flashbacks across the mostly the time leading up to Hansel and Gretel heading into the woods and then their time with the witch, but there are also events further back and closer. It creates a really engaging unspooling of the mystery of what really happened. Every time you think you have a handle on what happened, more information is revealed, forcing you to change your stance,.

Gretel is a great unreliable narrator. I love d the structure so much. It's a really fun, unusual way to tell a story like this, and it must have taken so much time to work out in order to get it interlocking so smoothly.

It is a feminist examination that explores the consequences on putting limits on women. Gretel's home is a rural one with very clear expectations for how women behave, and they are willing to make erroneous assumptions and force others into small boxes in order to maintain their beliefs rather than rocking the boat. Gretel never fits the ideal, land her desperation to be free, be more leads to her taking matters into her own hands.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT is one of those rare YA books that fits at the lower end of the age range, the forgotten teen. It was so nice to read a book aimed at 12-15 year olds, which is very much missing from publishing and I hope we see more of books like this.

[Becca ♡ PrettyLittleMemoirs · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the tale of Hansel and Gretel, the children that got swindled by the witch in the woods with the sugar-sweet cottage and almost ended up as her next meal, if it were not for Gretel saving her brother and pushing the witch to her death. But in this tale, we pick up after the children escape from the witch, traipsing back into their village that has been undergoing a brutal winter with food shortages. When the children get back to the townspeople, everyone naturally assumes Hansel saved his sister (how sexist, I know) but they both know she was the true hero.

Determined to be accepted and honoured for her heroic efforts and power just as much as anyone else, Gretel knows that to be a trailblazer she has to overcome not only the consequences that come with it but how the flashback events to how we got to the present, back before everything was changed and the nightmarish event took place, influence it all.

Overall, Good Enough To Eat was as delectable as it’s namesake, a true page-turner that felt like stepping into a fairytale so vivid and imaginative that I honestly got lost in it’s magic. Gina’s writing is like nothing else, emotive and captivating, and I loved the feministic aspect of the book and how much character development and strength she gave to Gretel. This was a deliciously wicked tale that played on reminiscent fairytales with a darkened razor-sharp edge that keeps you reading into the night—and that I did. Five glorious stars!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong 4 stars. This is a twist on the traditional fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel which starts at the point that they return from killing the witch in the gingerbread house. They also return with the son of a local Lord who had also been captive in the gingerbread house. Everyone naturally assumes that Hansel is the one to kill the witch and he is hailed as a hero. However Gretel sets about letting the villagers know the truth... but perhaps not the WHOLE truth.

The story follows multiple timelines, switching between the days after Hansel and Gretel arrived, the time running up to them going to the witch's house, and the time in the house. There's a running theme of Gretel trying to break out of patriarchal rules and roles, and in doing so she makes some questionable decisions. Because of this she is quite clearly not a perfect character, and not even an 'anti-hero' either. I liked this fact, it was refreshing for the main character to do things wrong, sometimes realising her mistakes and sometimes not.

A great read, a page turner. Perfect for fans of the twisted Disney series and that type of book. It's pitched as young adult, but I think it's suitable for grown ups, I definitely enjoyed it and I'm in my (late) 30s!

[Newt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!
I did quite like it, but it built up to the twist so much throughout the entire book, that it was a little bit of a let down when it actually happened.

I also feel like Esther could have had a much bigger moment - I really wanted to know her actual motives and what led her to her choices instead of just hating all men (which was also quite unrealistic). Similarly, I believe Isle could have had much more going on rather than just being the stereotype of the evil stepmother.

I do like books that make me feel strongly and I absolutely felt for Gretel in her small town with all of the sexism. I also really liked the different timelines, it made me want to keep reading and I absolutely devoured this book.

[Emmie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good read and one I thoroughly enjoyed! Set after the original fairytale of Hansel and Gretal we see the aftermath alongside flashbacks that lead up to them ending up at the Witch's cottage. I love this way of storytelling, with events unravelling and changing the way you view the characters as the book goes on. ⁣⁣⁣
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I love the message of female empowerment and how Gretel strives to break from the mold! It was impossible not to root for her. ⁣⁣⁣
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Good Enough To Eat is a fun, fast-paced retelling that is perfect for this time of year! ⁣⁣⁣
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[Aislinn O'Loughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cracking teen read! Darkly delicious and packed with feminist rage, gourmet goriness and a morally grey hero you’ll root for even as the twisted truth unfolds. This Hansel & Gretel retelling doesn't skimp on the horror (much like the original, when you think about it) but it does challenge us to rethink our ideas of heroes, villains and what it means to be 'good' in a world where anyone daring to be different is considered bad. I loved it.

[Laura Fowler-Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this overall but found it hard to like any of the characters and while I like the idea of Gretel being a strong rebel who uses the situation to her advantage her selfishness made it hard to root for a happy ending. A good read for anyone who enjoys the Disney villain books or twisted fairy tales

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I entered this world expecting a cosy, adventurous read but it took me down a path filled with unease and misery. However, it's a unique take on Hansel and Gretel. I like the ending too.

52 Book Club 2023: #3 Title starting with the letter G
Bookworm Reading Challenge 2023: Folklore and Fairy Tales

[Laura Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow to begin with, this feminist retelling of Hansel and Gretel did liven up and I was interested to find out what happened. But the characters, like most in fairy tales, weren’t well developed, leaving the story quite flat. Some nice ideas and a strong concept, but I needed a bit more depth.

[Aisha Ditta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. The overall story was really interesting but at some points it was dragging a bit. Gretal was really selfish sometimes and i found her abit annoying but overall I liked the characters and it was a good hansel and gretal retelling with a twist.

[Tracey-louise Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mysterious, turns the well-known story upside down.

[Prigya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly witty book, delving deeper into the true story of Hansel and Gretel. Reminded me of Frances Hardinge, her books being equally and amazingly developed.

[Nina H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't get enough of it, this book made me a main couch occupant for three days straight 😂 Highly recommend!

[Tobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the start I was a bit bored but it quickly got into a very interesting and complicated affair and I loved every second of it. A bit dark sometimes but would still recommend it!

[Annabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read, the harder it was to put the book down. To start with, I was not sure that I liked the ending, but after reading the epilogue, I do feel that this nicely finished the story.

[Miss_Groen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het heen en weer lezen van de tijdlijn was in het begin erg vervelend, later werd het toch fijn want alle puzzelstukjes vielen uiteindelijk op de juiste plaats. Girl power , en een verrassend einde!