Thread and Spool (A Twisted Fairy Tale #1)

I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS.I had high hopes for this book since I love fairy tale retellings and I was not disappointed. This quick and delightful read had me hooked right away and it never slowed down. I loved finding out more about Brie's story and life right along with her. I just loved the twists and I kept pondering how the story was going to end.The only negatives I had is that sometimes I got a little confused. I'm not sure if it was the writing or because I was not that familiar with the Rumpelstiltskin story before reading it. Brie in the story was familiar with it and would mention some parts, but didn't really enlighten us with more of the details until more toward the end. I think maybe the author assumed everyone is familiar with the tale, but it had me scratching my head. Also the ending was more abrupt than I would have liked, which is not a bad thing but it left me with some unanswered questions without a sequel to the story to answer them.On a side note that is probably unimportant, there are several grammatical errors that took me out of the story, which always makes it difficult to concentrate again. I know these don't bother most people. Unfortunately to me they are like nails on chalkboard. I try not to even mention it if there are only a few, but there was quite a bit in this book. This was such a delightful read though that it's worth trying to push through them to finish the story.

Thread and Spool, the beginning of the Twisted Fairy Tales series by Holly Hook, brings the reader into the land of Fable to follow the story line of Brie and Stilt. I read these stories to my niece and nephew and the weaving together of our modern world and troubles that bother children of today and the old world fables is a delight to encounter. When we meet Brie it is in our modern world. She is an adopted girl used by her adopted parents and "boyfriend" for her magical ability to crochet things into gold. From the beginning it is easy to see which classic fairy tale this follows but Holly as usual, spins and twist the tale just enough to make it a new and exciting adventure. Brie struggling with modern teenage girl issues and doubts is submerged into a world of magic, evil kings, old world ideas, elves, bandits, evil animals,dark forest and a past she ever knew about much less that she was running from it. In her desperate search to save her friends, herself, and fable from a dark future, Brie learns who she is and that her deepest wish has darker roots. Will she doom all of Fable in saving what is dear to her or will she have to marry an evil King and be used as a slave? In losing her gift and possibly getting away will she unleash an even greater danger? Will we see some of the other tales briefly mentioned here in future stories by Holly? This is only the beginning of the Fate of Fable.

My advice: Read the first page on Amazon before buying, to see if this book is right for you. I know this is obvious advice, but I forgot to do it, and this book is just not for me. Other people seem to like it and mention reading it to children; maybe I'm too old to appreciate it. (I do read a lot of YA though.) While some of the writing was clever, it had this frenetic pace, with one statement after another coming at me. The narrator seemed to have sudden bursts of emotion. I couldn't get into it, and the dialogue made me feel crazy.I was disappointed when the story started in a school in the real world. I had read the blurb, but the cover depicts a sexy adult woman in a fantasy setting and clothing, which doesn't seem to fit the text (a modern teenager taken to a fantasy world). I was also distracted by typos and grammar errors on the first page. I wanted to like the book, so I forged ahead. Ultimately, I gave up after a few chapters. Reviews indicate some intriguing plot points coming (e.g., Brie discovering that she belongs in the fairy tale world). Maybe if hints of this plot had been given at the start, they would have held my interest.

I really enjoy Holly Hook's writing. I have previously read the Deathwind Trilogy and loved them so I was excited to read Thread and Spool. I liked the twist on a classic fairy tale. I liked the characters. I liked that everything wasn't as it appeared. I really liked Brie. I felt bad for her when she discovered her "gift"/curse. I would hate to have parents like hers. I like the twist on Rumpelstiltskin's character as well. It didn't take me long to read this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. Holly Hook has a way of drawing you into her world and holding you captive until the very last page. I would highly recommend Thread and Spool to those who enjoy YA, fantasy and fairy tale stories.

Rumpelstiltskin was one of my favorite fairy tales when I was a child and I have been loving someof the other retelling of different fairy tales. Check out Spinner (a book I reviewed months ago),another great retelling. It starts off with the familiar things - a girl who can spin, a king who kidnapsher, and a strange man who helps her. . .but add magic, elves, good and evil kings, and other things,you get a good twist on the old fairy tale. However this is only Book 1, but there is a sequel. I would recommendthis and the other book Spinner if you love the Rumpelstiltskin tale. Even if you don't, this is a must read.

I received an ARC from the author and have chosen to review it. I absolutely loved this story. It totally captured my attention and drew me into its world of fairy tales and magic. I’ve never read a book quite like this it had a totally different take on fairy tales and how they try to change their story it was brilliant how the author interwove this story into a truly remarkable tale. Anyone who loves fairy tales and likes twists will totally love this book. I can’t wait to read the other ones in the series. I wish it had been longer it was a really easy read that immediately had me wanting to read more as I turned the last page.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm really pleased to be able to say that I really enjoyed this new take on an old childhood fairy tail. Holly Hook gave this tail a whole new twist which was easy to get into and kept me reading. I'm not a big fan of "spoilers" so I won't give anything away. What I will say is buy this book, sit down and enjoy!

Happy with purchase

One thing is abundantly clear after this book; being a part of a fairy tale is an absurdly raw deal. Think Grimm's tales here since these are not the characters of Disney's and have much harsher consequences. Steal some food? Get looked in a tower until you starve. In fact punishments here seemed over the top. Then there is the stories themselves; no character can escape their fate. They live their tales again and again, even beyondthe the happily ever after, and often to an extremely unhappy end. As you can see the entire thing feels a bit depressing, but the characters are trying to change things.The story was interesting enough with good characters and plenty of twists, but I just never quite felt a connection to it. I read the book but felt a bit distant and never really involved. I don't think it was the fault of the book but simply was that this was not my interest. I don't think I will be reading this series despite the very leading ending.

I enjoyed this take on the Rumplestiltskin story; it is the second one I have read in the last month. This one is just as unique as the last. This story is the first in Holly Hook's Twisted Fairy Tale series. I'm hooked (pun intended)! I am inspired to want to read more and see how the characters journey through Fable and if they find a Happy Ever After... what ever that might mean. If you like these kinds of stories, it is a great choice. If you you are not sure if you will like these kinds of stories, again, a great choice!

A great twist on a old fairy tale. What a different way of thinking. A really great read. Loved it!,