Ash

There are a lot of retellings and deconstructions of classic fairy tales these days. It seems to have its own subgenre designation, Fairytale Fantasy. Perhaps the most well-known is "Wicked". Its author has also played with the Snow White and Cinderella tales. Helen Oyeyemi has also become well-known for her deconstructions of myth and fairy tales. Having read and loved both these authors, I went into "Ash" expecting more of the same. It is, to an extent. It's Cinderella with a coming of age Lesbian twist and a more complex relationship with the realm of faerie than the normal fairy godmother. But the majority of it lacked a certain warmth that could have really propelled this book into classic status.

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