Comments on: Boy, Snow, Bird, Helen Oyeyemi

By: Simon T (Stuck-in-a-Book)

Simon T (Stuck-in-a-Book) — Tue, 12 May 2015 10:12:22 +0000

Coming to this a year late, cos I listened to the podcast where you (or maybe Whisky Jenny, but I think you) said you’d like to hear Helen Oyeyemi and Shirley Jackson speak (er, yes please) and thought I should check out your Oyeyemi reviews I hadn’t read yet.

Love this book SO much, as you saw on Shiny New Books, I think. Did not notice the clever cover thing. She has put the right, not-too-experimental, boots back on.

By: kmn04books

kmn04books — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 02:19:04 +0000

I really loved this book! I read it recently and reviewed it on my blog. I agree with you that the end had some ideological problems (“breaking” the “spell”? hmm….) BUT the beginning and middle made up for the slight misstep. This was actually my first Oyeyemi book and now I’m looking forward to reading more!

By: Kailana

Kailana — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 17:02:20 +0000

This is the only book I managed to read on my trip and I am still thinking about it… It was the first time I had read Oyeyemi actually, so there is that!

By: Words for Worms

Words for Worms — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:21:51 +0000

I really need to read this! I heard the author on NPR last week and realized it was going to be a mandatory read for me. Plus the whole fairy tale thing makes me geek out a little.

By: aartichapati

aartichapati — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 03:51:53 +0000

In reply to Gin Jenny. Whoa, I definitely did not even realize the coloring thing on the British cover. I feel dumb now, but how clever of them! I am with you both on the dicey-ness of the ending, as I think we have all discussed on each other's reviews ;-) Why was it so important that Snow was there, too? Because she also pretended to be someone/something that she was not?

By: priscilla

priscilla — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 23:55:09 +0000

This is not the kind of book that usually attracts me, but I listened to an interview with her on NPR last week and immediately put this on my TBR. I cannot wait to read it even more so now that I have read your review. I see a trip to the library in the near future.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 01:41:35 +0000

I am unacquainted with Helen Oyeyemi and it sounds like that needs to change – I love the quotes you include. I appreciate how you can forgive an otherwise good story for having a problematic ending. I don’t think I’m as mature about it – I dwell on it and let it sour the whole shebang. Thanks for the introduction to a new author!

By: Andi (@estellasrevenge)

Andi (@estellasrevenge) — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:46 +0000

Sigh. I wanted to like it mooooore!

By: Athira

Athira — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:43:24 +0000

I am so eager to read this book. I haven’t read any of Oyeyemi’s works so your loving them encourages me to bump those books up. I will have to read White is for Witching first.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 20:32:32 +0000

Yes to My Fair Lady ending there! Thanks to blogger reviews I’ve put this on my list, I’m not sure I’d have heard of it otherwise, and I like the way it’s a fairytale but not. Mirrors do seem the obvious choice for a cover, though, that said, the American cover would look better with a different background colour.