Give me a Nutcracker retelling to read in December and I shall devour it and adore every page, Midnight in Everwood swept me away and took me on a magical journey perfect for fans of Caraval and The Night Circus.
Midnight in Everwood, M. A. Kuzniar
Themes: Fiction, Retelling, Fantasy
Reading Format: Hardback
5 STARS // 9 CAWPILE
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AD • Review Copy, I received a free copy of this book from HQ Stories in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Midnight in Everwood captured me immediately from the blurb, a magical Nutcracker retelling that promised to carry me away to a fantasy land. And it didn’t disappoint. Maria’s writing is beautifully, whimsical and paints such beautiful imagery. To me this book had a slight touch of the gothic to it which just added to the growing atmosphere of a stunning winter landscape contrasted against the unpleasant situation our main character Marietta finds herself trapped in. Set in an Edwardian society in the North of England, there is beauty in every page and M. A. Kuzniar’s writing made the English setting feel very romanticised, which made the reading experience even more enjoyable. I haven’t read many books from this time period, but I immediately felt at home with Marietta’s story and felt compelled to see her journey.
I love reading about a main character with passions and Marietta’s is ballet, something I’ve not read much about, but loved exploring this talent through our protagonist. Marietta seeps independence and strength, she is also trapped in so many ways in this book, but the growth we see her go through truly feels freeing for her. Ballet is a delicate and elegant dance, it is soft and graceful and Marietta encompasses these characteristics too, but she is also sharp and alert and breaks the mould her parents want her to fit. She is her own best cheerleader and I loved the references throughout this book to her rights as a woman and her worth. I didn’t expect this novel to make me feel empowered as a female, but it did, I felt proud of Marietta’s achievements because of how hard she has to push for them.
The magic system in Midnight in Everwood is one of my favourites, a truly fantastical world where anything can happen. It’s accurate to say this book is for fans of Garber and Morgenstern, the attention to detail when it comes to the different magical features of the world Marietta find herself in are completely reminiscent of these writing styles. I feel that glorious food comes hand in hand with enchanting magic in this novel because wow the descriptions and mouthwatering food creations. I read this in the week of Christmas and I think that was smart because I was never short of sweet treats to satisfy the cravings this book gave me!
Maria’s writing is truly hypnotising, I felt myself falling down the rabbit hole when reading this book, it really swept me away. The imagery is still so vivid in my head and I still feel very invested in the characters, who I am inventing my own stories for after this book ends. I feel incredibly lucky to have read this book early and to have been able to enjoy Maria’s excellent talent and magical writing. This book comes out in October 2021, but you can preorder it here.
This sounds so goooooooooood! I’m definitely adding it to my TBR right now!