Pinocchio is creepy. There I said it. Even the Disney version, which is significantly less creepy than the original story, gives me the heeby-jeebies. This may be where my distrust of dolls, puppets, and mannequins comes from. In case it has been awhile since you read/watched the story of a puppet wanting to become a real boy, let me remind you of some of the more out there elements.

Pinocchio straight up murders the talking cricket because it annoys him.

A fox and a cat hang Pinocchio and leave. They leave because Pinocchio was taking too long to suffocate.

He turns into a donkey because he doesn’t work or study and gets sold to the circus. He turns back into a puppet only after fish eat all his donkey skin off.

I point all of this out so that you understand that a dark fantasy romance retelling of Pinocchio isn’t as wild as it may sound. And there are plenty of scenes that shows the author did her Pinocchio research, which is always appreciated in a reimagining.

I love our main characters. Valentine and Devere are complex with plenty of faults, but they manage to complement each other so well. You, as the reader, want to just give them both a hug and keep them safe from the world that has been so cruel to them.

That ending though. I’m not going to spoil it for you because we don’t do spoilers on this blog. But it has me feeling all kind of way. The ending is the main reason why I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book. It is technically a happily ever after, I guess, but that doesn’t mean I am happy about it.

Seriously though, the ending does suit the overall tone of the book and makes sense within the story and its themes. Just because it isn’t the ending I necessarily wanted doesn’t mean it wasn’t the best ending for the story.

enjoy. This book deserves so much attention and appreciation. You should definitely check it out.