Some Kind of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce.
<="" class="mag_copy”>Some Kind of Fairy Tale is a novel that I picked up on a whim after seeing it on another blog. A contemporary tale that pitches fairytales against realism, it was worlds apart from what I imagined it’d be, exploring traditional fairy stories, familial relationships and plenty more.</div><br /> The story opens with a girl - Tara - showing up on her parents’ doorstep. It’s Christmas Day and she’s been missing for 20 years and yet she claims it has only been six months. Little by little, the story unravels to recount the teenage angst fueled events before she disappears in the Outlands with a mysterious ‘fairy’ likened Hiero. The chapters flit between different characters and their points of view, giving a well rounded story that sizes up realism against fairytales and wanting to believe. I found the story really interesting after an initial slow start, full of engaging ideas from the therapist, wonderment from Tara and Hiero, and heartbreaking reality from her brother and family.<br /> <br /> I rated Some Kind of Fairy Tale 3 stars over on Goodreads. While I enjoyed it, the pace was tough with varying points of view and ultimately I felt that the story could have been developed further. I was completely engrossed in the fair folk’s world and way of life, yet the best parts were only truly revealed towards the latter part of the novel. Could this have been better balanced? Yes.<br /> <br /> While I expected a whimsical tale of fairies and fantasy, I got half of the deal and then a story that only partly told itself by the end. I wasn’t wholly disappointed but am now pining for more. I’d recommend giving it a go if you’re interested in traditional fairy and folk tales and would love to hear your thoughts! <div style='clear: both;'></div> </div> <div class='post-footer'> <div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'> <span class='post-comment-link' style='Float:left;margin-top:0px;'> </span> <span class='post-labels'> Labels: <a href='http://www.daisybutter.com/search/label/books' rel='tag'> books </a> , <a href='http://www.daisybutter.com/search/label/review' rel='tag'> review </a> </span> <span class='post-icons'> </span> </div> <div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-2'></div> <div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-3'></div> <div class='addthis_toolbox'> <div class='custom_images'> <div style='margin-top:-30px; opacity:0.8;text-align: right; width: 241px; margin-left: 430px;'><a class='addthis_button_facebook'><img alt='Share to Facebook' border='0' class='nopin' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o3Jog_ylvwc/Uq-2hTM1_dI/AAAAAAAAGzE/UcczPUlXrXM/s1600/Share.png'/></a> <a class='addthis_button_twitter'><img alt='Share to Twitter' border='0' class='nopin' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNhv2ny4gdU/Uq-2hWnEkFI/AAAAAAAAGzM/8WLXhG8XWwA/s1600/tweet.png'/></a> <a class='addthis_button_pinterest_share'><img alt='Pin This' border='0' class='nopin' src='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_unCHVUY9vM/Uq-2hZug-eI/AAAAAAAAGzI/EVZdpMQmPXU/s1600/pinit.png'/></a></div> </div></div> <script type='text/javascript'>var addthis_config = {" script="">