Midnight in Everwood
by M.A Kuzniar
4.5 stars

Midnight in Everwood is a retelling of the nutcracker, It is so enjoyable. I've never read the Nutcracker, so this was so interesting to read.
Marietta Stelle loves ballet and will do anything to keep dancing she doesn't want to stop; her parents don't want that they want her to get married and let go of that dream. A mysterious person shows up and starts to show interest in Marietta and wants to have her hand in marriage. As she tries to get away from him, she is transported to a magical place called Everwood. Where everyone warns her to leave it's not safe to stay, she realizes this is not a place for her and she needs to break out which takes time, courage, and patience. She finds out what love is and true friendship while in Everwood and once she's out she knows how to stand her ground and go after what she wants.
I loved reading this book and being transported to Everwood makes you believe in magic.
Thank you, Net Galley and Harper 360 for this advanced copy for an honest review

I decided to DNF this book. No particular reason, but the writing didn’t jump out at me. I do appreciate the arc, but I will not be finishing it. Thank you.

I adore unique fiction, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book!

I was so hoping to like this book more than I did. I generally enjoy retellings and loved the idea of this winter wonderland, and there were certain parts that I did enjoy. But it would have benefited greatly from better editing and a little more thought put into the plot.

Kuzniar’s deliciously dark reimagining of The Nutcracker set in turn of the century England (and beyond…) is the perfect escapist fairytale for anyone looking to lose themselves in a haunting but intoxicatingly charming winter wonderland. The whimsical magic of the world Kuzniar dreams up is enough to recommend this book, but it also comes with strong friendships, exciting plot twists, a thoughtful consideration of weight of the male gaze and the struggle for female agency, and, of course, some charming but passionate romance that grounds it in an enchanting but serious reality.

This book is a retelling of the Christmas classic, the Nutcracker. The story follows Marietta Stelle, a ballerina who is turning 21 and being forced by her family to quit ballet and enter society. As she is set to give her final performance, a mysterious man moved in next door and constructs an elaborate set for her final show. She quickly realizes the set is more than it appears when she is transported to the magical land of Everwood, a beautiful but dangerous place.

This was a charming and nostalgic read. The nutcracker has always been a favorite of mine. So much so that I've seen it practically every year since I was a kid. I loved being transported into the world Kuzniar created, filled with all the things I knew about the nutcracker and things I wouldn't have expected. I will say, the pacing could use some work and I think the plot often got lost underneath the overly descriptive language. It was very easy to step inside Marietta's head and see through her eyes but sometimes it became tedious to read musings about food items and dresses over and over again.

With that said, I definitely enjoyed this read. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360 and HQ for giving me this arc!

A whimsical variation on the Nutcracker story. It is really more of a nod to the ballet than the original story itself, but nonetheless magical and beautifully written. I wish I'd read it in December around Christmas time. Definitely recommend to those who love the Nutcracker ballet.

I have always loved the story of the Nutcracker, especially at Christmastime. This book is the perfect retelling of the Nutcracker. The detail the author uses to describe the world of Everwood is absolutely captivating. I found myself imagining the world vividly. I loved the character development we see in Marietta. Throughout the story we see her learn how to use her inner strength and fight for herself. The side characters were also all likable except for the king who is the perfect villain. I did feel like the ending was a little abrupt and would have liked to see Marietta’s future unfold a little more.

For my full review and my photo of this book, visit my blog.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book!It was SO enchanting and beautifully written. It sucked me into the magical world of Everwood.

I've never been familiar with the Nutcracker but I still enjoyedthis story and would recommend this book.

I love the Nutcracker, so I had high hopes for this retelling but unfortunately Midnight in Everwood fell flat for me. I didn't love the pacing of the book and the way the sentences were structured and the vocabulary that was used didn't flow, which made for a choppy and distracting reading experience. I felt like things didn't start to get interesting until the very end, which was frustrating. Overall the settings were lovely but it just didn't read the lyrical way I think the author wanted it to.

Thanks for the ARC!
I received this ARC months after publication date.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was very atmospheric and lyrical. The words just flowed flawlessly.

Although I am not very well informed about the story of the Nutcracker, I was able to enjoy this book anyway. It makes me want to read the Nutcracker story.

I would recommend this book if you enjoy Christmastime stories and words written to just flow as you read them.

i’ve loved the nutcracker ever since barbie in the nutcracker came out when i was three, but midnight in everwood missed the mark for me. while the writing and imagery were just gorgeous, the characters were frustratingly one-dimensional and i was never invested in marietta’s story. i appreciated the female friendships and the way kuzniar wove the women’s suffrage movement into the classic ballet and addressed men’s control over women on a societal level, but a lot of the other representation felt very token to me personally.

i wanted to love this book a lot more than i did, but i’m giving it 2.5 stars for the beautiful writing and whimsical christmassy vibes.

Midnight in Everwood drew me in first and foremost by the beautiful cover! How entrancing is it? Author Kuzniar slowly builds the background of the story and about one-third of the way in, Marietta's entire world turns upside down. And I could not stop reading it!!! It was completely captivating. Kuzinar paints a picture that the reader sees just a like movie on the big screen. From the snow laden forest to the beautiful pointe dancing of Marietta, I felt like I was there seeing it all for myself. My favorite part of the story was the friendship between Marietta, Dellara, and Pilipata. The bond they forged was a beautiful thing. There is definitely some dark parts to the story but I felt that they were just right. I do wish that there were more questions answered; I finished the book wondering about a lot of things. Kuzinar does a fantastic job creating a world that comes to life right before the readers' eyes. A creative retelling of the Nutcracker, Midnight in Everwood will bring the chill of winter right into your home. I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was filled with whimsy and beautiful descriptions, and I enjoyed the main character and her development. Unfortunately, though, I also feel that there were some issues with pacing, and the latter half of the book dragged on a bit for me.

I've been looking for an adult version of The Nutcracker for ages. I loved the story when I was a child, and I still love the magic. This is the first retelling I've seen, and I enjoyed it, although it wasn't quite what I expected. Marietta Stelle lives in early 20th century London with her overbearing and domineering parents who want her to make an advantageous marriage. Marietta wants to be a ballerina instead. A mysterious, slightly chilling neighbor moves in across the street and her parents think this is their chance. Marietta discovers he's not what he seems, and on Christmas Eve she has an encounter with him that leaves her scrambling through a clock into a wintry world where everything seems to be made of sugar. There's a nefarious king on the throne, a handsome captain of the army, and two women held captive in the palace. Before long, Marietta also finds herself trapped and unable to get home. She makes friends, falls in love, and in the end - I'm of two minds about the ending, but mostly I appreciate it. It's a fun story, and nostalgic. If you like the The Nutcracker ballet, you might enjoy this retelling.

If my winter theme didn't make it obvious, I have loved The Nutcracker since childhood, so I have been anticipating this retelling with great excitement. I read it with a winter storm brewing outside my window, Tchaikovsky dancing from my speakers, a mug of hot chocolate steaming in one hand, while sharp, dangerous magic wafted up from my e-reader. The perfect ambience.

The book's strength is its imagery, painting a decadent other world built of sugar with a whisper of danger. It's easy to understand why Marietta is mesmerized into staying. Whether it's the vibrant fashions, flavorful confections, or the opportunity to live and breathe dance away from Edwardian strictures, this world tempts all the senses while its otherworldly splendor hooks into the mind. In fact, I have never read a fantasy so devoted to conjuring magical smells and tastes, areas often overlooked in evoking unfamiliar locales. I applaud the comprehensive approach.

I also appreciated that layers of privilege are discussed right on the page: class, lgbt, race, and gender concerns are addressed within the historical context. Unfortunately, the execution was a bit clunky even if the intent was good.

The plot didn't dazzle me. We have a standard tyrant king and rebellion story with characters that were perfectly fine but lacking in depth. Mariette's relationship with her brother has potential to be powerful but gets little space in the story. The friendships among the three captured women stand out as the most compelling, but I still found them severely underdeveloped. The romance plot was yet more tenuous with little time or energy put into making it feel as special as the world framing it.

I felt iffy throughout, but the final pages left me with an ultimately negative reaction. After a lot of waiting and ball montages, the three prisoners finally put their escape plan into action. I was appalled when Mariette risked her freedom and that of her friends for a romantic assignation. It then featured my least favorite fantasy ending after "it was all a dream" or "and then their memory was wiped." I won't say what trope it is because ~spoilers~. I think it's an empowering and meaningful end, so this is not a moral or quality objection. It's just a stylistic choice that chafes at my particular sensibilities.

If you're all about fantasy worlds with keen attention to experiential detail, I think that is the strongest element of this book.

This book was whimsical and magical but the book felt a little flat for me. This story follows Marietta who is a socialite who loves ballet. Her parents have decided that as of the new year she will no longer dance but find a husband and be a respectable lady. Marietta does not want to follow this plan but instead wants to audition for a role in the royal ballet. While Marietta struggles with her own desires and her parents expectations a mysterious man moves in next door Dr Droselmeir who retired as a Dr to enjoy his true passion toy making. Dr Droselmeir becomes interested in Marietta causing her parents to force the idea of marriage. To court Marietta Dr Droselmeir agrees to create the set for her last ballet performance taking place on Christmas. Little does Marietta know the set has the magic to transport her to another world. On Christmas Eve Marietta flees and ends up in Everwood being saved by Captain Legat and leading her to a magical palace where she becomes the entertainment as well as a prisoner. The book follows Marietta as she try’s to find a way out.

I loved the beautiful writing and descriptions of Everwood it definitely gave me the Christmas vibes with the description of the castle and the decorations. I enjoyed the two characters that befriend Marietta, Dellara and Pirlipata they felt like strong characters but Iwish they went more into their backstory’s. That leads me into my main issue with this book it felt very flat to me , I felt like this book could have benefited from a multiple pov style of writing. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the castle I would have enjoyed more information about the rebellion it felt like a side note instead of a main part of the story. I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Rounded to 3 stars. Getting in the winter mood and bundling up to a nutcracker retelling was a dream come true when I read the description of this book and saw the beautiful cover. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t able to get into the book. Don’t get me wrong the writing was beautiful and the way things were described were very magical but it was just such a slow pace I’d forget that this was even a nutcracker retelling. Overall it was ok just didn’t live up to my expectations I had for this read.

Midnight in Everwood was a lovely retelling of The Nutcracker that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did feel it was slow in the first section of the novel and the writing style of the author which was heavy with adjectives and descriptions took some getting used to but once the second portion started it picked up rather well. The ending was heartbreaking but I felt it was enjoyable and think this would be a great book for anyone interested in ballet as you could picture the dancing that was described.

First of all, a thank you to HarperCollins for this advance review copy, receiving it of course does not affect my comments.

Hello again dear reader!
The other week I was in the middle of enjoying the latest in a series of epic fantasy reads when my mood reader met with my life events and they sat me down at the kitchen table to solemnly let me know I’d be unable to continue reading any of that for a while.

So then I fell back to one of my usual activities when I’m tired and just need to reset. Comfort stuff. But I also needed something new, I couldn’t just watch all my favorite Disney classics or a disaster/monster movie for the nth time. So, I took the tried-and-true formula and turned it onto my reading by going through several fairy tale retellings and a couple monster books!

As a retelling of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, M.A. Kuzniar’s adult debut, Midnight in Everwood, fit the bill perfectly. This charming stand-alone had just the right amount of wonder and magic to work as escapist fairy tale fantasy but also the right amount of darkness to remind you of the timeless “careful what you wish for” aphorism.

Protagonist Marietta wishes to escape the constricting expectations and duties of the Edwardian woman by becoming a professional ballet dancer and ever delaying her chances at marriage – to the rising frustration and chagrin of her parents who carefully and avidly navigate society in order to continuously climb its echelons. Marietta is given an ultimatum that after Christmas her dancing will be over, and she activates herself to make sure it isn’t so. After that we all know how the story goes more or less, on the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve our brave ballerina is magically transported into the magical, and marzipan filled, world of Everwood where she has to navigate court politics, a budding revolution, a cruel king, and hardships she’s never even imagined. I gloss over everything to keep this as spoiler free as possible mind you, but a lot does happen and the plot is ever moving and engaging.

Kuzniar’s prose is enchanting and at times mesmerizing or even sugary. Quite literally for the latter, in fact, if you’re a sweet tooth, I do not recommend reading this book without a snack of that variety near you. I could practically smell all the different drinks and food that the author described in detail! However, Kuzniar does not only focus on food, and she has certainly created vivid and evocative settings that the reader can feel completely immersed in. I have only one real peeve with the writing in this book and that is the number of times I read the word butterscotch! I get it was a good way to describe an eye color at first, especially considering the sweets encased context, but frankly by the time I’d reached the half point of the book my eye had already started to twitch at the word.

As for the character work (you’ll know by now, dear reader, that is my main focus when reading) I can say that I definitely enjoyed the protagonist’s growth and development throughout the book, but also that, bar for a few exceptions when it came to some of the secondary characters, the rest of the cast did occasionally feel less fleshed out than I might’ve preferred. Another way of saying this is that while I definitely liked most if not all of the characters, I didn’t *love* them. That’s fine too though since it’s up to personal taste and interests, and the rest of the story didn’t actually suffer from it.

Maybe it even helped to further drive in the importance of the relationships that do get the proper development and attention, such as the one between Marietta and her brother, or later the one between her and the other two women helping her in Everwood. Brotherhood/Sisterhood is a trope I’ll always deeply love and I’m pleased to say it was done rather well here. Furthermore, this novel does indeed feel like a fist bump to feminist values and strong women in many of their different forms, which I can always appreciate.

Finally I feel like I ought to make one last disclaimer of sorts and that is that I think the story is much less of a romance than advertised, so to speak. If we want to be picky this is technically a slow burn forbidden romance, and granted, there *are* a couple of very good scenes that well and truly satisfy those tropes. But, the rest of the time, the romantic relationship felt more like an afterthought or secondary subplot, than a key element of the story. To the point where I almost got the impression that the author remembered last minute ‘oh shoot this is a romance let me add a couple things real quick’ right before the end. Truly, the captain of the King’s guard was one of my favorite characters and he does help Marietta a lot while also having some chemistry with her. But sadly he was also one of the characters I felt would’ve benefited from some more fleshing out and depth. Seen as I didn’t get into this book for the romance anyway, this didn’t bug me but, I know that other readers who do might want to know beforehand!

Midnight in Everwood is out January 25th and it is a great wintery read that calls for you to cosy up with a blanket and read it while your mug of hot chocolate or mulled wine cools down beside you.

Until next time,
Eleni. A.E.