This was an okay read, didnt blow me away but it had all the elements of an enjoyable read. I always leave it a few weeks before writing reviews for books i have read as i like to have the story ruminate in my mind for a while, sadly when it came time to write the review, i had completely forgot the entire book despite only having it read it 4 weeks prior and had to re-read it. It was fine, i enjoyed the fae world and why nettle was named as she was, i bought a signed hardback for my collection and will revisit the story at a later date.

This book is a cosy fairy-tale fantasy. I was lost in this world within the first few pages. This story features Nettle who ends up in the Fae world and must rely on stories her Grandma has told her to keep her safe. This book is equal parts magical and terrifying, the Fae world seems gorgeous but very dangerous. We get to see the Goblin Market, masquerades and the trials that our MC must tackle. This story takes you on a fantastic journey and you will not believe it is only 225 pages long. Hogan is a master at world building making you feel like you are right beside Nettle as she works out how to defeat the trials. I devoured this book in one setting and couldn't stop thinking about it afterward. This might be a new favourite for me, although some of the twists may be predictable it is still a wonderful reading experience. One that you will want to revisit time and time again.

I got a signed copy at YALC too its very pretty
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Bex Hogans works and this was no exception

Great fairytale book! Just the right balance of whimsical but dark! Another smash hit from Bex Hogan!

Short and sweet but so much fun!

Thanks for another great read :)

A young girl who lives with her grandma suddenly finds herself in a different world. A world full of faeries and magic. Nothing there is as it seems, danger is everywhere. Can she survive in this strange and unfriendly world on her own?
Yes, she can and she won't be alone.
As you probably guessed by now, this is a pretty predictable story. The protagonist needs to be brave, find friendship, and defeat evil so that good can triumph again. No surprises here. And yet it's written so swiftly, the characters aren't naive, and the worldbuilding is interesting. All of these make this book quite good. There is a romantic thread, but it's clean, which makes this book suitable for all ages.

I can happily recommend this cozy fantasy read to everyone at any age.

This book will invite comparisons to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, but the writing style is simpler. It is a compelling story. I guessed the twist but that didn't spoil it.
Changeling children are a resonant topic from an autistic perspective and this book used the idea of a changeling to articulate what it's like to grow up feeling like you don't fit in. It's relatable, considering it's a fantasy book.

This has such a gorgeous cover but that's where my praise ends. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I keep thinking one day I'll find a book with faeries I enjoy but I just do not get along with them. I want to love fairytale-esque fantasy but this one wasn't for me.

This was a nice read. Fantasy seems to be quite overrun with fae at the moment so it's nice to have the more folklore-accurate depiction of faeries with their trickery and deception a major part of the story. It was similar to Holly Black's depiction and I relished in the similarities.
The book started off relatively infuriating with Nettle outright doing the opposite of what she was taught which left me feeling like the first few chapters were wasted. It also read a LOT younger than I was anticipating, definitely an enjoyable read but maybe more for a 10-14yo.
Ebook copy provided to me by Netgalley- thank you!

I LOVE BEX HOGAN AND I LOVE THIS BOOK.

having read some of Bex Hogan's other books I was excited to get the Arc of this. The COVER IS TO DIE FOR and the book itself is a lovely read too.

I like nettle and the fact that her character feels like it stepped right out of an old school fairytale. Which this book feels like frequently - we have fairies and goblins and voices in the wind. I was here for it ALL. Very Brothers Grimm.

This book would definitely suit fans of Holly Black etc.

Reading Nettle really made me feel as though I had been transported back to my childhood, where I could rediscover the wonders of fairy tales all over again.

Hogan's simple yet lyrical writing style breathed life into the Faery Kingdom, and I loved exploring this strange new world alongside Nettle. As an FMC, Nettle was a perfect blend of curiousity, determination, empathy, and stubbornness, which made her both likeable and realistic. The supporting cast of characters we encountered throughout the novel were well-rounded and carefully thought out as well, and I really liked the relationships that Nettle built with them all.

Yes, the plot twist and the ending may have been a little predictable, but that didn't make the journey, filled with goblin markets, faery balls, trials, and plenty of magic, any less enjoyable. I'd highly recommend picking this one up if you're looking for a fast-paced, heart-warming read this winter.

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus, Zephyr and NetGalley for my eARC of this book.

The perfect antidote to the new Romantasy version of the Fae. These Fae are not handsome sex toys with wings. These Fae are tricksy and conniving and vicious. I loved going back to the roots of the Fae that I’ve missed so much. The only problem I had with the depiction is that these Fae could lie and I prefer it when they dance around the truth with clever wordplay.

The main character, Nettle, was really fun. I do love half feral girls with knives and leaves in their hair. Although she did fall into a bit of a “not like other girls” trap, I feel like that’s a hard one to avoid when a character doesn’t fit in with their peers because they’re so different. But I didn’t get the moral superiority of the author with Nettle. Just a girl who wasn’t like the other girls.

I really liked Nettle’s brilliant mind. How she could see the loopholes and tricks she could use to complete the tasks set for her, and how her affinity for nettles helped her so much. She was a good character and I’d love to see more from her.

I’ve loved Bex Hogan’s books before and this was no different, looking forward to see what she does next.

I love Bex Hogan's writing and this novel truly swept me away. A slightly different genre to her other YA fantasy adventures, this had a whimsical fairytale air to it with echoes of Rumplestiltskin. Even though I'm not a huge fan of the fae because of the ever-changing world and constant trickery, Hogan completely won me over. I loved the characters, the set-up and plot and the well-written love triangle will have YA readers on the edge of their seat. This is a magical and entrancing story with a sweetness that is tempered by hard edges and truths. There was a perfect balance between lightness and shade and I can't wait for more.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

I'm on a bit of a readathon-style mission to review a bunch of NetGalley ARCs before the end of the year, and I'm pleasantly surprised to say it's made finding books like this one really enjoyable. Nettle took a couple of chapters for me to buy into the narration style, but once it got going I found it really fun.

This novel takes all those classic fragments of faerie stories and combines them into an exciting and alluring adventure. It does justice to those elements with the prose heightening everything to their full, magical potential, exploring the human side to being enchanted to dance forever, being tricked into eating faerie food, and finding the loopholes to solve impossible tasks.

While I spotted the twist right from the beginning (it's not particularly subtle), the way the plot threads were tied up was massively satisfying even if you've seen it coming for 200 pages. I would call this a children's book above YA honestly, and I would've adored it as a pre-teen as an introduction to this sub-genre.

I adore Bex's writing, and a fairytale?? Yes please. So I went into this with very high hopes, and was not let down! I love the way that we get the portal into fairy, then the tricks and cleverness that can be employed in order to complete the tasks.

There were a lot of parts of this that lean into the typical elements of fairy we see in stories, and I think Bex navigated them really well. My favourite parts were how she made friends and what happened because of it, and the goblin market which was honestly fab.

My only real niggle was the ending felt quite bittersweet for me - I understand it, and it didn't affect my rating, but it felt like quite a harsh decision from the character.

This perfectly walked the line between the whimsy of a fairytale and the sinister elements of fairy and I can't recommend it highly enough! I also listened to the audio and the narrator did a fantastic job.

5 stars, definitely pick this up if you've been considering it!

I was very excited for this book and I was not at all disappointed to keep it short and sweet and of course spoiler free I just want to say how much the author put time and thought into the well written story and how hooked I was from start to finish. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend anyone to give this book a go.

The cover lures you in and the text keeps you staying. A nice fairy tale that captivates and entertains. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

a thoroughly enjoyable faery tale that is full of heart and oddity. bex hogan explores a fae world that is whimsical and exciting in a way that feels fresh yet traditional.

nettle is a joy, and a well paced read to escape into.

3.5⭐️

Nettle is very easy read, it is quite a short book and very fast paced. It is set within magical, luscious fairy lands that were described beautifully, allowing for a very clear and enchanting mental image for readers to get swept away to. The story of Nettle feels just like a traditionally told, age old fairytale, and I loved that aspect in particular.

As for the actual plot, we of course follow Nettle, our young FMC who has just wound up in Faery, a mystical land far from home. We experience Nettle’s navigating this new world first hand from her own perspective, and all the enchanting characters she meets along the way.

Some of my favourite things about this book include the very Shakespearean feel between the Fairy King and Queen, who felt very reminiscent of Oberon and Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I really loved Bex Hogan’s writing style too, it was very whimsical and lyrical, which was lovely to read. And I also really liked certain characters like Ellion and Gammi.

As for aspects I didn’t love as much, I didn’t feel massively connected to Nettle as a character unfortunately. I also wasn’t really feeling the love triangle subplot, though I do understand its relevance and that it represents Nettle’s ties to both the fairy and human worlds. The story, I felt, didn’t quite have the originality that I’d hoped for and I also thought the ending felt a bit rushed.

All in all, I did enjoy reading this book and I think I’d recommend it to fans of YA, low stakes, fairytale-style fantasy.

Nettle has always been a bit out of place in the human world, drawn to magic and nature. She lives with her grandmother and they have a beautiful relationship (it made me tear up as a girl who also had a great relationship with her grandmother).

Her grandma is ill and Nettle finds her way into the world of the fae where she is drawn into a deal with the faery king to complete three tasks. It seems like an impossible challenge but I loved how Nettle dealt with this, the way she thinks and makes things work.

I loved her relationship with Connor and how that grew and how they tried to help each other. Even in faery land, Nettle is something of an oddity and I really enjoyed seeing this explored.

I don't want to say anything that could be a spoiler for this brilliant story, but I loved how it resolved and that there were a few surprises that caught me off guard.

Nettle is another stunner from Bex, and you should definitely read it.

Nettle is an enchanting YA faery tale filled with manipulative faeries and impossible bargains.

When Nettle falls through a patch of nettles and into a faery realm, she is determined that nothing will keep her from returning to her sick grandmother - even if it means she has to make a series of impossible bargains with the realm's capricious king. Nettle's three, seemingly impossible tasks come with unforeseen dangers, but completing them brings her closer to Conor - a mortal who has been stuck in faery for centuries - and Ellion - a shadow faery in the service of the king.

Secrets, faery tricks and magical balls fill this enchanting fantasy story. The world building is emersive, and there feels like so much left to explore and delight in Hogan's faery realm. This is a perfect Autumn read.