I struggled a bit on my first read but I think that was a me problem—I just picked it back up and loved it!

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 | 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤!

I really wanted to love this Snow White retelling, but something was definitely amiss for me as I struggled to fully invest myself in the story and its characters. I really appreciated how Andrea Hannah took a classic fairy tale and made it her own, with a sapphic retelling.
Would love to read more of her novels in the future.

When her glass coffin unexpectedly shatters, Snow White awakens. The land is rotting. The animals have mutated. In the twenty years that have passed since Snow bit into the poisoned apple, the kingdom of Roanfrost has transformed from a luscious wild land to a blight-ravaged nightmare. In search of answers and a way to restore her kingdom to its former glory, Snow sets out on a dangerous journey that will test the strength she never knew she had. Friends will become foes. New alliances will form. The Queen will stop at nothing to seize her power as well as her heart.
If Snow has any chance to survive and restore not only her kingdom, but all of Garedenne, her only option is to become the Seasonkeeper and access the life-giving magic that will heal the plague. But the path to becoming the Season keeper is more treacherous than she could ever imagine. The wild things have awakened and Snow’s darker impulses yearn to set them free. What will happen?

White I knew as a child.”Snow White” this is different enough that it did surprise me at times. It is different enough that II wondered if we are losing what the original fairy tale was about. Here is a difference. The original fairy tales have an easy to understand story. The author has written a good story. What age do you need to be to understand the story?

The Wildest Things by Andrea Hannah
⭐⭐⭐ | 🍎 Snow White, but make it apocalyptic

So I just finished this sapphic Snow White retelling and honestly? My feelings are as twisted as those mutated woodland creatures.

The premise is FIRE though - Snow White wakes up from her glass coffin 20 years later to find everything's gone to hell. The landscape? Blighted. The animals? Nightmare fuel. Her old pals? Giving major trust issues. And she's supposed to save everything by becoming the "Seasonkeeper" which sounds like a fantasy LinkedIn job title I didn't know I wanted.

The vibes we're tracking:
🌑 Decaying fairytale aesthetic
🏃‍♀️ Perpetual quest energy
🐿️ Rabid chipmunks (yes, really)
💔 Slow-burn romance that's actually SLOW
📚 First-book-in-a-series energy

Let's be real - the pacing is where this book lost me. Snow spends SO much time running around collecting magical plot coupons that I kept checking how many pages were left. The worldbuilding has moments of gorgeous, macabre imagery, but then we're back to quest-mode and I'm like "are we there yet?"

The whole "I must kill the queen's daughter but oops she's kinda cute" angle had potential but doesn't really deliver the sapphic tension I was promised until wayyyy too late. One kiss? In this economy??

Also fair warning: cliffhanger ending that basically screams "buy the sequel!"

Would recommend if: you love dark fairy tale vibes, don't mind a slow middle, and have patience for book one of what's clearly going to be a series. Just don't get attached to any woodland creatures, mkay?

The Wildest Things had such an aesthetic—gothic forest vibes, corrupted magic, sapphic tension, and a Snow White retelling with bite—but it didn’t fully sweep me away like I hoped. The atmosphere? Absolutely stunning. The prose? Lush. But the pacing dragged in places, and while the romance had potential, it didn’t hit that swoon or heartbreak level I wanted. I kept waiting for the emotional stakes to cut deeper, and they just... didn’t. Still, if you love dark fairytales, morally gray girls, and forests that feel alive in the worst possible way, it’s worth checking out—it just didn’t become my new obsession.

Dear The Wildest Things,
I really really wanted to let love you. I get really into fairy tale retellings and a sapphic retelling of Snow White sounded like it would be right up my alley. But you just were a miss for me. Your characters were weak, and you were not a retelling but a continuation of the Snow White fairy tale. I just feel like I didn't get what I was looking for from you.

Some books grip you with action, others with language—this one does it with a quiet, undeniable pull. Before you know it, you’re fully inside its world, thinking about its characters as if they’re real. It’s not just a book you read; it’s a book you live with.

Readers who love and crave Sapphic retellings of classic stories and need to see themselves represented, will love this book.

I tried but I just ran out of time to finish this one, I think I’ll try again later, I thought it was an interesting premise

Please give me more sapphic fairy tale retellings immediately, okay - I loved this. It was my first Andrea Hannah and I will definitely be reading more

I want to thank #Netgalley and #WednesdayBooks for the chance to read #TheWildestThings by #AndreaHannah in return for a fair and honest review.

The Wildest Things is a twist on the Snow White fairytale, it delves into Nature and the magic tha nature itself holds.
Snow White awakens to her glass coffin shattering over her and the lush land she once knew is now crumbling and decaying. The animals that she once called friends that came to her when she sang are creatures that have become grotesque and deformed.
The seven Mossfolk she once lived with and called family have turned into something she doesn't recognize. Now and then in the eyes of the creatures she comes across is a girl that takes her breath away and causes her fear.

Nature needs it's Season keeper to restore balance and cure the blight over the land and although Queen Illiana has tried all the spells she has mastered from her Mothers grimoire she can't seem to bring snow down from the sky. When she feels Snow White awaken she decides what she needs to make antimony that she can consume and force natures magic to her will is Snow Whites heart. Once again Snow White must protect her heart while learning to become that which nature needs her to be.

It had a great concept but it just didn’t deliver. I can see a few people liking this book. It just wasn’t my favorite.

Thanks Andrea Hannah and Netgally for the arc.

A slow burn Sapphic Snow white retelling? Hello. Yes please. You dont often see the what happens after Snow White wakes up so this was new territory for me and what a wild ride it was. I love the darkness of it and the Gothic eerie style. Pacing wise and over explanations aside I found this retelling to be quite fresh and imaginative. I am really looking forward to more from this author.

Normally, I love a retelling, especially when they explore something on the darker side. I did like the very beginning as Snow first wakes from her glass coffin, but I quickly grew bored. I didn't connect with Snow at all, and I found myself not really caring about what was happening and skimming the story.

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read The Wildest Things! This sapphic Snow White retelling offers a fresh and compelling twist on the classic tale. With a kingdom on the brink of ruin due to the Blight, Snow faces an impossible choice—kill the Evil Queen’s daughter to save her people… or risk everything by falling in love with her.

I found the plot captivating and refreshingly unique, breathing new life into the familiar Snow White story. The world-building and high-stakes tension kept me engaged throughout. However, while the premise promised a sapphic romance, I felt that aspect took a backseat to the overarching plot. At times, Snow’s interactions with the brother overshadowed the romantic elements, making the romance feel more like a subplot rather than a central theme. Because of this, I personally wouldn’t categorize it as a romance-first novel, but rather a gripping fantasy with romantic elements.

Overall, The Wildest Things is an intriguing and inventive retelling that fans of dark fairy tales will enjoy, especially those looking for a new take on Snow White!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy. You can pick up The Wildest Things now.

I went into this story with high hopes, but I'm afraid it fell a bit flat for me. I appreciated the risks Andrea Hannah took with this retelling and how she spun things to make it her own. But I found myself not wanting to pick it up or stay invested in our main character's struggles. The writing didn't really compel me, and I found myself skimming through it more than I would have liked.

But if you want a sapphic take on the Snow White tale and its aftermath, this might be your book!

You had me at a queer retelling of Snow White. I love a retelling any day of the week but this was such a great visual of the beloved fairy tale. Thank you for sending it my way!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an e-review copy and a final copy.

Snow White has awakened to find the world has become a lot darker than she can even imagine. Her path is full of tests and she doesn’t know who to trust, not even herself, because the wild things have awakened and Snow’s darker impulses yearn to set them free.

My thoughts:
The story is interesting and deliciously grim, more in line with the dark origins of fairy tales. Magic and nature are the drivers of the story, Snow is hiding things, and nature has been corrupted, there’s a blight over the entire land. It starts off slow, but you discover the world with Snow because so much has changed. This was mis-marketed, yes there is a sliver of a sapphic romance but this is a horror fantasy book, not a big romance. So do not expect some big romance, but do expect a dark and grim tale.

Read this for:
- Snow White
- grim and dark
- corrupted magic
- nature is a boss
- animals are a little scary

This was a masterclass of how retellings should be done. I love the changes to the Snow White story that I know and the dark and magical take that this story brings. Andrea Hannah was able to add a bunch of new things to the Snow White lore and I loved that contribution. Just as in the original Snow White, she is put into a sleep by a poison apple, but instead of a man coming to rescue her with “true love's first kiss,” she manages to awaken herself and is woken to a very changed world.

Snow goes on a fantastic journey of self-discovery as she learns about what has happened in the 20 years she has been asleep. I really enjoyed the fact that in addition to all of the other twists that I will not be spoiling, this book ends up with a sapphic relationship that I imagine we will see explored more in book two of the duology, which I cannot wait to read!

A dark, sapphic, Snow White retelling with a cover to eat a poison apple for? Yes please.

This did not let me down. Snow White has awoken to a different world, one full of darkness that she’s doesn’t understand.

This was such an atmospheric read that captivated me from the beginning with the mirror’s POV.

I will be picking up a physical copy of this one.