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.

since this is a snow white retelling, i read the book and imagine that this is my bedtime story.

onto the book, i imagined some scenes from the cartoon, but in different setting. i kept rooting for other characters, but oh well...

but there are some parts that are lacking, especially the ending. i mean, that's it? i kept re-reading that part, and yep, it's officially finished. also, the ‘sapphic’ part is lacking for me.

This was gorgeously written with exquisite world building. I loved the connection to nature and the switch from dwarves to mossfolk. The premise was intriguing. And the stunning cover was just *chef’s kiss*

While I was excited for the Evil Queen/Princess pairing, the romance unfortunately is where this book fell flat for me. I felt like they took too long to meet in person, barely interacted even after that, and the instant attraction described from their glimpses through the mirror didn’t ring sincere to me. Snow White seemed to have far more chemistry with Henrick than Iliana.

At times, there also were too many descriptions and similes for my personal taste.

Try as I might, I wasn't able to push through to the end without losing interest. So I finally surrendered and DNF at 71%.

This might be a better fit for readers who don't care about the romance.

I’m still looking for my dream sapphic Snow White retelling since this wasn’t quite it.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

20 years later, what would Snow White's story be? Andrea Hannah takes readers on a journey through the imagining of the tale's future. I was completely immersed in the setting and the story throughout! I couldn't wait to read more and see what Snow would do or what would happen on the pages. I enjoyed the Mossfolk characters in the story along with Henrick. The Mirror having it's own POV was a neat addition. Thank you to Wednesday Books for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This was such a well-written sapphic Snow White retelling. When we first meet Snow White, she is under the impression that things are exactly as they were. Believing that her former friends will help her, she searches for them, but finds out that things are so much more complicated along the way. She learns so much from the new friendship she forms along the way and understands how she uses her magic will impact the kingdom. The ending left me wanting more!

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-arc!

The Wildest Things is, at its heart, a retelling of the story of Snow White. There are quite a few similarities, and yet, there are differences; Snow White comes back to life for no apparent reason, to a country that is struggling under the Blight, and which has caused her cheerful and happy country and companions to turn dark; for example, the dwarves have become mossfolk, whose nature, despite detailed descriptions, is never quite clear - what is clear is that they have gone from nature-oriented tree people of some type to beings who hunt the creatures of the wood for their organs, a complete turnaround in only 20 years. Snow spends the entire novel trying to regain her position as Seasonkeeper, with an apparent budding romance between herself and Henrick, the only persons she's met who not only isn't trying to kill her, but is actively trying to help her; despite that, this novel is touted as a sapphic romance, but that part only shows up at the very end. \

It's an interesting twist on the original fairy tale, and yet, it fell flat for me. The tone of the writing is a bit formal and rather stilted, although that seems to ease toward the end; it makes the character of Snow White seem egotistical and unapproachable, which is not aligned with her described character and motivation, and it made the story hard to read. It also makes the reveal at the end, when Snow White finds out just how badly her father and grandfather had treated various of their subjects, who, despite that, apparently loved and even fawned over her - something she apparently managed to not know her entire life to this point - hard to take. It felt like the author wanted to say things that didn't quite fit into the original fairy tale, and yet wasn't quite sure how to modify the tale to make them fit, so they were crammed in anyway.

There are some good things in this story - there's some wonderful description language, for example, although it is too present in some places - and I enjoyed the viewpoint of the mirror as a character, but it just didn't gel for me. It seemed like it was trying to be too many things to too many people. There are people who will enjoy this book, but it simply wasn't to my taste.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Hannah, and St. Martin’s Press for the ebook. I absolutely love a good fairy tale retelling, especially one with a dark and twisted spin, and this Snow White-inspired story delivered on all fronts. It captures the eerie and unsettling essence of the original tale while weaving in fresh and unexpected elements that kept me hooked. A beautifully haunting read that fairy tale and horror fans alike will appreciate!

I received this ARC for an interview with Owlcrate, and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Andrea did a fantastic job of intertwining the familiar narrative with her unique world. I can't help but wish for my own moss people—they were such a great take on the dwarves and really echoed the heart of the story! The world-building was captivating, and I loved discovering the stories and lore behind Andrea's world. The horror elements were just creepy enough to keep me on edge; I don't think I'll ever look at a chipmunk the same way again! I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment.

3.45/5⭐️

This was described as a sapphic Snow White retelling and, while it is a Snow White retelling, I wouldn’t label it as sapphic. Are there some elements that hint towards it? Yes. But I wouldn’t really call it sapphic. It was a very interesting take on the Snow White story and, I felt that they left this book open to a sequel with the way it ended.

After 20 years, Snow White wakes up and emerges in a world that looks completely different from the one she left behind. The plants are dying, the woodland creatures have mutated into horrifying beasts, and her once-peaceful friends have turned into mercenary survivalists. She quickly learns that there’s a new evil queen ruling the kingdom, and sets out to stop her…but for some reason, she can’t help feeling mysteriously drawn to the icy blonde ruler.

I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I do often enjoy fairy tale retellings, so I took a chance on this one. Ultimately it just wasn’t for me. I love the idea behind it: “Snow White X climate change with a sapphic twist” is a killer premise. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t pulled in by the story. Much of the plot is framed around a quest to obtain magic objects, and I found it to be slow-paced and not super interesting. I’m not really a fan of these kind of quest-focused books. Readers should also note that this is definitely meant to be the first book in a duology or series, and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

I suspect this is a case of me being the wrong reader for this book. I think readers who can’t get enough YA fantasy and romantasy will find this to be a worthy addition to their tbr.

Andrea Hannah delivers another intriguing, well-written, and character-driven novel in The Wildest Things.
As soon as I seen this intriguing, beautiful cover and read the synopsis I knew this story was going to take me on one hell of an amazing ride.

I love her writing!

To say this book is chilling is an understatement!
The twists and turns were so well executed.
The writing was fantastic, and the characters were deeply defined.
Hannah's writing is smooth, suspenseful and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!
There is so much to love about this one.
I couldn’t put this book down!!

Imagine waking up in a broken and cracked glass coffin to find out your evil stepmother poisoned you, your prince charming never came to kiss you, and oh, 20 years have passed, and your kingdom is blighted and dying. This is the reality Snow White, yes....that Snow White, wakes up to. Her friends are now her enemies, and people who should be her enemies stir deep and dark yearnings inside of her.
This Saphic retelling of the Snow White legend is darker than most. I enjoyed seeing Snow change throughout the book but found the amount of detail to be a little too much. I love it when an author's world builds but doesn't need a three-paragraph description about something that isn't genuinely relevant to the story. The story was good, but I am unsure if this book is for me.

Such a wonderful spin on that classic fairytale. It took a few chapters for it to truly flow together and then I couldn’t put it down. Loved Snow White’s evolution to discover who she truly is and what she’s capable of. Really hoping for a sequel!

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

This was a did not finish as I simply could not get into this book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Andrea Hannah’s The Wildest Things is a sapphic Snow White retelling with a dark, lush fantasy setting and a compelling enemies-to-lovers romance. The novel takes a bold approach, reimagining Snow White waking up two decades after her poisoned slumber to find her kingdom consumed by the Blight, its creatures twisted into horrors, and its people desperate for salvation. But her only path to power—and survival—forces her to make an impossible choice: embrace her own darkness or risk losing everything.

The strongest aspects of the book lie in its atmosphere and world-building. Hannah paints a haunting, overgrown world filled with eerie, mutated creatures and a kingdom on the brink of collapse. The sapphic romance is slow-burning and full of tension, adding emotional depth to the high stakes.

However, the novel struggles with pacing. Some sections drag with dense descriptions and introspection, while key plot developments feel rushed or underexplored. Snow, as a protagonist, is intriguing but inconsistent—at times strong-willed and determined, at others frustratingly indecisive. The magic system and its rules remain somewhat vague, making the final act feel a bit muddled rather than truly climactic.

While The Wildest Things has a creative premise and a beautifully dark aesthetic, it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. Fans of lyrical, atmospheric fantasy will likely enjoy the journey, but those craving tight plotting and clear world-building may find themselves wanting more.

✨ARC Review✨

❓What’s your favorite fairy tale?

This reimagining of Snow White is everything I needed to read right now. It’s a story where the sweet, docile princess finds her power has been within her all along.

In this world, the Prince does not kiss Snow awake. Twenty years after she bit into the poisoned apple and was interred in her glass coffin, she slowly awakes. She learns quickly that nothing in this world is as she left it. A dangerous blight (climate change, anyone) has ravaged the lands. The animals she used to sing to and frolic with have evolved into monstrous creatures.

In this new world, she is constantly in danger from the forest creatures and from the new Evil Queen. She has to stay a step ahead while also trying to figure out how she can become the Seasonkeeper and save their world.

I really enjoyed this retelling. It gave me a bit of hope in this dark week.

Recommended!

I received this eARC via #netgalley and @stmartinspress. All thoughts are mine alone.

#ya #youngadultbooks #youngadultfantasy #yafantasy #thewildestthings #andreahannah
#bookreview #bookrecs #bookstagram

I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings with a horror twist, and this completely delivered. This sapphic Snow White reimagining is lush, dark, and so beautifully immersive that I felt like I was living in its decayed, magic-ridden world.

Snow awakens after twenty years in her glass coffin to find her kingdom in ruins. The land is dying, the creatures have twisted into nightmares, and the Evil Queen still holds power. To restore Roanfrost, Snow must embrace a dangerous magic and become the Seasonkeeper—but the cost might be more than she’s willing to pay. And then there’s the Queen’s daughter—the one she’s supposed to kill, but instead, she just 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 fall for.

This book has everything I love—dark, eerie fairy tale vibes, unpredictable twists, and writing 𝙨𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 with imagery that I could practically feel the decay creeping through the pages. Even though it’s a retelling, nothing felt stale or expected. Andrea Hannah reimagines this world in a way that haunts your dreams but also warms your heart.

One of my favorite themes here is that darkness inside you doesn’t define who you are—it’s what you choose to do with it that matters. Snow’s journey is about power, choice, and deciding who you want to be, no matter what’s happened to you. And let’s talk about the romantic angst*—absolutely 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨. The tension, the slow-burn, the impossible choices—it had me hooked.

The ending leaves room for a sequel, and I 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 hope we get one. If not, I need more dark fairy tale retellings from Andrea Hannah ASAP. If you loved 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘒𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳, the 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘜𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 TV series, or just crave fairy tales gone wrong, this book needs to be on your shelf.

I was really disappointed with this book. The story was very boring and the plot did not flow like I wanted it too. It felt very slow paced.

I really enjoyed the energy of this book. Homegirl must be exhausted because she ran literally the entire book. Interesringly enough, with all of the running around and action, the pacing felt a bit off. This is one of those stories that you don't know where you'll end up but the journeys pretty fun. The writing was enjoyable and lyrical. I really liked Henrik. I got a little lost towards the last 30% because I couldn't figure out what the point was.

This is definitely a dark retelling which I loved. I loved the mossmen but wanted them fleshed out a little more.

There is some harm to animals.

Ends on a cliffhanger.

i’m usually particular about retellings, but this one didn’t disappoint. The Wildest Things is more than just a fairytale reimagining—it’s a raw, enchanting exploration of identity, courage, and self-acceptance.

the world building is lush and immersive. her prose is cinematic, drawing readers into a setting that’s both magical and untamed.

the sapphic romance between iliana and snow crackles with chemistry, their relationship unfolding in a way that feels both tender and deeply emotional—diving into the complexities of desire well beyond their romance.

this is a must-read for fans of character-driven fantasy that isn’t afraid to embrace life’s messier truths.