I was really looking forward to reading this; I love anything to do with the sinister side of fairy lore, and as a writer I'm a sucker for stories about writers. It started out so well, and I was excited to read a novel set at a writer's residency – I don't think that's something I've seen before. Unfortunately, it all went a bit wrong after that: the characters were deeply irritating, the fairy element wasn't sinister, and the story dragged. I'd read more from Kat Howard, but this was a miss for me.

"Imogen and her sister Marin escape their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, whether it be art or love in this haunting debut novel from “a remarkable young writer” (Neil Gaiman).

What would you sacrifice for everything you ever dreamed of?

Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire."

Even if Neil Gaiman wasn't touting this book the description alone makes me want to read it!

This book is filled with the magic and storytelling that can transport the reader right into the pages of the book. This is a must read.