The story of a girl, scorned for her physical deformity, whose passion and salvation lie in her otherworldly ability to transform herself and the world around her.
... [a] clever, captivating book ... Silver unleashes her considerable imagination on a cast of colorful and endearingly flawed characters who are forced to fight against their stunted fates. The result is a beautifully told, heart-rending, can’t-put-it-down read ... Silver masterfully balances a riveting plot with deep meaning.
...[a] fantastically inventive new novel ... Through the story of Pavla’s shape-shifting, Silver challenges the misogynistic conventions of the classic fairy tale ... The novel’s open ending lingers unsettlingly in the mind. Like [Angela] Carter, but in her own way, Silver manages to transform the fairy tale without losing its power.
...both a parable and a full-fledged, richly told story, with clearly drawn characters who beckon us to come along with them on their journeys ... Silver’s book is magical and parabolic, but it doesn’t have the stark, curious language of a fairy tale. Instead, she adorns her fable with earthy imagery, crafting a rich setting and lovable characters.
