This novel was more of a slow burn, so it took me a while to be drawn in. The characters were satisfyingly complicated and messy and the heavy themes were handled well. I also appreciated that Saskia was allowed to break out of the box of "good survivor."

There was just something that didn't quite work for me... maybe the heavy handed writing style and a lot of suspended disbelief required from the reader? Something just didn't quite come together for me leaving the story a bit flat. I liked Kapelke-Dale's other novel, The Ballerinas, better.

Please be mindful of the trigger warnings before reading this book!

This book is a slow burn so if you want a quick story this isn’t for you. This also has a protagonist who will be off putting to some people but I liked her. She was complicated and messy with her choices and relationships but that’s what made her an interesting character…I prefer my characters gritty around the edges. 

Bonus points for the “Fairy Tales for Little Feminists” blurbs that start off each chapter. It should be no surprise that I also loved all those sassy little princesses. 

Saskia has returned home after her mother’s death, faced with memories and fears that she buried a long time ago. But now that he mother’s house has been left to a man that she has a history with, she has to face what happened all those years ago. Her pay as a piano prodigy, a girl who never fit in, who constantly struggled with her relationship with her mother, and the complicated history with an abuser all combine to question the depths of feminism, and how far someone will go to prove herself.

I had complicated feelings about this book. Described as My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit, the relationships with men and her love/hate relationship with her talent are very clear. There are for sure trigger warnings for sexual abuse of a minor, grooming, and a dark predatory overall theme. But there was also lightness interspersed with the fairy tales her mother had written from a feminist perspective that also made me smile. I have some unanswered questions as well. I believe there’s more than one predator of the story, and I feel bad for Saskia’s constant abuse coming from many directions, at childhood and as an adult. 

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5, and I’d recommend it for fans of My Dark Vanessa that can handle the tough dark themes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.