My biggest issue with this (and all retellings) is the fine balance the books need to strike between honoring the original text and also providing new takes on these stories. This one felt like it was drifint too far at times, which is only important to me because of how much I love the original. However, once I settled into this world, I came to enjoythe story and this fresh take. Every new choice was grounded in honoring the original text, but also honoring the communities that the author belongs to. They were able to bring a great nuance to the story, and gave a happy ending to a not-happy story.