This is a long, slow paced science fiction in which the author plays out a thought experiment around gender. It's very dense and political and didn't reach a real narrative until towards the end of the book. I can see people finding t hard to get to that point as it's a book that feels A LOT longer than it is.

I can see why it's rated so highly as a sci-fi, this clearly would have been a revolutionary read when it was released. There's some great lines but as a whole, it's just a bit too boring to be as long and dense as it was. Furthermore, it's portrayed as a queer book and whilst I can see that in the inheritant 'my alien race has genders and yours is gender fluid' aspect, this isn't necessarily a book I would think of if asked to think of a queer sci-fi set on an ice planet.

I did listen to the audiobook which may have been part of the problem; the audiobook narrator drones on and on and if I hadn't been a read for a reading challenge, I would have DNF'd quickly. All in all, it's a book I think I'll find easily forgetable. I already wouldn't be able to tell you what happened in some of the political parts (though not because I've forgotten, more because nothing seems to actually happen)!

Silly good fun

The start was a big struggle to get through so I listened to the graphic audio versions instead.

This is one of those interpersonal books where nothing really happens. The story lies in the drama between the characters, their thoughts and feelings as they wrap themselves in their inner fears and anxieties.

It's raw and honest. It's not necessarily enjoyable.ets be honest, it's a very sad book. The characters are flawed and very human, stumbling through life in ways we can all relate to. It's a refreshing story to read and I'm glad that it's out there.

I think for me this isn't a book I can rate more highly because it's just a little dull. Nothing actually happens and I found the ways the main characters behaved too 'normal'. Perhaps that just what makes it relatable for so many other reviewers. All in all, I just can't find it in me to love it.

I've accidentally read several book in the same horror/sci-fi vein as this recently. Annoyingly, the first of these wasn't the best example of the concept and that has meant that those following have been a little ruined. This though, was refreshingly new. Definitely go into it blind it you can. It was a very different book to the little I'd been told and all the better for it (but either way, definitely worth the read!)

It left me wanting more but in the best way.

I thought I'd read through the new Penguins Archive series and started with this as a nice easy one that I could find as an audiobook.

It's exactly what it says on the tin really. Four quick and easy fairy stories read by different narrators.

Only ⭐⭐⭐ as these are heavily redacted versions, even for the children's versions of the fairy tales.