Some Kind of Fairy Tale (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 3 stars

“Some Kind of Fairy Tale is set in a town in England and its surroundings and in a (parallel?) place where the so-called (or not called) fairies live. The England setting is really nothing special. The only image that somehow stood out for me was the Outwoods in spring while they were covered in bluebells. I liked Joyce’s description here but somehow, I still could not really smell the bluebells. As to the “fairy land” (I’ll just call it that way), I had problems connecting to it. Somehow the description of the setting did not feel complete for me. It did not really enchant me.

This is also something that I felt missing for some characters: completeness. There were quite a lot of characters involved in this story and it seems like Mr. Joyce could not make up his mind which characters were his main characters. Who were they? It is clear that Tara was one of them. But Peter? Richie? Jack? Mr. Underwood? Mrs. Larwood? Hiero? I could not connect to many of them because there seemed to be something missing.

As to the story, it is original, that is for sure. I really liked the idea and I really liked the outcome. What I did not like, was that it took me until chapter 10 to get into the story. That is almost 70 pages. When I chose this book, I was not interested in reading about a court case. I wanted to read about a fairy tale, or at least a fairy tale like story. I also did not want to read about a psychiatrist taking notes on a patient. These are two of the things that annoyed me most about this book: the court case and Mr. Underwood’s notes. The third thing has to do with writing style: Mr. Joyce hops around between perspectives all the time. Once you get into the story a chapter ends and you are in the head of another character again. This totally turned me off and was confusing. Of course, this technique works very well with 2 or 3 perspectives but with as many as Mr. Joyce used, it gets confusing.

All in all, Some Kind of Fairy Tale was a nice novel with an original story, that, unfortunately, was confusing and could have been an easier read, if only the writing style would have been different.”

• Rated 4 stars

“A book about a girl who disappears for 20 years, then suddenly returns looking like she hasn't aged at all. She says she was "away" for only six months and has a fabulous tale about being in fairy land that is questioned through the eyes of her loved ones and a psychologist the entire story.

I really enjoyed this read and went through it quickly, although I wish I could have learned more about Tara in the end. This story is reminiscent of Among Others, and that made me love it even more.”

• Rated 4 stars

“This is a quick read that takes place in the British countryside. Tara has been missing for 20 yrs and when she shows up, she has this fabulous tale of going to another world or dimension. As I was reading this book, it reminded me of another book with a similar subject, Don't Breathe a Word, by Jennifer McMahon. This is a better book by far and treats the subject as more of a fantasy come to life than the other book. It is also better that the last book I read by this author, The Silent Land. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“A very realistic look at a family in modern day England that deals with the aftermath of a tragedy from 20 years ago.

20 years ago, 16 year old Tara disappeared from the woods, leaving her then-boyfriend to take the blame for her disappearance and leaving her family stymied as to what had happened. She reappears on her parents doorstep, 20 years later, on Christmas Day. She looks the same, if not a little thinner and dirtier. How could she not have aged? Where was she all this time?

An interesting and captivating read that delves into family dynamics and the possibilities that are out there. (This is a book club selection for Portsmouth Public Library, April 2013)”

• Rated 3 stars

“I thought about ditching the read but for some reason I kept reading. And though it wasn't a fast read, I read it quickly, MMM, perhaps I was bewitched.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I picked up this book on a whim to read from the library. It sounded interesting so I started reading it right away. I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. It was clear cut and simple, yet elegant. This was also the type of fantasy book that wasn’t action heavy. It was more about telling a story and seeing the repercussions of that story being told. The reader gets bits and pieces of what happened to Tara for all these years as the story goes along. It felt like sitting on a park bench with the fog and mist all around you. You can’t see much at first and you have this strange tingling sensation on the back of your neck but as time rolls by you start to relax and the fog goes away. Except for that one spot, way in the back that you know is there but you’re too afraid to look at it.

I really enjoyed the story as it talked about the fine line between reality and fantasy. It’s all about perspective and I like that this book was very open ended. You could either believe Tara and her stories or you could believe that she had a trauma and blocked out all that time that has passed. By the end of the novel I wasn’t sure what to believe. I wanted to believe Tara but there was a small part of me that still doubts it all. That’s what I really liked about this book.

I highly recommend it and I definitely want to look into Joyce’s other works.”

• Rated 4 stars

“This is the first adult fuction book, that wasn't a mystery or detective novel, that I have enjoyed in a long time. The premise was very unusual. The character development superb. this guy can write!”

• Rated 3 stars

“A girl disappears into the woods and emerges 20 years later believing only 6 months had passed. She has not aged, but her disappearance affected her boyfriend and family. She had been taken to a fairy land. There is not enough explanation or suspense, but it was an easy read. (B-)”

• Rated 3 stars

“eh it was ok. Not the best. Not the worst.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Great follow up to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. Faeries are creepy! ”