My Rating: 3 Stars A marvellous, dark twist of classic stories, fairy tales and legends that leaves a lasting, positive impression! Perrie Madeline has a pretty ordinary life and very ordinary problems until the strange museum Quinsey Wolfe's Glass Vault appears in her two of Deer Park overnight. When people start mysteriously disappearing and both her best friend and ex-boyfriend join the missing person’s list, Perrie vows to discover the truth no matter what it takes. The problem is she soon realises that it takes a lot more than she believes. Together with her friend August, Perrie goes in search of her friends inside the museum only to find themselves locked out of their world and trapped in a world of magic and madness. Will they be able to discover the missing people or will they become the next in the missing-persons list? A peculiar, highly enjoyable novel! It’s the type of book that seems predictable but in the end, makes you fall down the dark rabbit hole into a world where “happily ever after” turns into one of the most horrific fictional worlds possible. It’s not for the faith of heart though. If you want to keep a good image of the stories you know, I strongly advise you not to read it. From the Little Mermaid cutting off her own tale to Pinocchio sowing a suit of human flesh to dress his wooden body, this tale is very far from being a happy one. The characters are solid and well developed. The main female character, Perrie is very well explored and her way of being and acting make a believable character, almost real. Her troubled family life and the first scenes of that life make you feel for her, it’s easy to understand her occasional rudeness, and her determination to keep the barriers around herself tightly closed. She’s far from being perfect; she often runs from confrontation and hides when she feels uncomfortable. Ultimately, she is sincere and she truly cares about her friends. She grows in a steady rhythm throughout the story but there’s still a lot of ground to work on when it comes to character development. Maisie, Perrie’s cousin and best friend, is a great secondary character. I couldn’t help but connect with her, it’s like she floats through the story but at the same time, she’s very realistic. Her relationship with Perrie is very pleasant to read about and I truly felt that they complete each other nicely. The plot goes from predictable to full of twists and turns. The beginning starts at a slow pace, almost convincing you that you know exactly what’s going to happen and then it throws you into a loop. For me, the excitement started after they enter the museum. You spend a great part of the book not knowing what to expect and it makes it almost impossible to put down. The ending was brilliant. Nothing satisfies me more than an end with no loose ends and Robinson gives the perfect one to her readers. At the same time, she prepares the stage of the next instalment. The style of writing is good but there is room for improvement. The language is simple and the transition between the flashbacks and the present are well made. You don’t lose track of the characters or the story in the process. On the other hand, there’s an unbalance with the descriptions. First, there is lack of depth when it comes to describing feelings and the reaction to the surroundings. The characters should describe what they feel, so the user feels them too and connects better with the said character. Here, that didn’t happen. But then, Robinson explores the gruesome scenes in a very detailed way. I think the author needs to explore the emotional expression of the characters more, not just by saying it but by living it in a way. Then the connection between the reader and the story would definitely improve. Overall, a great book and a refreshing storyline that I will remember. I recommend it to the fans of the horror genre mixed with a re-told version of the known fairytales and legends. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Amazon Digital Services and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book.
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