3 stars
Visually, this book is absolutely stunning. The artwork is amazing and I loved the detail and use of color. Divya Srinivasan did an phenomenal job bringing this story to life.
Overall, the story itself was alright. I really enjoyed the writing and Gaiman’s splendid descriptions. However, by the end, it was a bit lackluster. What started as a strong, interesting tale kind of unravels into a vague resolution that doesn’t really satisfy the reader.
Also, I hated the way the aunt was portrayed. While she’s a bit rude and outspoken, she brings up pretty rational points about the whole situation and meets a rather unfair end because of it. Throughout the story, she’s only valued when she was young and beautiful. Once that traditional beauty faded, she did as well and just became a nuisance.
What really makes this book worth reading is the illustrations alone. I cannot express how much I loved them. Gaiman has a few good lines that capture the reader’s imagination, but as a whole the story was just okay. The artwork is where this book really shines.