Greenteeth

I have very little tolerance for things fae and quest books at this point in my life, but this is the exception that reminds me it's worth giving things a chance. It's all about the characters -- I love great characters and this book has them. I love a deeply grumpy protagonist and this book has that, too. It's weird and wonderful and full of surprises as events unfold. And cozy (sort of) and very friendship forwards, which I loved. It's also got the darkness at the heart that creates a really gorgeous narrative.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.

(light spoilers of theme) I feel a bit weird about this book. I started reading it after I feel in love with Thornedge by T. Kingfisher's matriarchal lake creatures. And I got what I asked for! Jenny Greenteeth is a wonderful creature, her lake felt so real and both terrifying and soothing. The beginning of this book was incredible, the idea of a witch being thrown into a lake that is inhabited by a monster is wonderful. I loved how gentle the story was when dealing with motherhood, grief and time. Those I found to be its stronger parts. I also was quite gripped by the ending! So if you find yourself sludging through the middle, keep going, it gets a bit more exciting. Which brings me to my critique. For some bizarre reason, this book show more felt never ending. It has a middle that felt so pointless, so slow and boring. Time is very confusingly written and I feel that might be part of it. Weeks pass in a moment and nothing really happens in them. We build up to moments that are truly nothing. Some of the resolutions to problems were beyond easy to predict, to the point of being boring. Oh, the main characters are arguing? Yeah, they'll make up soon. Oh, maybe the King will not give us help? As if. I don't know. Wished the quest was smaller, that the King Arthur theme was more prevalent and the atmospheric bits took over the planning and plotting. All in all enjoyable-ish. Sorry! show less

Jenny Greenteeth has been the lake monster of Chipping Applebee for a very long time - just like her mother (also Jenny) before her and her daughter (also Jenny) after. And she's lived a comfortable life of cleaning her lake, tending the fish, and eating the occasional live specimen tossed into the murky water. She was not, however, expecting one of those specimens to be a woman. Specifically, Temprence Crump, accused of witchcraft by a new holyman of the church (he happened to be right, but that's beside the point). When both of them form a tentative bond, and realize that the new holy man is actually a monster, they set off on a Hero's Journey (tm) to consult the Fair Folk of Britain and Scotland to save Temperance's life and the show more village itself.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
- Jenny Eats Cute Things (she can't help it).
- Loss of Limbs
- Child Endangerment
- Dog Gets Hurt
- Talk of Child Death/Loss
- Graphic Injuries

If you usually read Cozy books for minimal drama, low stakes, and no gore, don't read this. It got bloody, it got violent, and will angst at you real hard. But, if you love the old school faerie stuff, adventure, and waxing poetic about the loss of romance in the world (much like The Last Unicorn) than you will love this found-family story. It's a VERY slow burn, but worth it. show less

Filled with lore, mystery, legend, adventure, and friendship--not to mention found family--Greenteeth is such a wonderful journey to fall into, I read it in just a few sittings. O'Neill's writing is nothing less than magical, and the settings and worlds she brings to life here make the fantasy of the world mesh with what we know to be reality in a really wonderful fashion.

I didn't expect half the twists here, and I loved every minute of the adventure. Absolutely recommended.

The blurb on this book calls it "charming," "cozy," "warmhearted," and "charismatic." I truly can't tell if it's being sarcastic? Because those are the LAST words I'd use to describe this book.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good story. It's an Arthurian tale centered around a lake monster who must complete three quests with her unlikely group of companions in order to conquer evil. But it can have moments of incredible darkness, which is not what I was looking for with this book.

I simply love any story about a group of "misfits" on a quest. Think Goonies, LOTR, Stranger Things, all very different, but all with the same theme of a group of people that may or may not be "friends" banding together for an adventure. Whether they're searching for something, saving something, destroying something, it doesn't matter, it's always a great time. This book was exactly that. Three very unlikely "friends" come together to complete the challenges to get the things they need to defeat an evil entity. Of course I won't tell you what happens, you just need to read it and find out for yourself. But I dare you to read it and not fall in love with Jenny Greenteeth and her band of misfits!

It was a little slow to start, but it quickly sucked me in. I loved all of the characters and the plot. The overall storyline was pretty common, but the ending definitely threw me for a loop. A favorite for sure.