Once upon a time Faerie Tales & Folk Tales were for adults. Tender Morsels
fits nicely into that category of tale. It's a retelling of Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot or Snow White and Rose Red.I came to this book with the knowledge than it had been promoted as YA in some markets(I found it in the Teen section of an Angus & Robertson) and that in my experience Margo Lanagan has a penchant for slightly dark, slightly quirky but emotionally confronting and challenging stories.
I was not let down with this book. The tale is enchanting in the truest sense of the word - it had me spell bound within the first few pages. The prose is skillfully crafted, rich in imagery and emotion, the characters despite the fantastical nature of the story, are 'real' - indeed it has been a long time since I have developed such deep emotional attachment to a character in a book.
The Story?
I am not going to tell you any more than I have alluded to above, it's a refashioning of a folktale. I believe that you will derive the most benefit from knowing the least about it. Be forewarned though there are confronting encounters in the book, though masterfully and tastefully handled. Lanagan's weaving of magic, custom, and legend create a world that is so strikingly familiar that you could swear it was real at least once upon a time.Final thoughts
If you are a parent that sees the YA or Teen label as a endorsement for buying books for your twelve year old, I'd suggest that you read it first. This book is probably more suitable for the 14+ category.
If you are an adult that doesn't like reading YA, I personally wouldn't call it a Young Adult novel- it's appropriate for the above age group, but in reality this is a tale for all ages.
