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3.3 out of 5 stars
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jack and the beanstalk amy mcnulty ballad of the beanstalk main character fairy tales happily ever love triangle death of her father kaitlin descutner prequel to jack town witch audiobookworm promotions copy of this book good job exchange for an honest tale retellings best friend half of the book giant beanstalk many characters
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising prequel to an underrated fairytale
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
I love fairy tale retellings, especially when they are not sugary sweet. I had never read a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk before, so I wasn't sure of what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised and devoured it as fast as I could at my son's nap/bedtime.
There were some completely original themes to this story, one being that the main character is struggling with identifying her sexuality. It was very tastefully and thoughtfully written, and I was glad to see a character that some teenagers or young adults may be able to relate to outside of the "normal" angst that has been done over and over.
This read as a prequel, setting you up for what you know as Jack and the Beanstalk. At the end, I found myself wishing Amy McNulty would write a sequel to this book. Even if it would come off more predictable, I would still love to hear her version. I very much enjoyed her writing and would read more of her works.
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Amanda P
5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Twist Amy McNulty put on this classic story!
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2017
** I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or my review.** This May Contain Spoilers*

I loved the spin that Amy McNulty put on this classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk! Her writing is so amazing that you totally forget that this is technically a child's story turned into a adult's book. The main character of the story Clarion, is struggling with her sexuality. She thinks she has it all with her sweetheart and one of her best friends Elena. But when she happens to see a random boy one evening and gets butterfly's, she starts to second guess and wonder if it's really right to stay with her. Clarion knows that her and Elena's "understanding" is not acceptable in their times. I mean the setting is when woman wear bonnets and still need to be chaperoned with a boy. Clarion seems to struggle with a lot of things, her father passed recently, and she doesn't get along with her mother very well because she seems to want to sell everything off. Especially her father's most prized possession, his harp, that she plays and sings too. Clarion meets the boys who gives her butterfly's and from there on, her world is never the same. Witches,beanstalks, Giants and a giant king with a raging temper. Can Clarion figure out her heart? To find out all the adventures of Clarion with the beanstalk read this spin that Amy McNulty put it!
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Annelise Lestrange
4.0 out of 5 stars A mind-blowing end and diverse characters done right
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2017
Despite knowing that this is a prequel to Jack and the Beanstalk, I have to admit I didn't know what to expect from Ballada of the Beanstalk. It BLEW MY MIND. Sure, the story takes about four chapters to really take off and grip you and I'm still cringing from the instalove between Clarion and Mack (seriously, this is so not attraction! Actions speak louder than words and Claire acts like she is MADLY in love, not just horny). However, the end result of Ballad of the Beanstalk stole my breath away, as it was so different from all retellings I've read to this point and, in my opinion, ends with a blast! OH, OH, AND DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A HUGE POSITIVE THING ABOUT THIS BOOK? It has a bisexual main character and IT IS SO NOT A BIG DEAL. No existential drama, no circus and flags about sexuality. The character JUST IS bisexual and things are okay! There are barely hints at labels to be honest and it couldn't be more refreshing. BIG HIGH FIVE TO AMY MCNULTY!
If you like fairy tales retellings, fantasy, adventure and don't mind instalove, you totally should pick up Ballad of the Beanstalk!
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Sara
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2020
The Ballad of the Beanstalk has an interesting premise, the back story of Jack and the Beanstalk. It was a little hard to get into initially, with too many characters to keep straight in the first chapter. As I kept reading, it became more intriguing, although there was much that was disturbing throughout. Clarion and Elena’s relationship is described as loving, but seems mostly shallow, with only a few exceptions. Even when they are trying to do what is best for the other, it is often the wrong thing. The characters were not well developed, and so I had a hard time liking them. On that note, I’m not sure if any of the characters were really “good.” If you are looking for a heroic fairy tale, this is not the book for you. You have to wait until the final chapter to learn the connection to Jack from the original tale. The relationship of the other characters in the final chapter was a bit unclear; it didn’t feel like things were resolved at all, although that could be space for a sequel.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Marguerite Gibson
4.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful and Unique Fairytale Prequel!
Reviewed in Australia on June 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
4 Stars.

I have to say, I'm not sure what it is that I expected from Ballad of the Beanstalk, but not only did it deliver, but it completely delighted me with every page! This book was a brilliant prequel story for a well-know and well-beloved fairytale, and I loved reading it! If you're looking for a unique, inventive and imaginative prequel tale for Jack and the Beanstalk, than this is the book for you.

What I loved most about Ballad of the Beanstalk was the characters - Clarion was absolutely delightful, and her voice was honest, raw and extremely engaging. The world was then populated with interesting and fascinating characters - Elena, Mack, Jacosa - all fantastic! The harshness of the world, and occasionally the characters themselves, reflected a truthful perspective of the dark places people can go when the supernatural starts all around them. There was selfishness, dishonesty, confusion and it all fed into why characters made the choice they did and for me, it never felt shallow or unnecessary. I understood why characters made the choices they did, and it was wonderful to read.

The world was really fascinating and well explained! Particularly when we reach the cloud-land of the giants, it was fascinating!!

The plot was well paced, interesting and something was always unfolding, either actively or emotionally. I found it easy to drop back into this world and loved it so much (I've been saying that a lot, haha). The end was, or course, bittersweet, and I'm not a huge fan of those endings (what can I say, I love HEA), but for Ballad of the Beanstalk, whilst it made me feel a little sad for the characters overall, I understood, and even felt satisfied with how everything turned out.

I'm not sure what else I can say now. I really can't recommend this book enough for a reader searching for a fairytale retelling that is a little different from the mainstream approach being taken at the moment.
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