Friend of the blog Carrie Anne Noble has a new book coming out tomorrow, and she was kind enough to share early access to an ebook ARC with me! So, what did I think of Trowbridge and Fye?
Fairy tales are fun…until your life becomes one.
It’s 1987, and fifteen-year-old Frances Fye might be a little too obsessed with fairy tales. But when grief and the loneliness of small-town life threaten to overwhelm her, stories carry her off to magical adventures.
Then a new boy shows up at school-mysterious, magnetic, and shockingly similar to Fran’s favorite fictional hero. And when a wrong-number phone call leads to friendship with Trowbridge, an exiled bridge troll with sinister intentions, Fran’s world cracks wide open.
Suddenly, the fairy tales she’s always loved aren’t just stories anymore. They’re real-and dangerous.
Entangled in the deadly schemes of fae royalty, she has little choice but to depend on the most unlikely allies: her middle-aged English teacher who’s more than he seems, the secretly sensitive school rebel, and her less-than-charming ex.
To escape the mythical lands she once longed for, Fran must face the truth she’s spent years avoiding: real courage isn’t found in books.
It’s found in her.
Fran’s story is one I can relate to a lot. Like the titular character, I grew up devouring fairy tales and dreaming about what it must be like to live in one. I have no doubt that if, like Fran, I had ever found myself in the middle of one, I would have reached the same conclusion as poor Fran: Fairy tales are best left on the pages of a book.
Without giving anything away, I’ll say that it was so delightful to experience Trowbridge’s point of view as well as Fran’s, given that we find out his motivations very early on and how they intersect and conflict with Fran’s own hopes and dreams.
Aside from our two main characters, we are also introduced to a host of delightful side characters. Russ was a particular favorite of mine, and Lytta as well, though she took some time to grow on me.
All in all, I give this book a solid 4 stars. The blending of the magical world with our own and the exploration of grief and overactive imaginations was really well done and resonated a lot with me. I’m always a sucker for seeing faerie lore come to life!
If you’re looking to add a little magic to your TBR, check out Trowbridge and Fye, available May 12th!
Until next time, word nerds!
Kate G. Jameson 