Goblin Market

 

Title: Goblin Market

Author: Diane Zahler

Publisher: Holiday House

Rating: 3 Stars

I received a free ebook download of this book from Net Galley.

Premise: A novelization of Christina Rossetti's poem of the same name.  There are two sisters, one eats goblin fruit, the other has to save her.

Things I Loved:

1. NEURODIVERGENCE.  The main character, Lizzie, is a neurodivergent synesthete.  While that's great on its own, it's the other characters' treatment of her that really makes this awesome.  Sure, a few of the village kids make fun of her for being different, but children are horrible beasts, so that's to be expected.  Everyone else, though, accepts Lizzie as she is.  Basically like "the older sister doesn't like cabbage, and the younger sister doesn't like hugs or loud noises."  That kind of normalization. It's just who she is, and that's awesome. 

2. The interpretation of the source material. Christina Rossetti's poem is awesome, but it's a poem, and that kind of writing isn't accessible to everyone.  The novel format can help introduce readers to the story, and then those who are interested can go on to discover the poem later.

Things I Did Not Love:

 1. Simplicity/length.  It's great to be focused on the plot.  Sometimes novels lose their way and you're just sitting there screaming at the author to get to the point already!  But I felt like Goblin Market kind of went too far the other way.  I think we could have benefited from a richer world building and more fleshed-out characters.

Who It's Good For:

This book exists at, I think, a weird crossroads of JFIC and YA, so it could suit either audience.  Recommended for those looking for a quick read, those who love fairy tales/retellings, or those looking for female-led adventure stories.