Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar - A Sugary Sweet retelling of The Nutcracker

 The Nutcracker is one of my favorite stories, my Grammy would read it to me in the days leading up to Christmas every year when I was a child and as an adult, I kept that tradition up with my own children. So when I saw that someone was making a mature retelling I knew I had to read it. 

Marietta is a privileged Edwardian young woman living in Nottingham. She wants for absolutely nothing materially and yet she is unsatisfied with her life. The only thing that gives her true happiness, that gives her a true sense of freedom is ballet and her father has determined that after a Christmas recital that will be taken from her as well. Shortly before Christmas, a mysterious stranger enters her life, a Mr. Drosselmeyer from Germany and he quickly becomes enraptured with Marietta assuring her that he will make her his own, he casts Marietta into a world of magic, wonder, and violence hellbent on bending her to his will. What Drosselmeyer didn't count on is Marietta forging bonds with two women of incredible strength. And that they will turn the tables on Drosselmeyer. 

I have to say the one big complaint I have with this book right away. It was maybe too sickenly sweet (quite literally). The descriptions of this over-the-top world of confections and pastries were absolutely magical at first, but then about halfway through the book, I decided that I never wanted to eat sweets again.  Everything was just drenched in chocolate or marzipan (lots of freaking marzipan, I think it's actually when Marietta's hair is done with marzipan in it that I actually decided that I wasn't going to eat a sweet again for a very long time). Like we get it Marietta is stuck in Candyland Hell.  

Okay moving on. I enjoyed this retelling, in terms of creating a mature Nutcracker Kuzniar hit the mark. I do wish there had been a bit more character development, we learn about each of the characters in Everwood's backstories through the course of conversations Marietta has with each of them and they really are very short bursts. They certainly serve their purpose in explaining each character's motivation but I don't feel like we got a complete picture of each of them. Especially, the Soldier, Captain Legat, and even The Mouse King himself. 

Overall this was a good book I just wish the author had maybe done less with describing the scenes and more with the characters themselves.