Magical, fairytale, weird, the type of story that you shouldn't think about too hard. Just let yourself be carried away by it without trying to understand everything. Some things don't make sense, some will faal into place later, some never will. A wonderful ride if you can just let go.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Brilliantly inventive, mischievous and occasionally frustrating, Gingerbread is unlike anything I have ever read. The meanders and wild narrative structure made me almost give up at times, but the sheer imagination on display here kept me reading. Helen Oyeyemi is not afraid to be completely original and I think Gingerbread will live in my head for some time.

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi asks the question of what if gingerbread was more than just a delicious thing to eat?

Harriet and her daughter Perdita have a knack with gingerbread that seems to make people do what they want.  

This is a mix of fantasy and fairytales, along with some family drama.

I liked the mix with fantasy and personal discovery, with the jump between the past and present.

Gingerbread was published on 5th March 2020, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I'm afraid I couldn't find any links for you to follow Helen Oyeyemi!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan Macmillan.

I failed with Boy, Snow, Bird but thought that might just have been a case of the wrong book at that particular moment. But Gingerbread has just convinced me that Helen Oyeyemi's books are not my thing.

I appreciate the inventiveness with which she builds off the tradition of fairy tales to flag up modern day issues and concerns. There was a level of quirkiness initially that I found amusing but the shifting timelines, plus magical realism and multitude of characters just made me feel confused.

I grasped the fact the book was about a family drama and friendship but beyond that I was clinging on my my fingertips, trying to make sense of the narrative. I failed.

GINGERBREAD is a unique tale with a wildly inventive writing style that will completely discombobulate the reader. But it's ultimately rewarding and worth persevering with. I'd highly recommend it.

This novel was somewhat of a surprise to me, having seen it floating around and beloved in the book community I was desperate to give it a read. However, had I known what what to expect before I started reading I think I would have enjoyed it more.
That aside this was a whimsical magical realism tale, never quite sure if it is a old time fairytale or a modern day story.
Overall I did enjoy the book, but maybe I should manage my expectations in the future.

My initial thought on finishing Gingerbread was “what have I just read?”
This is a meandering, imaginative tale with gingerbread at it’s heart. There are a lot of nods to fairytales, from the use of gingerbread, to the name of Harriet’s best friend: Gretel. The rags and riches stories: characters leaving their farm homes to move to the city and make their fortunes.
Magical realism is used throughout, from the way that Harriet and her mother leave their homeland of Druhastrana to move to London, to Perdita’s talking dolls, who are in fact part doll, part plant.
Moving houses, haunted houses, boys who run away just like the Gingerbread Man. This is not a linear, beginning, middle and end kind of story.
At points I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but decided I didn’t care. It’s a joy to read, and I quite like a book that makes me work for the story, from time to time!
There was a nod to real life: a country cut off from any others (Brexit, anyone?), girls working for pretend/ little money and exploited, and illegal immigration.
There’s a lot to unpick in this, but to be honest, I just enjoyed the ride!

This is an unusual, lyrical story about an inherited recipe for gingerbread. This fantasy explores socio-political influences. The world-building is intricate, and this book is magical, something different.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Weird and wonderful. For the full review, go to https://joebloggshere.tumblr.com/post/644043491224289280/gingerbread-by-helen-oyeyemi-what-an-interesting

Although I loved the writing I found this hard to get into. The fantasy style element to the book made it hard for me to connect with. Beautifully written though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pam Macmillan for an advance copy to review.

What a pleasant surprise. I had no idea what this was about before reading it so was a bit taken confused when the magical realism kicked in, but soon lost myself in the beauty of the writing. It was lovely to be transported to a world where gingerbread is all-consuming (no pun intended). Thoroughly unique and most definitely an author to look out for in the future.

Harriet Lee is a maker of gingerbread, the recipe being passed down through her family. The gingerbread is special and has been the family’s salvation in times of need. Harriet’s current family consists of her mother, Margot, and her daughter Perdita. Harriet knows that she is a descendant of an unfindable nation, known as Druhástrana, but as it not on any maps, it gets harder to know this for sure. Unexplainable things happen to these three women although they don’t always react in ways you would expect them to either.

Gingerbread is a whimsical book, and although it has its dark moments, it is a joy to get to know these characters, even as they don’t tell each other the truth about their lives and history. As we follow them through events, we only find out “a truth” after Perdita finds a drastic way to go on a journey to the fabled country of Druhástrana. Harriet’s story feels like a fairy tale, as both here and there are what make her reality.

In the past, Harriet tried to learn everything she can, but in doing so ends up away from her family in the City, acting as the epitome of what a Gingerbread Girl should be. Harriet never complains, she tries to follow Margot’s commandments and be happy with whatever comes her way. It is Harriet’s growing friendship with Gretel Kercheval that really gets Harriet thinking about the world she lives in, and realising that she takes everyone on their word.

It is the Kercheval connection that lands Harriet and Margot into England. While living with the English Kerchevals, Harriet gets the gift of being able to go to school but also lives amidst a family that is at times friendly and at other times supremely hostile. Each member of the Kerchevals is readable to a various degree, and she learns the rules of this household as she has in other situations. What happens here leads into Harriet and Perdita’s own story and whether their mother-daughter relationship will become smoother by finally being able to fill in their shared history.

Gingerbread is ultimately a book filled with ideas that takes you on a magical journey about how far you will go for freedom and family. The land of Druhástrana is also a world where capitalism rules to the nth degree. Where the rich really do get richer, while the poor get poorer and everyone looks to their own advantage. Which means for most there is no way to escape the poverty or this land that cannot be found on maps. The story ends as all good stories do, with you wanting to know what happens in these remarkable characters’ lives.

I was very disappointed with this book: I really, really wanted to like it, but it turned out it just wasn't for me at all. I have a difficult relationship with magical realism overall, as it tends to be a little hit-and-miss for me, and Gingerbread sadly was a definite miss.

I was very confused throughout the whole book, and really struggled to understand what was going on. Navigating the shifting timelines and keeping track of the multitude of characters was also difficult and definitely did not help my confusion. I was left extremely frustrated by it all, and really struggled to get through this.

That being said, I loved the book's concept. The storyline was very original, and integrated traditional fairytale elements seamlessly to construct a brand new world. I also liked how the original fairytale was the starting point to explore contemporary issues, touching on everything from family and relationships to belonging, tradition, feeling "other" and so much more. The cast was also wonderfully diverse without it feeling obnoxious, which was refreshing.

Overall, this was a definite case of "it's not you, it's me". There was plenty here that I would have loved to love, but it just didn't work out for me.

I really wanted to like this. I tried really hard. I paused and left it, started again, re-read the beginning, started from where I left off... Rinse and repeat. I did it all. It just didn't work its magic on me at all. Shame that as it does have some really great reviews. Just not the book for me...
DNF at about 30%

Druhástrana Is a mystical and magical place and it’s a mirror of this special book. It took me out of my comfort zone and it’s beautiful. Open your mind and you will love this. I’d give it a 5/5 and I’ve just bought a copy for my daughter.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

I don't pretend to always fully understand what the author is trying to say with magical realism, but I do enjoy reading it. I would probably need to write a dissertation to fully work out what's actually going on in Gingerbread (which I would actually be up for) but, in this review, I'm instead going to focus on the experience of just reading it for pleasure because I feel like that should should be praised too.

Gingerbread is a very dreamy book, as you would expect from magical realism, but it had a narrative that I could follow. Often magical realist stories sometimes leave this out in favour of making their point, but I personally find it harder to follow (and/or care about) something that isn't rooted in a character's experience. As it is, Oyeyemi perfectly balances the narrative with her speculative observations and creations. As a retelling, this book perfectly understands the wicked and clever tone of the original fairytale and adapts it into something bittersweet and thoughtful when combined with contemporary perspectives and issues to explore.

I also absolutely love the directions Oyeyemi has taken the Hansel and Gretel story. Some are more explicit (literal (well, magical realist) gingerbread houses, characters called Gretel, or with fake names relating to the story) than others. Magical realism is, of course, the perfect place to play around with themes and metaphors, and Gingerbread has a field day with it. The book looks at the supposed 'sweetness' of gingerbread with links it to sexuality as being alluring/wickedly seductive; parents being (emotionally) dependent on children vs. abandoning them in the world to fend for themselves; the female-female relationships between different generations (be it mother/daughter, aunt/niece, mentor/student) which is derived from the relationship Gretel has with the witch that she has to use to escape. And so much more - as I said, I could fill a dissertation with it - and it's all fascinating even on the surface level I was noticing it without trying to analyse.

And I'm sure there is a lot that has gone over my head. I would imagine there's a lot to say about Black heritage and dismissed cultural belonging that I'm excited to look into now that I've finished the book. Side note that it was also wonderfully refreshing to have such a diversity of characters - even before you get to Black protagonists, having diversely named parents at the school was noticeably different to a lot of things I read, and damn great.

I've been meaning to get around to reading a Helen Oyeyemi book for years now, ever since Boy Snow Bird started being talked about, and I really should've started earlier. The themes Oyeyemi explores, the beauty with which she explores them, and all within the framework of reimagining fairytales is exactly the kind of thing that I love.

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi is possibly the most confusing book I’ve read. I expected to be entertained and amused but I’m left wondering what it is all about. The writing rambles on, and yet, from time to time, I can appreciate the creativity of the author. Unfortunately it’s not one I’d recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and Picador, Pan Macmillan Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Not for me I'm afraid.
Rambling. Hard to get into and hard to follow.
No connection to the characters I'm afraid.

Gingerbread by Helen Oyemi
I must admit to feeling permanently confused by this novel. It took me a long time to read and due to the way the timeline alters all the time I found myself lost each time I returned to it. There was a huge host of characters elements of magical realism and whilst I could love the way in which it was written I did not feel as if I fully understood the novel. This is probably my problem and others my love it. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.