#but I am having so much fun playing dolls with my friends in the universe-ish! :D | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

spiffysixxsense · 5 years ago

Note

Hello annoying best friend here to fulfill my duty by asking you to answer all of the cute asks

angel; do you have a nickname?

not really. my name is already short and I don't have a prominent quality to nickname me after. The only person who refers to me as anything other than my name is my boyfriend, but I don't think “babe/baby” really counts as a nickname lol

awe; how old are you?

baby; favorite color?

dark teal (blue-green? I've never found a good name for my favorite color)

bloop; spirit animal?

so because I didn't have a good answer for this, I decided to google a quiz to find out, lol. My answer was a deer. here's why;

When you have the deer as spirit animal, you are highly sensitive and have a strong intuition. By affinity with this animal, you have the power to deal with challenges with grace. You master the art of being both determined and gentle in your approach.

The deer totem wisdom imparts those with a special connection with this animal with the ability to be vigilant, move quickly, and trust their instincts to get out the trickiest situations

blossom; favorite book/movie/song?

i don't really have a favorite book, i don't read much outside of school (I wish i did)

movie: A Beautiful Mind

song: oh dear lord i cannot pick just one, but all-time favorite band of mine is Shinedown

blush; what was your stuffed animal as a child?

a little stuffed dog that looked like Kipper from the TV show, I still have him :)

breeze; most precious childhood memory?

lmao what came to mind was when i pledged to never drink, smoke, or say bad words. two out of fucking three ain't bad i guess.

bright; mermaids or fairies?

(honestly neither but) fairies

bubbles; do you have a best friend?

given the asker, i would say yes :) also i am lame and my boyfriend is also my best friend

buttercup; showers or baths?

S H O W E R S. hate baths!

butterfly; dream destination?

I've never had a huge desire to travel honestly. like sure i could say Italy or Greece look beautiful, but the actual act of traveling overseas really stresses me out lol. so i would have to say more like upper midwest, like Maine, in the fall time for all the pretty trees.

buttons; are you religious or spiritual?

i am neither

calm; favorite scent?

anything fruity - pineapple, mango, berries, apples. at least in terms of what candles i like lol.

candlelight; what did you dream about last night?

i do not remember anything from last night - the last dream i remember involved my boyfriend, dad and i being lost up north lol

charming; have you ever been in love?

currently

cozy; eye/hair color?

hazel / brunette

cuddly; what’s your favorite time period?

the 1970′s for the fashion

cupcake; favorite flower/plant?

love me a good succulent

cute; what did you get on your last birthday?

well this last birthday was amidst quarantine, so I got some candles and granola (my boyfriend knows me well lol)

cutie pie; most precious item you own?

i have no idea? what an odd question? probably some stuffed animal?

cutsie; what makes you happy?

picnics, alone time, my boyfriend, my cat choosing to cuddle with me.

daisies; describe a moment when you felt free.

I really cant think of a time I've ever felt truly free. maybe when i drove myself to school earlier this year & didn't have to wait for someone to pick me up?

daydream; how do you want to be remembered?

as a light in others lives. happy, bubbly. things i currently am not

daylight; favorite album of all time?

gosh these dang music questions. well, Nickelback - All the Right Reasons was the first album i ever bought myself. then maybe Shinedown - The Sound of Madness (i cant pick one OKAY)

dear; zodiac sign?

Taurus

delightful; concerts or museums?

concerts

dimples; have you ever written a letter?

yes? this question makes me feel old, lol.

dobby; dream job?

criminologist. some way to be reducing the mass incarceration rate in the US.

doll; how do you like to dress?

comfy, v necks and leggings. As i have gotten older i have slowly wanted to be more feminine i think, because i really want some sundresses for summer lol

dovey; any paranormal/magical experiences?

one! when i was 12ish, i swear i saw a reflection of a uniformed man (like old school soldier uniform - blue blazer with gold cufflinks) behind me in the glass of my snakes tank at the time. it was weird because the only reason i even looked that way was because my snake started shaking his tail against the glass, something that corn snakes do when they are scared, but also something that in his entire life had never done unprompted ever.

dreams; do you want or have any tattoos?

want yes, have no

drizzle; do you believe in aliens?

100%. no way we are alone in this universe

euphoric; talk about someone you love.

he makes my days so much better :)

fairy; do you have a pet?

I have one little old kitty :)

fluffy; ocean or mountain?

to vacation, ocean. to live, mountain

forever; where do you feel time stop?

the secretary of state? lol

froglet; are you a good plant owner?

I've never owned a plant lol

garden; how many languages do you know?

one :(

gem; who are your favorite tumblrs?

@cy-ne-fin

giggles; what is your aesthetic of choice?

sepia photography/old books that have yellowed into sepia. or fresh greenery on white marble.

glittery; do you like anons? why/why not?

i don't really get any anymore, but as long as they are nice or just questions/venting, im down. don't be offended if i never answer though, for some reason i never get Tumblr notifications lol

glow; list the top 5 things you like about yourself

im compassionate

im empathetic (which is similar but im struggling to get to 5 lol)

im goal-oriented

im determined (once i have said goal. again, related lol)

i guess i like my lips/lip shape

heart; silk or lace?

lace

honey; coffee or tea? how do you take it?

tea. iced, black or green really, with sugar.

hugsy; do you enjoy people watching or bird watching more? why?

bird watching because it means i am probably alone and in nature as opposed to somewhere in a crowd of people. and i wont feel creepy for watching the birds lol

hunnybunch; what sounds help you sleep?

white noise, a fan running. if that's not enough, i enjoy asmr. if i am really struggling/having anxiety, i will look up sleep stories from the headspace app on youtube (life hack to not have to pay for the app lol)

jewel; what’s your favorite kind of weather?

to be outside, i enjoy just warm enough to be comfy in pants and a t-shirt (so like 65F-ish) and sunny.To be inside, i love when it is cooler (like 50F?) and raining. I love the look, sound, and smell of rain but it is usually just inconvenient to be in.

jiggly; what do you usually like to do on weekends?

well now all days are the same for me, #quarantine, so the same thing i do every day, just about nothing, lol

joy; do you laugh loudly or giggle more?

i guess laugh loudly because i am a loud person in general. i have a deep voice

kinky; do you blush easily?

i don't think so, my embarrassment turns into sweat, not blush, lmao

kisses; what romantic cliché do you wish for most?

i guess being proposed to someday? but i don't have a certain dream way of it happening, just the fact that its happening is enough for me lol. id enjoy if someone (cough Elle or also maybe Michael lol) were secretly filming and/or taking photos of it? I am not sure how you'd manage that though

kitty; what’s your favorite time of the day?

late at night when everything is quiet

ladybug; what’s your favorite artist to listen to when you’re sad?

old school three days grace (one-x album in particular)

love; what is your favorite season and why?

i always gravitate to fall for the leaves and pumpkin patches. but honestly, i think my favorite season is spring. i love the newly budding trees and flowers, the feeling of renewal, the release from the horrible Michigan winter lol, but most importantly, spring time for my whole life as of yet has always meant that school is over for the semester! as opposed to the fall when the semester starts. this is very long winded but spring final answer lol

lovey; what is your favorite flavor of macaron and ice cream?

I've never had a macaron and blue moon ice cream

magic; what are five flaws you have?

ooooo boy

im short tempered/angry too much

im unmotivated (which is confusing maybe because i said i am determined earlier. you see, once i HAVE a goal i feel determined to finish it. but i am unmotivated to create said goals, lol)

im nonconfrontational to a fault where i always put others’ feelings before my own

i let fear of change stop me from ever taking risks/ am anxious

i am stubborn and sometimes have a hard time admitting i am wrong

moonlight; do you prefer soft pastels, warm neutrals, or cool darks?

this depends - screw pastels. warm neutrals for makeup purposes, but cool darks for aesthetic or decor purposes

munchkin; what do you look for in your significant other?

someone who feels like home. I am not entirely sure how else to explain that. you just feel peace and content with them.

paddywack; how would you describe a perfect date?

something that allows you to only be with your date - so like a picnic or hike or just a walk even. my boyfriend and i liked to walk around in the fall for me to take pictures of leaves while he played pokemon go (man i miss the pokemon go summer and i have never even PLAYED it, it was just so fun to be with him while he played)

pebbles; how do you spend free time by yourself?

on youtube usually

precious; what is something valuable that you learned in your life?

The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. if your family is toxic for whatever reason, you do not owe them your time strictly because they are family.

pretty; do you like to cook or bake more?

cook, im not super into sweets & i want to enjoy the final product

prince; how would you describe your handwriting?

normal? like its legible but its not pretty or cute

princess; do you play any instruments? if not, are there any you wish you could play?

no:( wish i could play bass or drums

prinky; how do you relieve stress?

i don't :)

i really don't have an answer other than solving whatever is stressing me out, lol. i wish i had more mechanisms to calm me down but nothing i have tried has ever really worked

pumpkin; what is your favourite kind of fruit/vegetable?

you know these favorites questions are hard for me lol. right now, i am loving watermelon, but i also love most fruits. kiwis! vegetable, i feel like i have to say potato lol

rainbow; what was the last line of the last book you read?

lol the last thing i read had to be some academic text, so that's boring

roses; what is the most significant event in your life so far?

meeting Alex i guess, it changes my whole life path to have someone you want to do life with

smile; what is one thing that has greatly affected you?

quarantine? lol

shine; art or music?

music is art.

shimmer; do animals tend to like you?

i think so. Elle’s dog griffin loves me for some reason lol

smitten; do you collect anything?

not really

smoochies; how many pillows do you sleep with?

snuggle; what is your favourite candy?

jolly ranchers

snuggly; do you have a camera? if so, what kind?

nope

sparkle; do you wear jewelry?

nope

spooky; sunrise or sunset?

sunset

sprinkles; do you like to listen to music with headphones or no headphones?

headphones

starlight; what was your favourite show as a child?

Spongebob probably. unless we are talking like really tiny, toddler age, then Winnie the pooh

soft; describe your favourite spot in your house.

i live in a 2 bedroom apartment, there arent any spots. lol. my bed i guess

soothe; digital or vinyl?

i mean digital for convenience but vinyl for aesthetic

squeezed; who do you miss right now?

i mean the only person i really actively miss ever is Alex. @cy-ne-fin sometimes, but i have also grown used to living away from each other

sugary; what traits do you value most in friends?

loyalty, honesty, & humor

sunshine; do you prefer for things to be practical or aesthetically pleasing?

if i must pick, practical.

sweet; do you find it easy to open up?

absolutely not. i feel like a burden with my feelings even though i shouldn't

sweetie; do you like kids? if so, do you ever want to have any?

honestly not really. am on the fence still about ever having any

thimble; is there somebody you look up to? who are they?

not really

toot; what is something you find unique about yourself?

i am as average as they come man, nothing is unique about me lol

tootsie; what kind of friend are you?

like a background friend? like i am not very social, so we do not have to talk every day to be friends. so like im here if you need me, but i enjoy alone time.

treasure; what was something that made you smile today?

the way my boyfriend looks at me, & as i was working on this my cat came to cuddle, which i gave as an answer earlier before he jumped up here :)

velvet; are you an early bird or a night owl?

night owlllllll

whiffle; if you could have a magical power, what would it be?

the power to heal those who are hurting (including myself)

whimsical; do you prefer doing stuff at home or going out?

home home home home

whiskers; do you usually wear makeup?

not anymore, i did in high school/early college years. not I've stopped caring

wiggly; are you a messy or tidy person?

messy? kinda in the middle really.

wispy; do you like the place where you grew up? do you think you will live there when you get older?

my state, sure. my city in particular is definitely pretty boring

wobbly; have you ever wished upon a star?

I've never seen one :(

2 notes · View notes

perpustakawan · 4 years ago

Text

Dayang dengan Timun

Published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei in 1998. Written by Maysalamah Haji Hitam and illustrated by Dayang binti Haji Menudin.

Dayang dengan Timun is not a local folklore or legend. I firmly believe this is a story meant to scare the shit out of children for giggles and give them disturbing imagery to grow up with because I grew up with this book and I’d say, this probably shaped me into who I am; a paranoid squeamish homebody who’d wouldn’t eat veggies and would kill any insect that’s within my sight. You’ll know more if read more, so grab some popcorn.

The story is about girl named Dayang, single child, over pampered by her parents who plays with dolls and prefers to play them alone. She harvested veggies from her family’s garden one day and though a certain cucumber looked really, really cute that she needed to sneak it away so her mom wouldn’t cook them. She played with is like a baby doll and she was the mother. She even skipped meals cause a cucumber is such a fun doll.

In Malay stories, once you refuse to eat at the table with your parents, that’s when shit goes down cause she called out to this vegetable, asking if it wanted to drink (breast milk), it answered back her call in a muffled voice. She promptly lifted the the cucumber to her chest to pretend to breastfeed but she felt a sharp pain. The cucumber bit her. Naive, she scolded this teething veggie and proceeded to hug it again but it bore its fangs on her chest that it couldn’t be let go. She was shrieking and screaming for help and her Ma and Pa came in. Pa had a snazzy machete in his hands but Ma carried an even powerful weapon, a wooden spoon.

In a heartbeat, the Ma beats the hell out of the cucumber that it fell off the screaming Dayang whose chest was bloodied. I don’t mean to add even worst imagery but I always imagined that cucumber bit Dayang at the nipple. Having milk come out of there is already enough to make me uncomfortable but blood? that terrifies me and I went into a phase of body dysphoria in my puberty years over my bust.

Pa’s machete was useless cause it kinda evaporated into thin air. Sad, cause it turned out the cucumber wasn’t a man-eating mutant veggie but a big-ass caterpillar who wants to S U C K Dayang’s blood dry. They had a wild chase scene, not a single human helped them. That machete would have been helpful.

It was these pointy Penjulung fish that helped them. They’re a long thin bodied fish with pointy snout like a swordfish’s. For some reason, Dayang makes it a point to make these fishes pass message to the caterpillar, “Mamamu titi atang titi anggas” which I have no idea what that means at all. I’m sure the caterpillar, who called Dayang ‘mama’ wasn’t sure either. It crossed the bridge-ish tree with a group of these fishes below and fell. The fishes skewered it and ate it alive. All is well afterwards. Dayang even now plays with her friends and is now an obedient child.

What’s the lesson of this story? According to the foreword from the director of the publishing house, Dayang dengan Timun is one of 28 books made from Karyawan Bengkel which is a workshop lead by Dr. Elizabeth Liew of Universiti Brunei Darussalam in 1994 about creating manuscripts of children literature. There’s a high chance that Maysalamah Haji Hitam was a student of the University pressured to come up with a manuscript on the spot and publishers liked it because it seems to have a lesson on manners in them i.e be obedient, antisocial tendencies such as playing dolls alone are wrong and always eat when said to.

I don’t agree with those lessons. A lot children who are ‘obedient’ tend to have a tough time opening to people and share their problems, They’d much prefer to keep their true selves locked out in fears of being ‘disobedient’. A child should be free to be disobedient, make them understand why this and this is not good instead of pulling the because I say so card. Wanting to be alone isn't entirely bad and demonizing children for playing dolls should be an absolute no-no! There are quite a few books in Brunei where playing with dolls is bad. Kids should be allowed to be kids.

This book is my top WTF book. Thanks for haunting my childhood I guess.If you wish to get a copy of this, Dewan bahasa dan Pustaka actually sold a copy of this in the last Book fair this year. I’m unsure if it is still available in their store.

0 notes

eversage · 8 years ago

Note

I dare you to answer all 170 questions luv youuuu

FUCK YOU I SHALL

1: How tall or short do you wish you were? I wanna be 6'1  2: What’s your dream pet? (Real or not) A FUCKING GRIFFIN, but real talk a hedgehog or a Newfoundland dog will suffice  3: Do you have a favorite clothing style? Gay witch TM 4: What was your favorite video game growing up? Idkkkk  5: What three things/people do you think of most each day: Alec, Sky, my art/how stressed I am about my art 6: If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Oh god this is a meme from forever ago. But uh idk probably "really gay messy artist" 7: What is your opinion on [insert person/thing here]? Bleh  8: What is your Greek personality type? [Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic] fuck if I know? 9: Are you ticklish? Nope 10: Are you allergic to anything? Histamine, go look it up. Now cry for me. Now go look up high histamine food now cry for me. Now go look up how stress, heat, and hormones can all increase histamine in the system. Also dustmightd. 11: What’s your sexuality? Grey-Gay-Asexual-Aromantic  12: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa? I'm basically allergic to all three but cocoa  13: Are you a cat or dog person? Both 14: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson? Merperson 15: Do you have a favorite Youtuber? Dan and Phil 16: How tall are you? 5'8 ish 17: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? Uhhhhh Oliver? I think  18: How much do you weigh? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] 198 LBS 19: Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? yes 20: Do you like space or the ocean more? Yes 21: Are you religious? Yes  22: Pet peeves? Idk  23: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal [opposite of nocturnal]? Diurnal 24: Favorite constellation? Ursa Major 25: Favorite star? Idk the sun 26: Do you like ball-jointed dolls? Yes but I'm brokkeeee 27: Any phobias or fears? Fuck idk  28: Do you think global warming is real? Yes 29: Do you believe in reincarnation? Yes 30: Favorite movie? Fuck if I know?  31: Do you get scared easily? Nah 32: How many pets have you own in your lifetime? 10 33: Blog rate? [You’ll rate the blog of the one who’s asking.] 34: What is a color that calms you? Pastel 35: Where would you like to travel and/or live? Philadelphia? Indiana because babe? 36: Where were you born? Mexico 37: What is your eye color? Brown with rings of blue 38: Introvert or extrovert? I'm so introverted 39: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? Yes 40: Hugs or kisses? Kisses 41: Who is someone you would like to see/visit right now? Alec 42: Who is someone you love deeply? Alec 43: Any piercings you want? Septum 44: Do you like tattoos and piercings? Yes 45: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so? No 46: Talk about your crush, if you have one! He's a babe, he sleep talks, needs a hair cut and is a fucking idiot but he's mine 47: What is a sound you really hate? Machinery in horror films 48: A sound you really love? Alec's voice 49: Can you do a backflip? Used to  50: Can you do the splits? Used to  51: Favorite actor and/or actress? Fuck if I know  52: Favorite movie? Fuck if I know didn't I already answer this? 53: How are you feeling right now? Headachy but good 54: What color would you like your hair to be right now? Pastel pink  55: When did you feel happiest? Fuck if I know  56: Something that calms you down? Age regressing 57: Have any mental disorders? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] hahaha depression, anxiety, ed, passive suicidal tendencies, psychosis, sensory processing disorder, probably some learning issues. Kinda duck if I know. 58: What does your URL mean? My blog is about my voice  59: What three words describe you the most? Powerful, witch, gay. 60: Do you believe in evolution? No. 61: What makes you unfollow a blog? NSFW, any sort of hate/phobia (like homophobia transphobia and such), being thinspo/Mia/Ana, or anti age regression 62: What makes you follow a blog? Aesthetic, kind, funny 63: Favorite kind of person: idk 64: Favorite animal(s): polar bear  65: Name three of your favorite blogs.  66: Favorite emoticon: 🖕🏻 67: Favorite meme: fuck if I know 68: What is your MBTI personality type? Idk  69: What is your star sign? Taurus 70: Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? No 71: What outfit out of all your clothes do you like to wear the most? My Harry otter shirt, red sweater and whatever pants 72: Post a selfie or two? 73: Do you have platform shoes? Nope 74: What is one random but interesting fact about yourself? Idk 75: Can you do a front flip? Yes 76: Do you like birds? Yes 77: Do you like to swim? Yes 78: Is swimming or ice skating more fun to you? Swimming I've sprained my wrist three times skating 79: Something you wish didn’t exist: hate  80: Some thing you wish did exist: equality 81: Piercings you have? Just my ears  82: Something you really enjoy doing: art  83: Favorite person to talk to:  Alec, Sky, jordan, Kerry 84: What was your first impression of Tumblr? Idk  85: How many followers do you have? 198 86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes? Idk if I tried probably  87: Do your socks always match? Pfffttt you think I have the energy to find socks  88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely? Barely, I have short hamstrings always have 89: What are your birthstones? Emerald 90: If you were an animal, which one would you be? A polar bear probably  91: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be? Idk  92: A store you hate? Walmart  93: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day? None because caffeine=anxiety  94: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? Fly 95: Do you like to wear camo? No 96: Winter or summer? Winter 97: How long can you hold your breath for? Idk a whole 98: Least favorite person? Idk trump probably 99: Someone you look up to:  Sky100: A store you love? Idk blick  101: Favorite type of shoes, keds probably 102: Where do you live? Oregon  103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why? Nope can't be  104: What is your favorite mineral or gem? Uggghhh probably blue goldstone 105: Do you drink milk? Yes but not as much as I'd like because it makes me sick 106: Do you like bugs? Depends  107: Do you like spiders? Depends  108: Something you get paranoid about? Idk  109: Can you draw: yes  110: Nosiest question you have ever been asked? Iddkkk 111: A question you hate being asked? Idkkkk  112: Ever been bitten by a spider? Probably  113: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach? Yes  114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days? Depends 115: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now: alec  116: Favorite cloud type: idk  117: What color do you wish the sky was? I like it  118: Do you have freckles? Yes  119: Favorite thing about a person: idk probably smile and laugh and voice 120: Fruits or vegetables? Fruit 121: Something you want to do right now: see alec  122: Is the ocean or sky prettier? Idk  123: Sweet or sour foods? Sour 124: Bright or dim lights? Depends 125: Do you believe in a certain magical creature? Yes  126: Something you hate about Tumblr: discourse 127: Something you love about Tumblr: community 128: What do you think about the least? What?  129: What would you want written on your tombstone? Gay and changed the world  130: Who would you like to punch in the face right now? Sam...  131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself? My weight 132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures? Yes. 133: Computer or TV? Computer 134: Do you like roller coasters? Fuck yeah 135: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness? Vaguely  136: Are your ears lobed or attached? Lobed 137: Do you believe in karma? Yes  138: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are? I'm like a 95 139: What nicknames do you have/have had? Hayge, hayhay, denden, snow (please don't use that) 140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends? Yes  141: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink? She was shitty  142: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others? Good 143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help? Giving 144: What makes you angry. Not a lot  145: How many languages do you speak fluently? Sadly one vaguely three 146: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries? Boys 147: Are you androgynous? Yeah  148: Favorite physical thing about yourself: my eyes/smile  149: Favorite thing about your personality: fucj if I know  150: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person. Alec, ren, Sky,  151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose? Greece probably  152: Do you like BuzzFeed? Vaguely  153: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? [If you have one.] got set up!  154: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? Fuck yeah  155: Do you like to play with others’ hair? Yes 156: What embarrasses you? Idk  157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious: being told "I need to talk to you" with no context 158: Biggest lie you have ever told: fuck if i know  159: How many people are you following? Like 1000 160: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? Idk  161: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)? Idk  162: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)? Idk  163: Last time you cried and why: uhhh cause I wanna move out  164: Do you have long or short hair? Short  165: Longest your hair has ever been: ass length  166: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religon? It's a part of who I am  167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created? Yes  168: Do you like to wear makeup? Yes 169: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds? Idk  170: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully? Yeah

#ask game #ask box #Hayden answers

4 notes · View notes

789307890734890178-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Review: Castle Hangnail

[Image: The cover of the book ‘Castle Hangnail’ by Ursula Vernon. The detailed description is kind of long so I put it under ‘read more’]

Full review is under ‘read more’, but here is it in short: Castle Hangnail is a very cute book with likeable characters, and even some pretty serious moments. However, the plot is completely unfocused and it has a climax that was incredibly predictable. Still, as an easy read, this will do more than fine.

[Full Image Description: A book cover that mostly uses blue, purple, and black as a color palette. In the foreground, a small, twelve-year-old, white girl with a round-ish face, black curly hair and black clothes is holding a book open. White light is curling from that book. A bat is perched upon her shoulder. To her left, you have an Igor-ish monster looking concerned and a cloth doll with pins sticking out from him holding a bowl with a goldfish in it. On her right, you have a creature that appears to be the cross between a donkey and a dragon. All creatures look friendly. They are standing on a winding path leading up towards an ominous castle in the background. Above them, a golden title reads ‘Castle Hangnail’.]

Author: Ursula Vernon Genre: Fantasy Intended Age-range: 9 to 12 (rough estimate) Representation for POC: None Representation for LGBT+: None Representation for Disabilities: None Well-Written Female Characters: Yes; the majority of the human cast is female and kicks ass, and the non-human female cast also kicks ass. Warnings: Has a character arc that contains working through emotional abuse and (something akin to) gaslighting (not by the family or by a significant other, and it isn’t explicitely called that, but it’s definitely that. From what I can tell, it was handled decently). Other Things: The main villain of the series has an ice-theme, and therefore also has a very pale skin, white-blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. If you happen to have albinism, this could potentionally turn you off (as it kinda plays into the ‘Evil Albino’ Trope), though the villain doesn’t actually have albinism as far as I know. Overall Grade: 7/10

Because the Board of Magic is threatening to shut down Castle Hangnail if it doesn’t find a Master soon, the Minions living in the castle sent out invitations to all Wicked Witches, Evil Sorceresses, Vampire Lords and other magical folk to become their Master. The only one who answers the invitations is Molly, an unimpressive twelve-year old who claims to be a powerful Wicked Witch named Eudaimonia. In reality, she is a ‘moderately talented’ untrained magic user who just wants to get away from her pink-and-sparkles loving twin. Now, she needs to fulfill the Tasks the Board has laid upon her, all the while keeping her real identity secret.

Or at least, that’s the plot during the first half of the story.

This book has a lot going for it, and I am going to start with the positive. The first thing that jumps out is the wacky world it’s based in. Like all good childeren’s fantasy books, Castle Hangnail thrives upon the pure imagination of the writer. Vernon manages to use all tired old fantasy tropes (the wicked witch, for example) in a new and fresh setting, by simply adressing them in-universe. Wicked Witch, Evil Sorceress, etc. are real titles in the book, and magic users can claim them. What’s smart about this is that it creates a unique atmoshpere without having to explain too much; we already know what a Wicked Witch is, but the fact that it’s now more or less an official job is what makes it funny.

The world of Castle Hangnail is insanely entertaining and even cleverly self-aware, as can be seen through the little tidbits of information sprinkled between the pages. It never over-explains anything, but from time to time, it adds things like “Pins, the walking, talking ragdoll, wasn’t made by Voodoo, which is actually a very interesting religion. Nobody knew where he came from”, and then proceeds to tell us increasingly ludicrous things about him that never explain where he camef rom, but give your imagination a shot of adrinaline to figure it out yourself. It’s just a lot of fun.

What’s also a lot of fun are the characters. Castle Hangnail provides us with a full cast of wacky characters, ranging from Majordomo, the oldest and most serious staff member and who looks back fondly on the Mad Scientist who let a hamster eat his (Majordomo’s) brain, to Serenissima, a half-human half-Djin part-mermaid smoke spirit who is about as melodramatic as me, to Cook, a minotaur who cooks deliciously, has cooked one of her past husbands, and hates the letter Q.

Molly herself, our main character, is also very likeable. She is the ‘bad twin’; her sister being the good twin that she despises (in a very sisterly ‘nobody but me gets to call her stupid’ kinda way), and is an aspiring Wicked Witch. Molly is very self-conscious, but also determined to become better at magic and to work hard for Castle Hangnail and her friends. Her hardworking nature and stubbornness are what keeps the plot moving, helped along by the occassional plot-related coincidence. She is earnest, nice, enthousiastic about everything, and I love her. I. Love. Her. Openly admitting my biases here.

So, to summarize: a wacky world and wacky characters, with a very likable main character to boot. What’s not to like?

The plot.

It’s honestly been a while since I’ve seen a plot so unfocused. During the first half of the story, the book consists mostly of mini-arcs where Molly attempts to solve the various Tasks of the Board of Magic requires her to do. These are all fairly entertaining, but have little relevance to the actual plot that rears its head about halfway through.

Halfway through, the Evil Sorceress that Molly’s impersonating, Eudaimonia, decides to show up. This takes up the rest of the book and is mostly consistent in its plot. However, the Sorceress herself is grossly underdeveloped (Vernon tries to give her a semi-sad backstory. She doesn’t succeed), and I had already figured out what all of the foreshadowing in the first half was going to lead to in the end. I won’t spoil anything, but I’ll just say that I was right. It was really obvious.

But what really got me was how... seperated it felt from the first half. I guess it was just too different in tone and focus. It felt more like a sequel than a second half, and it really bugged me.

What I did like about the second half, however, was the surprisingly serious plotline that came with it. Eudaimonia (this isn’t really a spoiler; you’ll figure it out in three seconds flat) was emotionally abusive towards Molly (constantly putting her down, undermining her self-confidence, etc. She was also gaslighting her, or doing something very similar at the very least). Instead of brushing over this, it has a profound effect on Molly’s character throughout the entire book, and she works through the after-effects in the second half! There’s even some very nice parallels with some of Majordomo’s previous experiences. Like. Wow. I am by no means an authority on these kinds of issues, but I think that the fact that they were properly discussed in a childeren’s book is very important, and from what I can tell, it was handled with respect. This doesn’t often happen, and I’m glad that it did here.

All in all, Castle Hangnail is a fun book with interesting characters and a creative world, but with an unfocused and predictable plot.

I recommend reading Castle Hangnail if:

You are looking for something relaxing and fun.

You are looking for something with a likable female main character, but not too much plot

You are like slice-of-life fantasy and can deal with unfocused plots

You liked Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (seriously. I’m getting so much of the same vibes) and are looking for something similar.

I do not recommend reading Castle Hangnail if:

You are looking for a book with a cohesive/good plot

You are the type to become annoyed by unfocused plots

You dislike reading books obviously written for children

You are easily triggered by emotional abuse and/or gaslighting

You are allergic to cute

#Castle Hangnail #Ursula Vernon #Letters Reviews Things #Review #Emotional Abuse //#Gaslighting //#Well at least I think so #Better safe than sorry

2 notes · View notes