From Product Description:

Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price.

The first page almost lost me. But after that, the book wound me closer and closer to Charlotte. She is clever, sturdy, and business-like, and somehow also vulnerable and endearing. By the end, she and her town felt like family to me.

From [...] <br /> <br />Title: A Curse Dark as Gold <br />Author: Elizabeth C. Bunce <br />Grade: A <br />Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls, 12-17 <br /> <br />Summary: Charlotte Miller has always refuted the rumor that her family's mill, Stirwaters, is cursed. True, now that she is in charge of running Stirwaters, she is even more prone to noticing all the inconvenient- sometimes dangerous- accidents and incidents that frequently occur. But it is important for her to keep her head planted firmly on her shoulders, especially now that her uncle is pressuring her to sell the mill, which Charlotte won't hear of. <br /> <br />However, the mill's economic status is dropping, and Charlotte finds herself financially hopeless. In a desperate attempt to save Stirwaters, Charlotte, against her better judgment, makes a pact with a bizarre man who introduces himself as Jack Spinner. Although this buys a short bout of security, Charlotte has unknowingly entered into a situation that she cannot back out of. <br /> <br />As Charlotte researches further into the history behind her family, Stirwaters, and "Jack Spinner", she discovers secrets that had been taken to the grave many, many years ago. Now it's up to her to completely solve the mystery and reveal the answer before it's too late. <br /> <br />My thoughts: A Curse Dark as Gold is a brilliant retelling of Rumplestiltskin. Elizabeth C. Bunce takes us miles further into the characters' lives and motivations, and thoroughly explores all aspects of the story. Normally, I am not a fan of re-told fairy tales, but this novel is written so beautifully that I actually hope that Ms. Bunce will create another book in this style. <br /> <br />I did have a problem with the pacing, however. There were several sections that seemed to drag on and on, while others flew by, filled with exciting action and revelations. Although I prefer the latter style, I would much rather have the novel evenly paced. <br /> <br />I'm definitely looking forward to future books from Ms. Bunce!

I thought this book was incredibly dull. I couldnt even finish it. I wish I saved my money.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce <br />Arthur A. Levine Books, 2008 <br />395 pages <br />YA; Fairy Tale Adaptations <br /> <br />Summary: A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Charlotte Miller, along with her younger sister, is the last of the Millers and she is desperate to protect the mill which is the lifeblood of their small town. She figures out one way out of debt by taking gold thread from the mysterious Jack Spinner. She falls in love and marries but later makes an awful bargain with Jack Spinner, her son or her mill? Does Charlotte have the courage to save all she loves? <br /> <br />Thoughts: I love retellings of fairy tales so I thought I would check this out. I especially enjoyed the author's note at the end mentioning how Rumpelstiltskin's name has become so well-known and powerful while the heroine is anonymous. That was the starting point for this version. Admittedly Rumpelstiltskin is not my favorite fairy tale but I mostly enjoyed this version. <br /> <br />Charlotte is a very determined main character; in some ways she reminded me of Jena in Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. They both are bent on saving their homes and are working in their father's male-dominated business despite being female. I definitely admire her. I also really liked the supporting characters especially Charlotte's husband and Jack Spinner (the Rumpelstiltskin character) who receives a back story. <br /> <br />I also found the story somewhat scary. Now I may be a wimp or it may be genuinely terrifying that the mill seems to have a mind of its own. Additionally there is all sorts of magic flying around. But this terror I felt made the book even more gripping despite its length (Am I correct in stating that 400 pages is rather long for a YA novel?) <br /> <br />My biggest problem was Charlotte and her inability to trust her husband. She kept secrets from him, lied to him, and seemed to be trying to drive him away. *NOT SURE IF THIS IS A SPOILER BUT BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY* And when she does tell him about the curse and how she needs to fix it, he is totally supportive making her seem completely crazy for not confiding in him earlier. What is wrong with her?! *END SPOILER* . <br /> <br />Overall: 4/5. Good; I would definitely recommend it to people who like fairy tale retellings and I want to read more of Bunce. <br /> <br />Cover: I'm not sure about the girl's outfit but I love the font and I like her hands tangled up in gold thread.

After Charlotte Miller's father passes away she is left with the family mill and she is quickly loosing it due to debt. When the opportunity arises for Charlotte to make and sell golden thread she jumps on it. She feels like it is her chance to give her sister a future, livelihood for the town, and a way to keep her uncle away from stealing the mill. This golden thread also might just offer her a chance at true love and a lot of hope. <br /> <br />All things come with a price though. To get this coveted thread, Charlotte must strike a deal with Jack Spinner. The Miller family doesn't have a good rep though with deals as they are the reason it is in so much trouble now. Charlotte has now found herself and all the ones she loves in a heap of trouble and is desperate to find a way out. Will she figure out her life in time and save the mill or will Jack Spinner get the best of her? <br /> <br />Oh my goodness was this book good. I literally could not put it down after I got started and was desperate for more with each page turn. Elizabeth C. Bunce definteiy made a stunning step into the world of YA with her debut novel. What I loved the most though about A CURSE DARK AS GOLD was how it was a retelling of Rumplestitsken, one of my favorite fairy tales, but was still completely original. <br /> <br />The characters definitely made the book outstanding. Charlotte was strong yet stubborn and the reader really got to know her as the story progressed. I found myself many a time cheering for her in times of trouble and sympathizing with her in times of sorrow. I also loved her relationship with Randall, it was sweet and strong and just oh so wonderful. Charlotte's sister Rosie was also a handful. I could tell she was bursting with energy and she was so much fun. Even though she didn't get a lot of face time, the reader still got to know her, and in my case came to love her. As for Jack, well I thought he was great as well. He was funny and tricky, the perfect bad guy. <br /> <br />The plot, as I mentioned before, was great. It was so unique that even if you know Rumplestilten by heart, you will still be surprised by many events and not really know what's going to happen. There was so much adventure and romance and so many twists and turns that I was fascinated throughout the whole thing. The writing was also something spectacular. The imagey was so vivid that I could feel the dampness of the winter and the sun in the summer. The author also used a great vocabulary. The words were absolutely beautiful and they just completely floated off of the pages. <br /> <br />Overall I absolutely loved this book and it has definitely become one of my new favorite books. It was so new and wonderful that I strongly recommend it to absolutely everyone, especially those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings. I myself cannot wait for more from Elizabeth C. Bunce as I am convinced it will be just as good. <br />