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Smashing is never a matter of perspective; because no matter from what angle a pillar may be viewed it can be crushed with a large enough hammer.
Hammer meet nail. In this case: Perception by @LynaForge.
I spent about a week reading the entire story and have some thoughts. But first I have some stuff outside the review to comment on.
Firstly the story idea right from the start was promising. It is based on a classic fairy tale and from its speech has an old english feel, which I love. I am also reading the original Sherlock Holmes, and some of my favorites are old classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Three Musketeers (series), Narnia, The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings, and more. I even find the New King James Bible to be the easiest to read just because I'm used to that language style. This, however, will not play a role in the review itself as this is entirely biased. (Except to describe the quality of the style, rather than the appreciation for the style itself.)
Secondly the story resonated with me on a personal level. So while I am trying to be unbiased as possible, I cannot deny that I am at least 1%+ biased by things in my life that mirror it at any times and give me an insightful perspective many lack. To explain briefly my grandfather had walked away from his family, including my own father, when he was a pre-teen, forcing him to grow up overnight. This caused mental blocks in him even 30-40 years later that, even as loving as he is, simply result in one fact: he didn't know how to be a father. He had no role model. I have also known several widows or other-wise single parents who struggle to balance giving everything a child needs from a single source. Therefore I see the MC in my own father, and many other parents in my life.
Thirdly the story was a Watty 2021 Shortlister and so will be exclusivly on Wattpad for 1 year. Then she will publish it on paperback, and then hopes to release it as an audiobook. Since she aspires to truly publish I will not hold back like I do for some people.
TLDR; Single parenthood in a nutshell.
Overall I'd rate it 4 smashing out of 5. Its strengths outweigh its weaknesses.
Main Characters - Smashing! - The main character's name eludes me. It is from the first-perspective so she always calls herself by "I". Everyone else calls her 'mother', 'mistress', 'master', and other titles. I cannot think of a single instance where she is given a name. So I'm gonna just call her Mom. Mom is a great MC. You are inside her head the entire time and her emotions and thoughts flow clearly. Every word is measured, every action has purpose. Action and inaction are equally considered in a logical, strategic manner so as to produce the most beneficial outcome. As a result you have a lot of great things: the MC is powerful because she is aware, self-controlled, and intelligent. She is also flawed because every action and word has a consequence sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Then you have the best thing: Real Consequences. Every choice, whether word or action, has a reaction leading to a logical consequence. Nothing happens at random. (Almost. Remember this later in side characters.) The MC is also reflective of the consequences. She considers the problems that arise in her childhood and how to adapt to them, and then when there are problems as a result of her actions in parenthood she considers how to adapt and overcome. She is constantly trying to change her style to adapt to what is necessary towards a singular goal: Giving her daughters what they need to survive. Sometimes this means being caring and gentle and sometimes it means being a drill sergeant.
