There is life, and there is living 
 When I saw Johnston's novel in my local bookstore, it didn't attract me in any way. I mean, it had a pretty cover, but pretty covers so often mask terrible stories. I'm also not a big fan of re-tellings, so I thought A Thousand Nights was not my cup of tea. Only until I read so many positive reviews, from people that are usually pretty critical and who don't hand 5 stars as if they're candy. So, sincere thanks to Natalie Monroe's review , which convinced me to give this book a shot. 
 E.K. Johnston is a new writer, that I hadn't heard of before, but right now I'm so eager to read some more of her work. She's got a very clean, organised writing style, that isn't meant to impress you to the point of falling out of your chair. However, I fell in love with both her way of thinking and her story. Do not expect a fast-paced novel. This is not The Hunger Games, guys, although it might seem like it after reading the blurb. But just as I said about J.R.R. Tolkien's writing, I like the dreamy, calm, slow development, that allows you to savour every single word. 
 At first, I was shook by the anonymity of the characters, the way everyone is just a mother, a sister, a brother, a daughter. Nobody -except Lo-Melkhiin- has a name. The names do not matter, only the fact that those people were there, that they had a huge impact upon the story. 
 I have no words to describe the anonymous story-teller, she was simply too astonishing, too beautifully written. While at first I kept comparing her to Katniss, because she does anything she can to save her sister from Lo-Melkhiin, to sacrifice herself. "Been here, done that," I thought. But her resemblance to the original Scheherazade from The Arabian Nights is much more powerful. She doesn't fall into anonymity, and she never gives it to her husband. She knows the one she married is but a demon wearing the skin of a man. And, long before the end of the book, I felt such a strong connection to her. 
 I've hear lots of people complaining about the lack of stories. Dudes, you want the stories? Go read The Arabian Nights . This book focuses on what the Scheherazade was feeling while living as Lo-Melkhiin's spouse. So, yeah, you're in the wrong place if the actual stories are what you're looking for. 
 The reason why the review came out so late is that it was terribly hard for me to gather my words immediately after finishing it. I had to lend it to my English teacher (yes, I'm that kid) and share thoughts and impressions with her. She loved it just as much as I did.