Title: Once Upon a Dream Author: Liz Braswell Publisher: Disney Press Publication Date : April 5th 2016 Genre: Retelling, Fantasy, YA Format: Paperback My Rating: 4.5/5 Links: Goodreads . Amazon Blurb: What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dreammarks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. It should be simple--a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess's, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up? My Review: This lyrical Sleeping Beauty retelling will take you on a luscious, insane journey . I know what some of you are thinking. Another retelling/spin off of the Sleeping Beauty; how many versions of this story is this Industry going to remake ? Let us start by saying that Once Upon a Dream is not an over-said-and-done plot. It glows with novelty, and sparks with creativity . I believe that even parents could enjoy reading this book with their kids. When the story begins, I was presented with a lie about Maleficent that itself, could have been made into another great tale. I really hope that Liz would someday consider writing a novella based on that lie being actually true. Something that really mesmerized me is that our Aurora seems to have developed a mental illness, Wait, let me correct myself. She had it from the beginning of the book, but we learn more about it later on. I am not going to say what illness, but I will let you know that it fits perfectly with the the original tale's most renown events. I a absolutely enjoyed this adventurous lyrical read, and I plan on reading Liz's entire fairytale retelling series. I give it 4.5/5 stars. About the Author: After the sort of introverted childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally she caved into fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She also has short stories in Geektastic and Who Done It and a new series of reimagined fairy tales coming out, starting with A Whole New World—a retelling of Aladdin. She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected].
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Title: Slumber (#1) Author: Christy Sloat Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing Publication Date: March 16th 2015 Genre: Retelling, Fantasy, YA, Fairy Tales Format: e-copy My Rating: 3/5 stars Links: GoodReads . Amazon Blurb: Not all princesses get their happily ever after... They tell me I killed my boyfriend Phillip in cold blood. I stabbed him twenty one times. I’m only seventeen years old, and I am serving life in Spindle Ridge Asylum for the Criminally Insane. I don’t remember killing him, so it’s really hard to believe I’m capable of murder. In fact I don’t remember anything before I came to Spindle Ridge, not even my boyfriend. I can only grasp onto my realistic dreams while the madness of the asylum threatens to pull me under. I dream I’m a beautiful princess and there is an evil faerie named Maleficent who is bent on my destruction. The dreams are the closest thing I have to memories of my life, except they aren’t real. I’m crazy. I’m not a princess. They’re the mad illusions of an irrational teenage girl, right? They’ve assigned me a new doctor, and she says I can trust her, and that she’ll help me see the truth of who I really am. When she arrived she brought a new patient, Sawyer, who is everything Spindle Ridge isn’t: exciting, mysterious and beautiful. He promises he’s here to rescue me. Trusting either of them frightens me. Could it be possible that my dreams are more than just the imaginings of a delusional girl? Could they be truth? My Review: I received a review copy of Slumber from the author in exchange with an honest review. Slumber is a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty, and to be honest, this is one of the most creative Sleeping Beauty retellings that I have ever read. The way the author took the fairy tale's unseen basics, tore it apart, and built something that is brand new is amazing. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, and the thing that kept me reading was the plot . Since the writing style is very important to me, I felt like the book lacked such an important component. I think that Christy Sloat has great stories to tell; not great, but epic . However, I probably won't finish this duolgy. I really enjoyed the concept of this book, and I give it 3/5 stars. About the Author: Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother's loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor's Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come. Check out her website www.christysloat.com Title: Puppet Author: Pauline C. Harris Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: October 24, 2014 Format: eARC My Rating: 4/5 stars ( B) Blurb: Penelope lives in a world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up. Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations remote controlled to perform super human tasks. When Penelope makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette. My Review: I received an e ARC copy of puppet from Patchwork press via Netgalley in exchange with an honest review. Puppet is a retelling of the classic Pinocchio. The author finds such an exquisite and unique plot filled with advanced technology & action and weavers it perfectly with many Pinocchio aspects. It took me a bit to see the Pinocchio resemblance,but once i saw it, there was no going back. It is magnificent ! I loved how the author kept going back and forth between the life she gave away, and was what she signed up for really worth it. The Self discovery journey is mind blowing,especially when everyone seems to control you , except for you. I think the romance element was a bit rushed. There were literally no signs to show that those two certain characters both had feelings for each other. Also, there was that one description that was repeated way more than it needed to convey the message. However, this was definitely an enjoyable read, a perfect retelling, and a great self discovery story. I gave Puppet 4/5 stars and a B according to my own rating scale. |
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