A fairy-tale retelling that aims high—and falls flat.
A princess pricks her finger on a spindle—and falls through an alternate world in this retelling of “Sleeping Beauty.”
Elizabeth “Bitsy” Roix is the plain princess of the Roix Kingdom whose fate, whether she wishes it or not, is to be married off to someone her family considers appropriate. That is, until the day she pricks her finger on a spindle, falls deeply asleep, and everything changes. As her parents desperately try to break her curse, Bitsy wakes up in a different world—one of oppression, freedom fighters, and magic—where she attempts to carve a place for herself through a journey of self-empowerment that will have repercussions across worlds. This subversive take on the fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” starts off well with a story that aims to empower its princess into breaking her own curse. Bitsy’s first-person narration is funny and engaging, sometimes breaking the fourth wall and addressing readers directly. Excerpts from her father’s journal complement the narrative and show another side of events. But the more the novel progresses, the more haphazard it becomes. The treatment of certain worldbuilding elements, including social inequalities and prejudices and a romance that grows from a shaky foundation, is superficial and ill-defined and never forms a cohesive whole. Bitsy and her family are cued White.
A fairy-tale retelling that aims high—and falls flat. (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9780062422477
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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