Once Upon A Dream Review

Happy Monday!

 I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I am excited about the reviews and other posts I have in store for this week. So let's get this amazing week started off with a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell, is an amazing remake of the tale of Sleeping Beauty that we all know and love, except it has a twist to it.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks 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', 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?"

In the original tale of Sleeping Beauty the Prince defeats the dragon, and rescues Aurora from her curse. But what if when the Prince went to awake Aurora he feel into a deep sleep curse of his own, and becomes trapped within the same dream as Aurora? Aurora is lead on a twisty adventure to find a way back to herself, while trying to figure out just who she is. When she meets Phillip along the journey she has to learn to trust him. Can she trust him to help get them both out of the nightmare or is he just another pawn of Maleficent's that will lead her on a wild goose chase?

This version of sleeping beauty had me enraptured from the very first word. It stays true to the story we all know and love, but the twist that Liz puts on the original story gives the reader a new found respect for Aurora. No longer does Aurora have to have a man to save her from her sleeping curse, but in this story the Princess gets to take her own story into her hands, which helps women see themselves as capable of saving themselves, without having to wait for a Prince's kiss.

Go find your own happily ever after readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.

The Frog Prince Review

Hey guys it's Friday!

 I figured that I would finish the week off with a retelling of a classic fairy tale. The Frog Prince by Jenni James is a wonderful retake of the classic Frog Prince that we have all came to know and love. This book gives the reader an interesting twist on how a prince turned himself into a frog, in order to discover who his betrothed really is.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "A prince disguises himself to find true love—

Prince Nolan has had enough of Princess Blythe—the woman to whom he has been betrothed since infancy—and her simpering letters. Does the princess truly not have a brain in her head? Never before has he communicated with someone who seemed so childish and spoiled. It was time he met her for himself, to decide if he could actually follow through with this marriage. But to do it right, she must not see how handsome he is. He needs a disguise—something that would show him her true nature.

Nolan asks an old herb woman to transform him into a creature that is disgusting to any female—a frog. The spell will last thirty days unless the princess does the impossible and kisses him. Now the true test begins. Will Blythe prove to be as monstrously annoying as he believes she is, or will he learn to see past his judgments and find a loving princess waiting for him?"

Prince Nolan decides that he wants to meet the woman he married to see what exactly he is getting himself into. He decides that he needs to be turned into a frog, because it would give him the advantage to see just how Princess Blythe really is. When he gets turned into a frog and finds the Princess, he realizes that he got more than he bargained for, and is willing to see it to the end. Will Prince Nolan get his happily ever after or will he be forced to remain a frog forever?

This story had me laughing, and honestly gave me a new appreciation for The Frog Prince story in general. You will fall in love with Prince Nolan, and you get to see inside Princess Blythe's soul where you will be able to make your own judgement. Jenni takes the reader into a wonderful world and makes this fairy tale perfect for a newer generation. If you love fairy tale retellings, this is one retelling that you won't want to miss.

Go kiss a frog readers (only in your imagination through, don't really kiss a frog)!



Image taken from the Goodreads website!

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul Review

Happy Wednesday!

 I will be the first person to admit that I am not that big on poetry, however when I was walking down the book aisle in Target one day, I came across this book cover that drew me to it. When I picked up the book and read the description, I knew that this book had to come home with me, so that I could read it. And let me tell you, this was one of the best impulsive buys I have made in a while. Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill, made me feel so empowered, and made me think about my life, and how I was able to relate to some of the stories.

The description was taken from the Goodreads website:

 "Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women.

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous re-imagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation."

These stories have strong female and male characters in them that will make you see a lot of Fairytales and the world in general in a new light. The poems and stories do deal with some difficult topics, and will have you thinking about some of the Fairytales you know in a different light. This book will make you think about your life, and will help you find your inner strength to face anything the world may throw at you!

For Example, one of the poems in here that spoke to me was titled "Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management", which I have provided below from the book:

"I had to give up on their remedies. They kept trying to make me less angry, but I refuse to surrender my rage. Because whole kingdoms have already spent millennia trying to keep women subdued, only to be discarded in old age. My fury gets things done, it has saved lives, it has made the world listen where I could not speak, my anger has screamed. Think Helen of Troy when they took her freedom. Think the Rani of Jhansi leading rebellions. Think Joan of Arc leading armies on what she dreamed. So now I love my tinderbox heart so easy to light up, all it takes is half a spark. A woman's anger can change the world, I know mine can and this is not a gift I will give away. I am small and I am angry, it is how I channel my energy and I like me that way."

If this moved you in some way or lit a spark inside your soul, than go pick up a copy of this amazing book, because I promise they just keep getting better and better!

Go find your inner light readers!



Image taken from the Goodreads website.