Dewitched: The Untold Story of the Evil Queen

Dewitched #1

by E.L. Sarnoff

After serving time for Snow White’s attempted murder, the Evil Queen is about to get a makeover. Just not the kind she expected. Thinking she’s been sent to a luxurious spa that will enable her to regain her beauty and recapture her title, Fairest of All, Jane Yvel instead finds herself at Faraway, a rehab center that caters to Fairytalelanders addicted to evil.

Upon confronting her love-hate relationship with her magic mirror and the demons of her past, she is sent back to the world of happily-ever-after. Her goal: to discover the true meaning of beauty. Her assignment: to work for Marcella, a demanding Princess-In-Waiting. Jane finds herself irresistibly drawn to Marcella's dashing fiancé, Prince Gallant, and his exquisite seven-year old daughter, Calla Rose. Will the Evil Queen who had no heart end up with a heart that’s broken?

Wickedly funny, darkly shocking, and deeply moving, Dewitched unravels the Snow White story as we know it and will make you see the evil legend in a new light as she rewrites her life.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Fairy Tale Retellings, Paranormal Romance, Chick Lit, Witches

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

Reviews

[Don ツ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually I want to say this is amazing. Really. Brilliant :) I love every evil-sarcastically-funny thoughts that Jane Yvel (The Ice Queen@Evil Queen) had. She was evil but I love her. (Yeah,even if it will disgust her). Now she's good forever I'd even love her more and could possibly adore her.
~~~

This story is about the Evil Queen that poison Snow White. In Evil Queen point of view, of how she plans to kill Snow White and finally she was sentenced to jail until one day she'd been called to a rehab for those who addicted to evil (merely named Faraway)~which she mistaken as a spa makeover for her to gain her title 'Fairest of All'.

What I do like about this story:
Second chance. ~There's goodness in everyone. Humans by nature are not perfect creature, they made mistake and deserve another chance to repent and start all over. (although not all, like Sarsaperilla)

There are many things we could learn about human heart and true nature here.

I like all the connections to all evil do-er such as, Winnifred (Hansel&Gretel evil mom), Cinderella stepsisters, Pinocchio, Rumpelstiltskin, Hook and others (all your fairytale antagonist you've read all along)

Moreover, its funny - thinking out, the Evil Queen that is evil to the bone to be good-in-the making.

---
Haha~ The thing that I couldn't accept is, coffee is equal to her evilness. I mean, come on~Can't good creature endeavor the pleasure of good coffee brew. That is just discrimination. What ever happens to the quote, 'Happiness is a cup of coffee and a good book'. Arghh! Frustrates me.

Great book! Thanks Sarnoff for making my day :)

[Yesmina · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take at "The snow white evil queen" retelling:

Jane the evil step mom attempts to murder the "fair of them all" Snow White and she's sentenced to 100 years in a dudgeon. However, someone committed her to "Faraway" a Rehab mental institution to reform evil the citizens of Lalaland and to help them reach their own healthy happily ever after.

I loved the first part of the book: where Jane hated the rehab and struggled against all the love and compassion she's offered. A bit by a bit she made close friends "with one of Cinderella's step sisters" and the "moth of Hansel and Gretel"

Then she went out on the second part on an apprenticeship in real world that would determine if she's fit into society or not. She's tasked to be the lowly assistant of a villainous vain woman who's engaged to a prince.
Jane finds herself in love with the prince and his cute daughter. But I did not like the second part even tough that's where the romance happened.

I missed the deep humorous magical part of the rehab. All the found family and sweet connection. Also I didn't find the MMC interesting as a love interest. He seemed bland to me!

But I'm glad that I found a good book checking the "Retelling" box in my Bingo Challenge despite my usual hate for everything "fantasy"

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[Rebekah Macias · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dewitched: The Untold Story of the Evil Queen by E.L. Sarnoff
Jan 30, 2022
⭐️
DNF/Did not like
*
I feel like I’ve DNF’d or given poor ratings to a lot of books lately, but it’s probably why I’m in a reading slump.
I really wanted to like this book, generally I really like fairytale retellings and “what-if”s to classic tales, but this one was not holding me. The premise is that these fairytale villains get sent to evil rehab. While I am interested in the psychology behind villains, the way this was executed came out like an MTV reality show - which is definitely not my form of entertainment.
I’m on a kick to give a book a solid chance. If I don’t like it by 1/3 in, then I’m allowed to not finish it, so that’s what I did here.
*
#fantasy #FairyTales #FairyTaleRetellings #YoungAdult #ChickLit

#bookstagram #books #booksofinstagram #goodreadschallenge2022 #ilovethesmellofbooks #ireadbooks #ilovebooks #lovetoread #booknerd #addictedtobooks #bibliophile #stories #loverofstories #givememorestories

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn’t sure what to expect on this one. The blurb pretty much sums up the entire story. Arrested for the attempted murder of Snow White, the evil queen Jane is imprisoned and then committed. It seems light hearted at first but it is pretty much therapy for fairytale villains and their reasons for doing the things they do. So trigger warnings for underage sex, abuse and neglect.

I preferred the second story. Had the characters from the first, more heartwarming and the final struggle to Jane’s redemption. A couple of surprises but over all a fairytale.

[Lisa the Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of this book was very intriguing. Of course you wouldn't necessarily expect the "Evil Queen" to be a like-able protagonist. Seeing some of the story from her point of view was a bit interesting.

One thing that really felt "off" to me however was that the attitudes, vernacular and surroundings were too much in the modern world, which to me is not conducive to the life of the evil queen (unless, of course there is an explanation within the world of the story) and really threw me off.

I'd suggesting skipping this book and watching the first season of Once Upon a Time instead.

**Caution**
This does contain some strong language and pretty intense sexual innuendo. Not for children. I'd not give it to my teens either

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun! This genre is not new. I've seen it come a few ttimes in my lifetime but this time I'm enjoying it! These reworked fairy tale characters are interacting with real life..to a point. It's great escapeism. I'm about halfway through the sequel as I write this and will review when I am done.

The Evil Queen was tried for the attempted murder of Sbow White. She is then sent to rehab and a probationary job that leads to even more twists and turns in a fast paced fun read. I will not post spoilers, but even if you didn't like Gregory Macquire, this one you will like.

[Sheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this. It was rather hilarious reading about Snow White from the evil stepmothers point of view. It got a little long and there were a few questionable parts like Pinocchio being gay which brought it down from 3 stars. It was enjoyable though and actually had a message about life that was good..

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book!!!!

This book was such a unique and creative take on the fairytale world. Great writing, with just a few grammatical errors. Highly recommend this book! Can't wait to read the next one and hopefully, more in this genre.

[Pixie Honey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, with a good amount of act 3 twists that looking back, there was groundwork for that I'd missed or not made the connection with until closer to the reveals.

However, it does have some minor typos [Missing words are what I noticed, and as it's a paperback it can't be updated] and a number of triggers. This book does start off light hearted, but at it's core it does focus a good amount on Jane's therapy, healing from PTSD, and learning how to love.
As this book was published before a triggers page was common like it is now, I thought I would list them. Be aware that there are some spoilers here, but that's common for most trigger lists. I put more details under a spoiler tag to try and allow for the spoilers to be more vague or informed depending on what you need.

-Child Abuse. This is emotional, verbal, and physical, with more than one flashback from Jane's POV showing how her mother put her down, would make her dance barefoot until her feet bled, and whipped her when she was 'bad'. There's also implications of lifelong manipulation towards the end of the story
-Using a child to get revenge on a spouse [Backstory/Mentioned but not shown] Winnie-AKA Winnifred-is the mother and witch from Hansel and Gretel, something that is self explanatory, and then of course Jane being the evil queen admits she punished Snow partially due to the king never loving her.
-PTSD/Flashbacks. Jane suffers this both before going to Faraway and after, and while she's at Faraway it often results in upsetting memories, while after it results in panicky feelings and at one point a minor breakdown.
-Animal abuse/murder of a dog. The abuse is limited to one scene, with the murder implied in that same scene, and is later confirmed via a child Jane finding the body of the puppy in the river. This situation does cause her trauma and anxious or panicky reactions as an adult.
-Rape of a child. It's not described in detail, but Jane does discuss this in therapy, and does break down due to talking about it. When she is either 12 or 13, Jane is raped by the king. Her mother whips her when she finds this, assuming Jane seduced the king.
-Stillborn/Loss of child This is implied early on, but is confirmed later on that Jane fell pregnant from the rape [the reason she married the king] and her son was a stillborn. She was 13
-Child Marriage [Backstory] Jane is forced by circumstances to marry the king when she is either 12 or 13. I don't recall if she mentions how old she was when she was married to him.
-Eating Disorders [Minor Character, both under and over eating]One of Cinderella's stepsisters is anorexic, and Winnie overeats to cope with her husband not being there enough for her and the twins. Winnie is able to heal and move past her ED, while the stepsister does not.
-Alcoholism [Hook is a recovering alcoholic]
-Amnesia [Rumpelstiltskin suffers this. He's treated with respect by most of the characters in regards to this]
Those are the ones that I can recall, but I'll update if I recall any more.

[Sarah N · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I absolutely love fairy tail retellings. I have also always loved villains. So having the story of the evil queen was something I was super excited to read. I love that it has the name of many villains, and famous fairy tale characters throughout the book. I love how it incorporates so many details that we are familiar with from other fairy tale stories. Overall love the relationships in this book, and the plot. There is one MAJOR fact in this book that I absolutely cannot get over. It is so stuck in my head, and bothers me in a way that I can't rate this book The five Stars I want to.

Overall, I am not sure I want to read the second book. Although I liked this one (there are definitely some triggers) I am not sure I can get over this one key factor in the story.

If you like fairy tail retellings, and you like the idea of not everyone is born evil, it is a good read. There are just definitely some facts that overall disturbed me in the story.

[Taylor Spalding · Rating 2 out of 5]

But then..

I was digging this. It's sassy and has a new perspective on Snow White and the Evil Queen (Jane). I was even rooting for Jane and Gallant - until I found out that Gallant married Snow White and Calla is their daughter. I know Jane went through some really messed up stuff before she became evil and all, but I just can't get past the weird. Jane is technically Calla's Grandma. She's also crushing on someone her step daughter slept with. Ewww. Plus, from the story line, Jane is at least ten years older than Snow, which is kind of a big gap for Jane to be crushing on Gallant. I just can't get it out of my head and now Jane having a happily ever after with Gallant is just gross.

[Alannah]

2.5
If you like Shrek or Once Upon A Time, you probably won't like this much. If you like Real Housewives, this is for you.
I didn't like this book at the start but it got better towards the end so I'm glad I didn't abandon it.

It was interesting how the author twisted the fairy tale stories together; however, I think there was too many descriptions of weight in reference to beauty. I understand that that is a big part of the character's personality but it was just over the top. Things go well, a character loses weight, the bad characters are heavyset, etc. It's like you have to be skinny when you are happy.

Other than that I feel like this book should come with a content warning. There are some scenes that are downright creepy and not appropriate for young readers.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just so much fun! It is the story of the Snow white’s Evil Stepmother. After she was caught and sent to prison for attempting to kill her stepdaughter, Jane Yvel is sent to rehab for addiction to evil and beauty. You get to meet other fairytale characters there and see what has made them evil. The author has a wonderful imagination when it comes to the characters and the story. I laughed and cried through the entire book. There are some plot twists that I never saw coming. And the ending was a true “fairy tale ending.” I can’t wait to read the next in the series!

[Charla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly enjoyed parts of this story and it was definitely not what I was expecting. While I went into this book thinking it was going to be dark and "Evil" it was surprisingly kind and trans-formative. The Evil Queen goes to rehab and transforms her life in search of that elusive happily ever after. The writing style in the middle became a bit crude and out of character (seriously there are other ways to describe large breasts other than cannonballs) but I was intrigued enough to finish and I'm glad I did as the ending was as richly developed and well written as the beginning.

[Suzanne Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically Brilliant

Thought you knew Snow White’s evil stepmother? Think again. In this unbelievably fantastic read you’ll find rehab, psychoanalysis, a 12 step program and redemption. Featuring all the characters from your childhood fairytales (and a couple from the 20th century) Dewitched tells Jane’s story that will have you laughing, crying, and on the edge of your seat.

The characters are incredibly well developed, the world of Fairytale is expertly crafted, and the foreshadowing does not disappoint. I’m at a loss as to why this isn’t on a best seller list.

[Dawn Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book, I was oh crap I won't be able to do this. Luck for me I stuck with it, it got much better after a few chapters. E.L. Sarnoff wrote from the point of view of the evil queen, which some things were pretty funny, in my opinion. This book was full of some very dark subjects, which you would not associate with a fairy tale. I enjoyed this book and will read book 2, but not sure I can recommend it. It moved a little slow and somethings were a little too drawn out for me.

[Eating Between · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that the author was able to take a well known world of fairy tales and put her own unique and original twist on it! She is able to weave all our favorite villains that we all love to hate in to a world of redemption. She to humanize them all the while keeping the magic alive with in the pages of this book.

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

one remarkably well written and thought out masterpiece that has the faire tale characters in a whole new light. hilarious at points and a wild thrill ride adventure all rolled into one with even EPA evil persons anonymous support group I loved it you will too.

[Joani Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

I enjoyed this twist on well known fairy tales. There was one scene that detracted from the fun, unnecessary and not in character with the rest of the book, but overall, it was a wonderful afternoon read and had a message that it is never too late for redemption.

[RaChelle Holmberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me say, I'm a fan.
I enjoyed every word of this book. It was swoon-worthy, laugh-worthy, ( as a certain author manages in some other books) and just an all around fun trip. Dragonsballs! I have a new word!
And a sequel to read ;-)

[Chrissy Busick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming

This is such an amazing tale with a great lesson. I absolutely loved this book. So many unexpected little twists, and how all of the characters were interrelated made it so much fun to read.

[Dawn Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the ending

Even though I loved the ending, the book was over-written. It took too long to bring the two halves of the story together. There were some great concepts, lessons and characters.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good fairytale adventure

A good fairytale adventure told from the point of view of the Evil Queen in Snow White, and takes you beyond the known fairytale. An excellent story and very funny. Highly recommended

[Lisa Nahary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a most excellent book!!! After the evil Queen gives Snow White the Apple she is caught and goes to rehab. The author actually makes you feel bad for the evil Queen and want her to have a happily ever after.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

We all know the fairytale recounting of the Evil Queen but what if evil could be rehabilitated? This hilarious story shows us that evil can be stopped!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

was very good couldn't put the book down

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Garbage

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 50 - This was just not my cup of tea. All the characters really annoyed me, and when we got to the Hook character, I was just done.

[Hazel Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really funny. I was shocked at first at the language, but I couldn't help but fall in love with this cute little story. Looking forward to the third book!

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really think it is funny how you are going along not hearing about an author and suddenly they are on your radar .... great cover. i enjoyed this read. wanna read more.