What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
19 days and 17:14:43
5 copies available
U.S. only
The Secret World of Briar Rose
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26Win a free print copy of this book!
19 days and 17:14:43
5 copies available
U.S. only
A lush and immersive queer “Sleeping Beauty” retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world, as imagined by YouTube star Cindy Pham
100 years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom into poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim.
Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin's conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom's golden age, who protect a hidden portal into princess Amelia's subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.
Inside the lush world of Amelia's dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her "perfect" paradise – and that there are some things their subconscious can’t bury forever.
100 years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom into poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim.
Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin's conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom's golden age, who protect a hidden portal into princess Amelia's subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.
Inside the lush world of Amelia's dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her "perfect" paradise – and that there are some things their subconscious can’t bury forever.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 2, 2026
35156 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Pham
3 books131k followersCindy Pham is a queer Vietnamese-American author of fantasy books. Based in New York City, she works as a full-time designer while moonlighting as a fiction writer and content creator. Her YouTube channel, @readwithcindy, has amassed over half a million subscribers and focuses on books, movie reactions, and candid commentary. The Secret World of Briar Rose is her debut novel inspired by her experience with depression and suicidal ideation. Her website is readwithcindy.com.
Note from Cindy: As an author, I won’t engage with reviews for my book. However, if you tag me on social media, I’ll assume it’s an open invite to engage and join in on the fun! As a reader, I’ll continue sharing my thoughts on books I read on my Goodreads and YouTube channel. I hope the casual style and no star rating in my “reviews” makes it clear that this account is just a reading diary for me, not official endorsements or admonishments.
Note from Cindy: As an author, I won’t engage with reviews for my book. However, if you tag me on social media, I’ll assume it’s an open invite to engage and join in on the fun! As a reader, I’ll continue sharing my thoughts on books I read on my Goodreads and YouTube channel. I hope the casual style and no star rating in my “reviews” makes it clear that this account is just a reading diary for me, not official endorsements or admonishments.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews
Want to Read
September 19, 2025i'm seated. the bookstore employees are scared and asking me to leave because 'it's not june 2026 yet' but i'm simply too seated
April 6, 2026
I'm super happy and proud that Cindy managed to publish a novel, but I think it would have been better if I had just admired her work from afar. I really quite enjoy her YouTube content and her recent videos about her writing and publishing process are very interesting, but all that didn't make me love this book either. I do think that she had plenty of good ideas, though. It's a Sleeping Beauty retelling inspired by her own experiences with depression and suicidal ideation, and that was a really strong basis in my opinion. But the actual plot and characters weren't doing anything for me. I think the author had a vision, but not the skills to transform it into a coherent story. It was messy and infodumpy and just lacking substance in every way. The story unfolded over multiple timelines and it still was so hard to care for anything. Amelia is the Sleeping Beauty character about to fall into eternal slumber on her eighteenth birthday, Malicine is the evil / misunderstood fairy who cursed her, and a hundred years later there are Corin and her sister Elly, barely getting by in an occupied land. Corin and Elly just happen to stumble upon Amelia's hidden castle where they then also happen to stumble into Sleeping Beauty's dreams. Walking through the dream world of a character set to sleep forever was actually such a cool concept and I also liked that the world was shaped by everyone's subconsciousness, like their dreams or their repressed memories. But the writing just couldn't transport the lush and decadent atmosphere that was probably supposed to be there. It all felt very forced to me. Some sentences seemed purposefully quotable, without really matching the rest of the writing. There were different set pieces, like an ice castle or a cottage in a sunflower maze, and peculiar creatures, like a fox made of clay or a bunny and a cat in petticoats, but they just never came together to make a coherent world or story. And I also didn't want to follow any of the main characters around. They had their tragic backstories, but strong character voices were missing anyway. I liked that it wasn't a romance-focused story, though. You rarely ever find a YA story with so little romance. In my opinion it could have been cut completely, because I didn't need it in the last 20 pages either. Overall, this book was all about a cool concept and a poor execution. You can call me biased all you want, but I still don't feel like giving this book too low of a rating. It will not stay on my mind, but I also didn't hate it and I'm simply glad that it exists. On the other hand I also just can't recommend it. Maybe just look at the stunning cover and be done with it. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Kokila for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Kokila for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
awaiting-release
September 19, 2025Cindy's videos were what got me into reading as an adult, there's simply no world where I'm not going to read this book!
Want to Read
September 19, 2025I've followed Cindy's YouTube channel since I was in middle school and her first book is coming out when I graduate college...I feel so ancient
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
what do you MEAN this is supposed to be a Sleeping Beauty retelling 🫤🫤
I expected dark fairy tale drama, maybe a sharp, clever twist on the classic story. Instead I got ✨(boring) vibes✨ and a wander through Clunky Metaphor Land that's 90% symbolism and 10% actual story.
A princess falls asleep. THAT’S IT. That is the most Sleeping Beauty thing that happens in this entire book. I mean... I guess that's all that happens in Sleeping Beauty, too? Everything else is so disconnected it feels almost misleading to call this a retelling at all. The connection to the original is paper-thin.
Credit where it’s due: the writing is good. It's lyrical and polished.
This is the kind of sad-girl prose you can highlight for Tumblr or Instagram to show what a deep, tortured soul you are.
But OH MY GOD… this was such a slog to get through.
Aesthetic sentences only carry me so far before I start screaming internally and checking how many pages are left. And this book leans on pretty prose like a crutch. After a while, the writing stops feeling impressive and starts feeling like a distraction from the fact that nothing of substance is happening.
Because nothing is happening. This is slow and repetitive. It's weirdly exhausting despite having the narrative momentum of a damp paper towel. It’s not immersive; it’s numbing.
I do like the idea of Amelia’s choice having a ripple effect a century later. That could have been fascinating. That should have been fascinating. But the execution just. does. not. land. It’s emblematic of the entire book: interesting in theory, inert in execution.
Corin and Elly? BORING.
So dull.
Their relationship's supposed to be the emotional core, but there’s no weight to it. They're a void. Their relationship lacks any substance, and the book tells you it’s deep, but never does the work to make you feel it. I wanted their sibling bond to wreck me emotionally. I wanted angst. But I got some cardboard cut outs awkwardly bumbling around while the book whispered, "look, isn't this, like, so sad? please feel sad."
I was so detached the entire time and constantly rolling my eyes at the half-hearted attempts at reconciliation that get destroyed the second they appear. I've never seen characters we're supposed to care about have less chemistry. Like, why did we even bother?
Corin especially. Good lord. I understand what the author is trying to do, but she’s trapped in this endless brooding, victim-cycle nightmare, hating her life and making it everyone else's problem that quickly becomes unbearable. She drags everyone down with her, and I never felt compelled to root for her. I wasn’t invested, I was irritated.
The story's aggressively plot-driven. Characters don’t act like people; they act like chess pieces. They go where they’re told and do what they’re told, because the plot demands it, not because it makes sense. It’s so obvious, and it breaks any sense of immersion the book tries to build.
And then the structure comes in for the killing blow.
Dual POVs have been done before. Done to death, actually. But here it’s a constant back-and-forth and then, because apparently the story wasn’t confusing and slow enough, there’s a THIRD perspective?? WHY???
Any tension evaporates instantly every time we jump. The structure's disjointed and the pacing's dead on arrival.
This book is actively working against itself.
This would have worked so much better if the first half of the book had been Amelia's POV and the latter half Corin’s. It would have kept the momentum instead of the plot constantly undermining itself.
This also has my least favourite trope in all media. It was all a dream. I get that the dream world is the point, I understand the metaphor and that it's supposed to be thematic. I see what it’s trying to do and say. But it completely kills tension. When everything obeys dream logic, nothing feels grounded. Nothing matters.
The book asks for emotional investment while simultaneously removing any reason to give it.
My emotional investment went out for cigarettes and never came back.
I wanted to DNF this so bad at so many points. But I also wanted to write an honest ARC review 😣 so I trudged through, clinging to the idea that maybe it would pay off. It did not.
I’ve never heard of this YouTuber before, so maybe if I had some attachment to her or her story, I’d have felt differently. And I think it’s telling that almost all the 5 star reviews are from her fans (most of whom haven't read it). I get it! Support the person you love! But while there is a great book buried somewhere in here, this is not a good book.
Beautiful concept ≠ fully realised story. There's potential but it's buried under pacing and structural issues and characters that don’t land.
The themes of grief and escapism are lurking, but this being YA neuters them. There’s such a noticeable gap between what this book wants to be and what it actually is. It wants to be deep and dark and emotionally heavy and meaningful, but it keeps pulling its punches to stay light enough for the intended audience and you get some surface-level words that don't build to anything. Everything's so diluted.
This would have been so much stronger as a full-on adult fantasy, because it needed that freedom to actually explore the weight it gestures at instead of skimming the surface.
I expected dark fairy tale drama, maybe a sharp, clever twist on the classic story. Instead I got ✨(boring) vibes✨ and a wander through Clunky Metaphor Land that's 90% symbolism and 10% actual story.
A princess falls asleep. THAT’S IT. That is the most Sleeping Beauty thing that happens in this entire book. I mean... I guess that's all that happens in Sleeping Beauty, too? Everything else is so disconnected it feels almost misleading to call this a retelling at all. The connection to the original is paper-thin.
Credit where it’s due: the writing is good. It's lyrical and polished.
This is the kind of sad-girl prose you can highlight for Tumblr or Instagram to show what a deep, tortured soul you are.
But OH MY GOD… this was such a slog to get through.
Aesthetic sentences only carry me so far before I start screaming internally and checking how many pages are left. And this book leans on pretty prose like a crutch. After a while, the writing stops feeling impressive and starts feeling like a distraction from the fact that nothing of substance is happening.
Because nothing is happening. This is slow and repetitive. It's weirdly exhausting despite having the narrative momentum of a damp paper towel. It’s not immersive; it’s numbing.
I do like the idea of Amelia’s choice having a ripple effect a century later. That could have been fascinating. That should have been fascinating. But the execution just. does. not. land. It’s emblematic of the entire book: interesting in theory, inert in execution.
Corin and Elly? BORING.
So dull.
Their relationship's supposed to be the emotional core, but there’s no weight to it. They're a void. Their relationship lacks any substance, and the book tells you it’s deep, but never does the work to make you feel it. I wanted their sibling bond to wreck me emotionally. I wanted angst. But I got some cardboard cut outs awkwardly bumbling around while the book whispered, "look, isn't this, like, so sad? please feel sad."
I was so detached the entire time and constantly rolling my eyes at the half-hearted attempts at reconciliation that get destroyed the second they appear. I've never seen characters we're supposed to care about have less chemistry. Like, why did we even bother?
Corin especially. Good lord. I understand what the author is trying to do, but she’s trapped in this endless brooding, victim-cycle nightmare, hating her life and making it everyone else's problem that quickly becomes unbearable. She drags everyone down with her, and I never felt compelled to root for her. I wasn’t invested, I was irritated.
The story's aggressively plot-driven. Characters don’t act like people; they act like chess pieces. They go where they’re told and do what they’re told, because the plot demands it, not because it makes sense. It’s so obvious, and it breaks any sense of immersion the book tries to build.
And then the structure comes in for the killing blow.
Dual POVs have been done before. Done to death, actually. But here it’s a constant back-and-forth and then, because apparently the story wasn’t confusing and slow enough, there’s a THIRD perspective?? WHY???
Any tension evaporates instantly every time we jump. The structure's disjointed and the pacing's dead on arrival.
This book is actively working against itself.
This would have worked so much better if the first half of the book had been Amelia's POV and the latter half Corin’s. It would have kept the momentum instead of the plot constantly undermining itself.
This also has my least favourite trope in all media. It was all a dream. I get that the dream world is the point, I understand the metaphor and that it's supposed to be thematic. I see what it’s trying to do and say. But it completely kills tension. When everything obeys dream logic, nothing feels grounded. Nothing matters.
The book asks for emotional investment while simultaneously removing any reason to give it.
My emotional investment went out for cigarettes and never came back.
I wanted to DNF this so bad at so many points. But I also wanted to write an honest ARC review 😣 so I trudged through, clinging to the idea that maybe it would pay off. It did not.
I’ve never heard of this YouTuber before, so maybe if I had some attachment to her or her story, I’d have felt differently. And I think it’s telling that almost all the 5 star reviews are from her fans (most of whom haven't read it). I get it! Support the person you love! But while there is a great book buried somewhere in here, this is not a good book.
Beautiful concept ≠ fully realised story. There's potential but it's buried under pacing and structural issues and characters that don’t land.
The themes of grief and escapism are lurking, but this being YA neuters them. There’s such a noticeable gap between what this book wants to be and what it actually is. It wants to be deep and dark and emotionally heavy and meaningful, but it keeps pulling its punches to stay light enough for the intended audience and you get some surface-level words that don't build to anything. Everything's so diluted.
This would have been so much stronger as a full-on adult fantasy, because it needed that freedom to actually explore the weight it gestures at instead of skimming the surface.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"I thought this must be the closest thing to happiness. Something close to perfection, yet it could never be real. My secret, imaginary world."
"Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you'll keep. And from this slumber you shall wake, when true love's kiss, the spell shall break." -Disney's Sleeping Beauty
The Secret World of Briar Rose is due for release on June 2, 2026.
This book is for the dreamers, trying to escape.
Cindy Pham's debut novel, a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. Like a lush, lucid dream with lyrical prose, it made me think of numerous Disney movies. In the story, a cynical Corin searches her city's underground for her runaway sister, Elly, who is seeking a fabled sleeping princess. Corin’s skepticism fades when she discovers a magical ruin where ancient beings guard a portal to Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Chasing Elly’s voice, Corin dives into the portal, trapping herself inside. From there, the story reminded me of the psychedelic hallucination scene in Alice in Wonderland when she comes across the hookah-smoking caterpillar. Nope, not kidding. Puff, puff, pass.
The writing is so flowery you could probably bottle it and sell it as a perfume. Yes, it is quite the stream of consciousness retelling, but not much happened in a story with so many words. I love the concept of it, but I just think the execution needed to be way more polished. I feel like Cindy would write good poetry. I read somewhere that the book was inspired by the author's battle with depression and escapism, so I want to be sensitive to that. I know that battle well. Cindy, it was a solid first book. I send you my best wishes and hope you continue your writing journey.
“She'd always keep wishing for another world, another life, another way to fill the void.”
A big Thank You to Cindy Pham, NetGalley, and Penguin Teen for gifting me this advance copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
"Not in death, but just in sleep, the fateful prophecy you'll keep. And from this slumber you shall wake, when true love's kiss, the spell shall break." -Disney's Sleeping Beauty
The Secret World of Briar Rose is due for release on June 2, 2026.
This book is for the dreamers, trying to escape.
Cindy Pham's debut novel, a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. Like a lush, lucid dream with lyrical prose, it made me think of numerous Disney movies. In the story, a cynical Corin searches her city's underground for her runaway sister, Elly, who is seeking a fabled sleeping princess. Corin’s skepticism fades when she discovers a magical ruin where ancient beings guard a portal to Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Chasing Elly’s voice, Corin dives into the portal, trapping herself inside. From there, the story reminded me of the psychedelic hallucination scene in Alice in Wonderland when she comes across the hookah-smoking caterpillar. Nope, not kidding. Puff, puff, pass.
The writing is so flowery you could probably bottle it and sell it as a perfume. Yes, it is quite the stream of consciousness retelling, but not much happened in a story with so many words. I love the concept of it, but I just think the execution needed to be way more polished. I feel like Cindy would write good poetry. I read somewhere that the book was inspired by the author's battle with depression and escapism, so I want to be sensitive to that. I know that battle well. Cindy, it was a solid first book. I send you my best wishes and hope you continue your writing journey.
“She'd always keep wishing for another world, another life, another way to fill the void.”
A big Thank You to Cindy Pham, NetGalley, and Penguin Teen for gifting me this advance copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
book #3 of m(arc)h challenge, where I try to read ALL the arcs I have in the month of March!
I went into this one genuinely excited, because I have been following Cindy ever since she made the Exes and Ohs video! so getting to read this early via netgalley made the whole reading experience a little more ✨ special ✨and I want to start by saying that I liked a good portion of it, even if my overall feelings ended up being somewhat conflicted.
the final stretch of the novel is easily its best, and I loved how cleanly everything was resolved, but I can see many readers being confused by the ending as well so... 🤷🏻♀️
the book leans heavily into themes of depression, particularly the desire to disappear into sleep and opt out of consciousness altogether. that aspect I totally understood!! my own experience with depression did not manifest as a want to sleep forever in the way it does for Amelia, but there is a whole year and a half of my life that I just straight up do not remember (depression & memory loss is an interesting topic to research, if you want to know more). so, I guess in some way, it is like falling asleep forever.
this is less a straightforward "retelling" and more a reimagining, in my opinion. think: sleeping beauty with sprinkles of maleficent woven in.
the writing, on a sentence level, is undeniably lovely. it is lush and immersive, very indulgent in its attention to sensory detail. the environments are described with such care that it'll take you back to 2010s YA books lol.
but over time, that same strength begins to weigh the narrative down. scenes go on longer than they need to and the constant emphasis on color in particular began to feel like repetition.
and repetition is, unfortunately, one of the book's main issues
the romance between Corin and Briar works in principle. I could see the foundation of it, and I didn't find it unconvincing, but I did wish for more space between connection and declaration. it felt like it moved just a little too quickly and skipped over the in-between moments that would have made it more emotionally developed.
── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
Cindy is kinda the reason i even considered becoming a bookish creator so of course i had to read this! got it from netgalley 🤭🩵
I went into this one genuinely excited, because I have been following Cindy ever since she made the Exes and Ohs video! so getting to read this early via netgalley made the whole reading experience a little more ✨ special ✨and I want to start by saying that I liked a good portion of it, even if my overall feelings ended up being somewhat conflicted.
the final stretch of the novel is easily its best, and I loved how cleanly everything was resolved, but I can see many readers being confused by the ending as well so... 🤷🏻♀️
the book leans heavily into themes of depression, particularly the desire to disappear into sleep and opt out of consciousness altogether. that aspect I totally understood!! my own experience with depression did not manifest as a want to sleep forever in the way it does for Amelia, but there is a whole year and a half of my life that I just straight up do not remember (depression & memory loss is an interesting topic to research, if you want to know more). so, I guess in some way, it is like falling asleep forever.
this is less a straightforward "retelling" and more a reimagining, in my opinion. think: sleeping beauty with sprinkles of maleficent woven in.
the writing, on a sentence level, is undeniably lovely. it is lush and immersive, very indulgent in its attention to sensory detail. the environments are described with such care that it'll take you back to 2010s YA books lol.
but over time, that same strength begins to weigh the narrative down. scenes go on longer than they need to and the constant emphasis on color in particular began to feel like repetition.
and repetition is, unfortunately, one of the book's main issues
the romance between Corin and Briar works in principle. I could see the foundation of it, and I didn't find it unconvincing, but I did wish for more space between connection and declaration. it felt like it moved just a little too quickly and skipped over the in-between moments that would have made it more emotionally developed.
── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
Cindy is kinda the reason i even considered becoming a bookish creator so of course i had to read this! got it from netgalley 🤭🩵
Want to Read
September 25, 2025I've been watching Cindy since her Six of Crows as vines compilation days... THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!
Want to Read
October 7, 2025OMG
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING
CINDY IS PUBLISHING HER BOOK?!?!!?!
I'M SATTTTT
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING
CINDY IS PUBLISHING HER BOOK?!?!!?!
I'M SATTTTT
April 10, 2026
2.75! I’m freee
Rtc
╭──────────.★..─╮
Pre-read
╰─..★.──────────╯
I got the arcccc! This is literally at the top of my arcs! I’m so excited
๋࣭ ⭑ Buddy reading with my fav girlSanchia 💕💕
Rtc
╭──────────.★..─╮
Pre-read
╰─..★.──────────╯
I got the arcccc! This is literally at the top of my arcs! I’m so excited
๋࣭ ⭑ Buddy reading with my fav girlSanchia 💕💕
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5
first and foremost: i'm emotionally destroyed.
disclaimer: i'm a cindyhead. i've been following cindy's channel for years (soapgate ogs rise up), and i was immediately sat for this book back when it got announced. watching her during her journey of reviewing books to publishing one feels like i've grown alongside her (both of us teenage girls in our 20s). listening to her talk about it and describe the process of creating a cover for it is just magical. it's clear that there was a lot of love poured into writing and publishing this book. but we're not here to review that.
i think this was absolutely fantastic. i loved the setting and the lore. i loved how the retelling turned the original plot of sleeping beauty around and borrowed from maleficent. i especially loved the bond between corin and elly and how heartbreaking it was. amelia as a character was so fascinating to me, especially how devastating it was to learn that the ripple effect of her running away was felt years later when it was exactly what she was trying to avoid. the whole book feels like the most heartbreaking self-fulfilling prophecy you've ever read, and it makes you wonder if you're ever really free to choose your own fate.
i think the romance between corin and amelia/briar rose was adorable, but it lacked development. we went from two extremes (blade to throat etc.) very quickly, and a lot of relationship development was lost. maybe some of the extensive descriptions of the setting should have given place to character + relationship development to make the book feel more well rounded. the writing was stunning to me, even if some metaphors and expressions became repetitive. i think repetition and writing can be done masterfully and work well. the twists shook me to my CORE, and i simply could not rest until i got to the end.
overall, i loved this. from start to finish. i'm so excited to see what cindy will cook up next.
thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!
first and foremost: i'm emotionally destroyed.
disclaimer: i'm a cindyhead. i've been following cindy's channel for years (soapgate ogs rise up), and i was immediately sat for this book back when it got announced. watching her during her journey of reviewing books to publishing one feels like i've grown alongside her (both of us teenage girls in our 20s). listening to her talk about it and describe the process of creating a cover for it is just magical. it's clear that there was a lot of love poured into writing and publishing this book. but we're not here to review that.
i think this was absolutely fantastic. i loved the setting and the lore. i loved how the retelling turned the original plot of sleeping beauty around and borrowed from maleficent. i especially loved the bond between corin and elly and how heartbreaking it was. amelia as a character was so fascinating to me, especially how devastating it was to learn that the ripple effect of her running away was felt years later when it was exactly what she was trying to avoid. the whole book feels like the most heartbreaking self-fulfilling prophecy you've ever read, and it makes you wonder if you're ever really free to choose your own fate.
i think the romance between corin and amelia/briar rose was adorable, but it lacked development. we went from two extremes (blade to throat etc.) very quickly, and a lot of relationship development was lost. maybe some of the extensive descriptions of the setting should have given place to character + relationship development to make the book feel more well rounded. the writing was stunning to me, even if some metaphors and expressions became repetitive. i think repetition and writing can be done masterfully and work well. the twists shook me to my CORE, and i simply could not rest until i got to the end.
overall, i loved this. from start to finish. i'm so excited to see what cindy will cook up next.
thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!
Want to Read
September 18, 2025CIIIIIINNDDYYYYY GIVE IT !! (please)
Read
September 19, 2025I’m sat. the Goodreads employees are begging me to go away cause this isn’t even published yet, but I’m simply too sat.
Want to Read
September 24, 2025This is my Taylor Swift proposal
May 6, 2026
❛❛ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍs ɪғ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʟɪᴇs?❜❜*
˗ˏˋ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 ˎˊ˗
ᯓ the secret world of briar rose will be published on june 2, 2026!
⤿ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 2.75 sᴛᴀʀs!! ★★★☆☆
⤿ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ: ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ, ǫᴜᴇᴇʀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ!!
ᯓ {🌸} premise:
⤿ Amelia is cursed to spend the rest of her life asleep and spends her time running away from her fate, unfortunately she is also heir to the kingdom of Gyldan. When she mysteriously disappears, two sisters, Corin and Elly are left, a hundred years later, in the mess that has become Gyldan. When Elly runs away in search of the missing princess, Corin is left scrambling to find both her sister and the princess in a dreamworld - the three are forced to escape before their secrets and mistakes catch up with them.
ᯓ {🌸} all my thoughts:
⤷ I am going to begin this review by stating that this book is not a bad book. It simply is not to my tastes. I am positive that there are people who will adore this book - I am just not one of them.
Let’s start with the positives:
The prose and writing is beautiful, it flows in a very lyrical style. The descriptions are vivid and plentiful. The pacing was solid, it did not lull in any particular spot.
Of course - we cannot forget the gorgeous cover. I might be partial to the color purple - but this one seems especially pretty.
❛❛ɪs ɪᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴀ ʟɪғᴇ ɪғ ɪᴛ ғᴇᴇʟs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ?❜❜*
Now it’s time for what I didn’t like:
This book is so uneventful, I understand that some books are driven by character development instead. But this genuinely baffled me, how could so much development happen - if nothing actually happened? Amelia goes into a sleep filled with dreams and (almost) everybody tries to wake her up. I guess that I never thought about (when simplifying the plot), how simple the original story of the Sleeping Beauty is.
Moving swiftly along, to the characters. My biggest problem. I understand Corin is supposed to be an unlikable character. But, I feel we never reached the part where she becomes likable. Despite some of her development, she still feels super flat and her character transformations feel forced. And her relationship with Elly! It most reminds me of Scarlett and Donatella from Caraval . Most people cannot make up their minds if they are annoying or lovable. I feel the same way for Corin and Elly.
Corin is a pessimistic thief, who never wanted to care for a little sister. I will give credit where it is due - Corin has had a difficult life with the death of her parents and the loss of her home. Now that I have said that - I feel like a bad person. I am going to stop this thought before it gets even worse.
Elly and Amelia are BOTH fantastical dreamers. They spend most of their time either: running away or daydreaming - Amelia did that for over a hundred years! I can understand escapism, but even I feel that it is a little ridiculous.
I think I am going to end this section with - even though I have many complaints with this book, I still enjoyed it to a certain extent. A part of me would love to know how it would feel to lucid dream my world away for years. A part of me understands how difficult it is to be happy when it seems that everything wants to go the wrong way. And a large part of me does not like the extent to which I relate to this book. So I do not like this, but I am confident other people will.
❛❛ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴀsɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜɪs ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛᴏ ʏᴇʟʟ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ sɪsᴛᴇʀ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴛ-ᴡʀᴇɴᴄʜɪɴɢ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴏғ ʟᴏsɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ.❜❜*
EDITS: after more than 48 hours - I am still thinking about both the book and the review. I think that has to count for something. Rounding up to 3 stars.
ᯓ {🌸} overall thoughts:
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who is already a fan of Cindy Pham from her videos - this is not discouraging anyone from reading it. This is a book for the dreamers, trying to escape.
And despite my rating of the book, it would look really nice on my bookshelf.
ᯓ {🌸} rating:
⤿ 2.75 stars
*Quote has been taken from an uncorrected proof of the book.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Kokila for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
˗ˏˋ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 ˎˊ˗
ᯓ the secret world of briar rose will be published on june 2, 2026!
⤿ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 2.75 sᴛᴀʀs!! ★★★☆☆
⤿ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ: ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ, ǫᴜᴇᴇʀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛʏ!!
ᯓ {🌸} premise:
⤿ Amelia is cursed to spend the rest of her life asleep and spends her time running away from her fate, unfortunately she is also heir to the kingdom of Gyldan. When she mysteriously disappears, two sisters, Corin and Elly are left, a hundred years later, in the mess that has become Gyldan. When Elly runs away in search of the missing princess, Corin is left scrambling to find both her sister and the princess in a dreamworld - the three are forced to escape before their secrets and mistakes catch up with them.
ᯓ {🌸} all my thoughts:
⤷ I am going to begin this review by stating that this book is not a bad book. It simply is not to my tastes. I am positive that there are people who will adore this book - I am just not one of them.
Let’s start with the positives:
The prose and writing is beautiful, it flows in a very lyrical style. The descriptions are vivid and plentiful. The pacing was solid, it did not lull in any particular spot.
Of course - we cannot forget the gorgeous cover. I might be partial to the color purple - but this one seems especially pretty.
❛❛ɪs ɪᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴀ ʟɪғᴇ ɪғ ɪᴛ ғᴇᴇʟs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ?❜❜*
Now it’s time for what I didn’t like:
This book is so uneventful, I understand that some books are driven by character development instead. But this genuinely baffled me, how could so much development happen - if nothing actually happened? Amelia goes into a sleep filled with dreams and (almost) everybody tries to wake her up. I guess that I never thought about (when simplifying the plot), how simple the original story of the Sleeping Beauty is.
Moving swiftly along, to the characters. My biggest problem. I understand Corin is supposed to be an unlikable character. But, I feel we never reached the part where she becomes likable. Despite some of her development, she still feels super flat and her character transformations feel forced. And her relationship with Elly! It most reminds me of Scarlett and Donatella from Caraval . Most people cannot make up their minds if they are annoying or lovable. I feel the same way for Corin and Elly.
Corin is a pessimistic thief, who never wanted to care for a little sister. I will give credit where it is due - Corin has had a difficult life with the death of her parents and the loss of her home. Now that I have said that - I feel like a bad person. I am going to stop this thought before it gets even worse.
Elly and Amelia are BOTH fantastical dreamers. They spend most of their time either: running away or daydreaming - Amelia did that for over a hundred years! I can understand escapism, but even I feel that it is a little ridiculous.
I think I am going to end this section with - even though I have many complaints with this book, I still enjoyed it to a certain extent. A part of me would love to know how it would feel to lucid dream my world away for years. A part of me understands how difficult it is to be happy when it seems that everything wants to go the wrong way. And a large part of me does not like the extent to which I relate to this book. So I do not like this, but I am confident other people will.
❛❛ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴇᴀsɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜɪs ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ᴛᴏ ʏᴇʟʟ ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ sɪsᴛᴇʀ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴛ-ᴡʀᴇɴᴄʜɪɴɢ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴏғ ʟᴏsɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ.❜❜*
EDITS: after more than 48 hours - I am still thinking about both the book and the review. I think that has to count for something. Rounding up to 3 stars.
ᯓ {🌸} overall thoughts:
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who is already a fan of Cindy Pham from her videos - this is not discouraging anyone from reading it. This is a book for the dreamers, trying to escape.
And despite my rating of the book, it would look really nice on my bookshelf.
ᯓ {🌸} rating:
⤿ 2.75 stars
*Quote has been taken from an uncorrected proof of the book.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Kokila for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 12, 2026
this book legit made me question if i even like reading (one of the fundamental pillars of my being) just because of how strongly i had to force myself to read it. that sounds so harsh, but like i would sit there and have to literally psyche myself up to read it every time, that’s how painful it was to get through. reading is usually fun for me and let me tell you, i was not having a good time here. i was constantly checking how much i had left and being annoyed at how long it was taking. i should’ve dnf’d but my completionist brain would not allow that. plus, it was an arc and i felt like it was my duty to finish it.
i’ll start with what i liked about the book: the cover. it’s absolutely gorgeous. unfortunately that’s about it.
i can understand and appreciate what cindy was trying to do here and the messaging. however, to me, the execution was flawed and instead came across as ‘i’m 14 and this is deep’. it suffered from too many metaphors and characters and relationships it just couldn’t convince me to care about.
in general, it was just a boring book and way too long. 90% is just descriptions of the dreamworld, which made it quite exhausting to get through. i was falling asleep and zoning out throughout the book, making me have to keep going back to remind myself what was happening, which frankly wasn’t much. i feel like words were wasted describing the aesthetics of the dreamworld over describing action. the things that did happen in the dreamworld were confusing (especially in regards to how the magic worked there). the chapters alternate between two timelines but not effectively. the past was much more interesting than the present dreamworld. however, just when i’d start to get into it, the chapter would end and we’d get thrown back to the present, effectively killing any momentum that was building. everything that i could tell was supposed to be emotional made me feel nothing at all.
the dialogue was also quite bad. everyone spoke like they were a high school student in a disney channel show (malicine being the worst offender) which genuinely made it hard to take anything seriously.
the romance felt very unnecessary and lowkey shoehorned in, which is disappointing because this being a queer sleeping beauty retelling was a big part of the draw. corin and amelia/briar rose had zero chemistry and gave barely any indications that they liked each other and then all of a sudden they’re kissing? the relationship between amelia and malicine felt more romantic than her and corin (though i wouldn’t of wanted that since malicine, age unclear, is supposed to be like a godmother figure). also, i don’t care that the age gap is small, amelia having a crush on her stepmother was weird.
i will say though, that i don’t read a lot of fantasy and maybe that affected my time with the book. perhaps those with more experience and interest in the genre will enjoy it more and if so, i’m happy for them.
i am such a big fan of cindy’s youtube channel, so it is disappointing that i couldn’t connect with her debut novel. that being said, i am looking forward to seeing her career as an author progress and reading any of her future books. i think there was definitely potential here and with time and practice, her writing can only get better.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
i’ll start with what i liked about the book: the cover. it’s absolutely gorgeous. unfortunately that’s about it.
i can understand and appreciate what cindy was trying to do here and the messaging. however, to me, the execution was flawed and instead came across as ‘i’m 14 and this is deep’. it suffered from too many metaphors and characters and relationships it just couldn’t convince me to care about.
in general, it was just a boring book and way too long. 90% is just descriptions of the dreamworld, which made it quite exhausting to get through. i was falling asleep and zoning out throughout the book, making me have to keep going back to remind myself what was happening, which frankly wasn’t much. i feel like words were wasted describing the aesthetics of the dreamworld over describing action. the things that did happen in the dreamworld were confusing (especially in regards to how the magic worked there). the chapters alternate between two timelines but not effectively. the past was much more interesting than the present dreamworld. however, just when i’d start to get into it, the chapter would end and we’d get thrown back to the present, effectively killing any momentum that was building. everything that i could tell was supposed to be emotional made me feel nothing at all.
the dialogue was also quite bad. everyone spoke like they were a high school student in a disney channel show (malicine being the worst offender) which genuinely made it hard to take anything seriously.
the romance felt very unnecessary and lowkey shoehorned in, which is disappointing because this being a queer sleeping beauty retelling was a big part of the draw. corin and amelia/briar rose had zero chemistry and gave barely any indications that they liked each other and then all of a sudden they’re kissing? the relationship between amelia and malicine felt more romantic than her and corin (though i wouldn’t of wanted that since malicine, age unclear, is supposed to be like a godmother figure). also, i don’t care that the age gap is small, amelia having a crush on her stepmother was weird.
i will say though, that i don’t read a lot of fantasy and maybe that affected my time with the book. perhaps those with more experience and interest in the genre will enjoy it more and if so, i’m happy for them.
i am such a big fan of cindy’s youtube channel, so it is disappointing that i couldn’t connect with her debut novel. that being said, i am looking forward to seeing her career as an author progress and reading any of her future books. i think there was definitely potential here and with time and practice, her writing can only get better.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Want to Read
September 23, 2025Omg I literally can't wait to see what Cindy was cooking up this whole time - Im ready for tears and yearning
December 19, 2025
The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham is a lush, queer retelling of the Sleeping Beauty myth that explores grief, escapism, and the yearning for a world that feels kinder and more magical than the one we live in. At its heart this story follows Corin, a hardened thief determined to find her younger sister Elly, who has disappeared chasing the legend of a sleeping princess in a forgotten kingdom called Gyldan.
Reading this book felt like stepping into a dream where wonder and pain twine together in unexpected ways. Cindy Pham’s writing invites you to care deeply about Corin’s fierce loyalty to her sister and to feel the tug of hope even when reality is bleak. The fantasy world inside Princess Amelia’s subconscious sparkles with surreal beauty and imagination, from sunflower mazes to star‑filled oceans yet it harbors shadows that echo the characters’ real world losses and fears (creative dreamscapes are key elements).
What stayed with me most was how the story balances adventure with emotional depth, especially the bond between Corin and Elly which feels alive and urgent.
Rating: 5 out of 5 because it feels both imaginative and emotionally grounded, and the themes of sisterhood and reclaiming hope resonated with me.
Reading this book felt like stepping into a dream where wonder and pain twine together in unexpected ways. Cindy Pham’s writing invites you to care deeply about Corin’s fierce loyalty to her sister and to feel the tug of hope even when reality is bleak. The fantasy world inside Princess Amelia’s subconscious sparkles with surreal beauty and imagination, from sunflower mazes to star‑filled oceans yet it harbors shadows that echo the characters’ real world losses and fears (creative dreamscapes are key elements).
What stayed with me most was how the story balances adventure with emotional depth, especially the bond between Corin and Elly which feels alive and urgent.
Rating: 5 out of 5 because it feels both imaginative and emotionally grounded, and the themes of sisterhood and reclaiming hope resonated with me.
Want to Read
December 15, 2025The author of this book had shitted on so many books that I like so now it’s my turn.
I know I said no ya anymore but I have to see what a person that hated books that I liked and called them weak gonna write.
Plus It’s wlw
Ofc I am jk but yk I don’t hate on books just for the sake of it. I criticise
I know I said no ya anymore but I have to see what a person that hated books that I liked and called them weak gonna write.
Plus It’s wlw
Ofc I am jk but yk I don’t hate on books just for the sake of it. I criticise
Want to Read
September 25, 2025WAKE ME UP WHEN IT'S JUNE 2026!!!!!!!
January 18, 2026
This is a story in which Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom is relying on her and instead, she quotes Ali Wong: “I don’t wanna lean in; I wanna lie down.”
What if the heroine just gave up? What if they suddenly realized they simply could no longer bear the burden of rebellion? Had no fight left for societal change? Found themselves too weary for the moral good? What if the heroine simply ran away?
“To be strong meant enduring the shame of her mistakes, the consequences of her flaws. And she did not want to be strong.”
The Secret World of Briar Rose is a fairytale whose gauze is ripped away, the thorny reality exposed. It is a portal fantasy for soft, sad girls. Two lonely girls who feel like they have little agency or hope in their own lives find one another in a dream world. And yet, they soon realize that their problems are now nightmares.
This book is dark and refuses to shy away from the realities of depression.
I had very high expectations due to Cindy’s history of brutal honesty, and she certainly delivered. The prose is lush. The worldbuilding is both dreamy yet harrowing. And the use of Sleeping Beauty— the fairytale princess with no agency in her own fate who sleeps for most of her story? As a vehicle for a tale about depression? Perfection.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The quote referenced above is from an unfinished copy.
What if the heroine just gave up? What if they suddenly realized they simply could no longer bear the burden of rebellion? Had no fight left for societal change? Found themselves too weary for the moral good? What if the heroine simply ran away?
“To be strong meant enduring the shame of her mistakes, the consequences of her flaws. And she did not want to be strong.”
The Secret World of Briar Rose is a fairytale whose gauze is ripped away, the thorny reality exposed. It is a portal fantasy for soft, sad girls. Two lonely girls who feel like they have little agency or hope in their own lives find one another in a dream world. And yet, they soon realize that their problems are now nightmares.
This book is dark and refuses to shy away from the realities of depression.
I had very high expectations due to Cindy’s history of brutal honesty, and she certainly delivered. The prose is lush. The worldbuilding is both dreamy yet harrowing. And the use of Sleeping Beauty— the fairytale princess with no agency in her own fate who sleeps for most of her story? As a vehicle for a tale about depression? Perfection.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The quote referenced above is from an unfinished copy.
April 30, 2026
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1.5⭐️
I didn’t have particularly high expectations for this book, but the premise was interesting, so I allowed myself to hope that, at the very least, it would be executed well.
I was proven wrong lol.
The writing was sort of hard to get into, especially in the beginning. It felt very messy and rushed, and though, as the book progressed, the messiness of the writing reduced, the rushed feeling didn’t. I had to force myself to pay attention to this book half the time, and even when I did, I was bored out of my mind.
The writing was also overly descriptive. Is this what people call purple prose? Because, God, it was awful. Everything seemed to meander, which explains why I spent half the time bored out of my mind.
Then the characters… I didn’t like them. Corin was unbearable, and Amelia was okay, but just so-so. She and Corin were both just bland in their own ways. I don’t have much to say, really, but I didn’t care much about them, nor do I care about their respective stories. Also, the dialogue in this story is not really good—I found myself cringing several times.
This story also attempts to be a lot in terms of themes, but it really doesn’t do it well. It’s a YA novel, granted, but that doesn’t mean themes of depression and such can’t be done well, and this didn’t do it well. This is another aspect where the book being overly metaphorical made it harder for these themes to land in anyway.
Overall, great idea and premise, disappointing execution.
1.5⭐️
I didn’t have particularly high expectations for this book, but the premise was interesting, so I allowed myself to hope that, at the very least, it would be executed well.
I was proven wrong lol.
The writing was sort of hard to get into, especially in the beginning. It felt very messy and rushed, and though, as the book progressed, the messiness of the writing reduced, the rushed feeling didn’t. I had to force myself to pay attention to this book half the time, and even when I did, I was bored out of my mind.
The writing was also overly descriptive. Is this what people call purple prose? Because, God, it was awful. Everything seemed to meander, which explains why I spent half the time bored out of my mind.
Then the characters… I didn’t like them. Corin was unbearable, and Amelia was okay, but just so-so. She and Corin were both just bland in their own ways. I don’t have much to say, really, but I didn’t care much about them, nor do I care about their respective stories. Also, the dialogue in this story is not really good—I found myself cringing several times.
This story also attempts to be a lot in terms of themes, but it really doesn’t do it well. It’s a YA novel, granted, but that doesn’t mean themes of depression and such can’t be done well, and this didn’t do it well. This is another aspect where the book being overly metaphorical made it harder for these themes to land in anyway.
Overall, great idea and premise, disappointing execution.
May 4, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The Secret World of Briar Rose is a Sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty written by Cindy Pham. The book starts with Corin, a notoriously grumpy young woman who is fiercely protective of her younger sister. After embarking on a journey to find her missing sister, Elly, Corin accidentally stumbles upon a portal to another world. The portal leads Corin into the dreamscape of the fabled Princess Amelia. The beauty of the world seems to promise those who inhabit it a perfect escape; however, as Corin and Amelia, under the alias of ‘Briar Rose’, get to know one another, Corin quickly realizes that any dream, no matter how good, can transform into a nightmare.
The contents of this book are dark. Suicidal ideation and attempts, and depression are strong thematic elements here. I expected a more subtle allegory given the YA rating. That said, I appreciate that Pham doesn't trivialize these struggles given the seriousness of the topics. Be warned that there are a lot of heavy scenes in this book, especially if you find these topics triggering.
This is Cindy Pham’s debut novel. With that in mind, I see potential in Pham’s writing style. She is excellent at illustrative writing. The scenery and magic are brought to life with vivid detail. The transitions in this book are smooth; the ending of one chapter thematically connects with the start of the next, which is something I enjoyed immensely. My favorite scenes begin around 92% - 93% into the book. The end is where Pham really soars. I could feel her passion in the final chapters, as if the conclusion to each character’s storyline were the scenes she was most excited to depict. These chapters also utilized the literary device of repetition. In these instances, the repeated lines didn’t hinder the prose but instead moved it along and beautifully connected each scene.
Unfortunately, the book didn't meet my expectations. The prose, while great at highlighting the detail in scenery and magic, also created a meandering pace. In contrast, I also felt that the motivations, feelings, and thoughts of each character were 'told' to the reader. The result was a cast of one-dimensional characters who lacked genuine chemistry. By the end of the book, it still felt like they were all functionally strangers. I would've loved more time to see how their dynamics might've developed; however, I can only recall a handful of conversations between each of them, and many of those are repetitive. As a result, the romance felt rushed and lacking. The ending had more weight because it was more concise and focused, leading to a more balanced pace.
Overall, I see potential in this author. I think there's a solid foundation here. I think with some workshopping on the pacing and characters, this could be a decent book.
The Secret World of Briar Rose is a Sapphic retelling of Sleeping Beauty written by Cindy Pham. The book starts with Corin, a notoriously grumpy young woman who is fiercely protective of her younger sister. After embarking on a journey to find her missing sister, Elly, Corin accidentally stumbles upon a portal to another world. The portal leads Corin into the dreamscape of the fabled Princess Amelia. The beauty of the world seems to promise those who inhabit it a perfect escape; however, as Corin and Amelia, under the alias of ‘Briar Rose’, get to know one another, Corin quickly realizes that any dream, no matter how good, can transform into a nightmare.
The contents of this book are dark. Suicidal ideation and attempts, and depression are strong thematic elements here. I expected a more subtle allegory given the YA rating. That said, I appreciate that Pham doesn't trivialize these struggles given the seriousness of the topics. Be warned that there are a lot of heavy scenes in this book, especially if you find these topics triggering.
This is Cindy Pham’s debut novel. With that in mind, I see potential in Pham’s writing style. She is excellent at illustrative writing. The scenery and magic are brought to life with vivid detail. The transitions in this book are smooth; the ending of one chapter thematically connects with the start of the next, which is something I enjoyed immensely. My favorite scenes begin around 92% - 93% into the book. The end is where Pham really soars. I could feel her passion in the final chapters, as if the conclusion to each character’s storyline were the scenes she was most excited to depict. These chapters also utilized the literary device of repetition. In these instances, the repeated lines didn’t hinder the prose but instead moved it along and beautifully connected each scene.
Unfortunately, the book didn't meet my expectations. The prose, while great at highlighting the detail in scenery and magic, also created a meandering pace. In contrast, I also felt that the motivations, feelings, and thoughts of each character were 'told' to the reader. The result was a cast of one-dimensional characters who lacked genuine chemistry. By the end of the book, it still felt like they were all functionally strangers. I would've loved more time to see how their dynamics might've developed; however, I can only recall a handful of conversations between each of them, and many of those are repetitive. As a result, the romance felt rushed and lacking. The ending had more weight because it was more concise and focused, leading to a more balanced pace.
Overall, I see potential in this author. I think there's a solid foundation here. I think with some workshopping on the pacing and characters, this could be a decent book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publisher & author for an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
I'm gonna be completely honest, it's difficult to come up with positive things about this book besides the cover.
This queer retelling of the sleeping beauty had so much potential, but too much time was spent in the dreamworld, and not enough on the characters' personalities. Both MCs felt very one dimensional, imo. Amelia's plot definitely helped her, meanwhile Corin ended up sounding like a broken record. They had no chemistry and I was surprised that they even kissed.
The best character was probably Malicine. It's a shame they weren't one of the MCs. Seriously, the one character whose backstory is complex and intriguing!
The dual POV was fine, I guess. There were times where the story became interesting right before switching. So, while I didn't have that much of a problem with it, I can see why others would.
Now my biggest problem with this book… I was really struggling and got tired of the constant descriptions of the surroundings, while NOTHING ELSE was going on. I didn't want to give up and dnf, so I could give an honest opinion of this ARC, but it took over 60% for something to finally happen and I started to care less and less.
Was it worth it? not really. It did have a plottwist that I didn't expect, but the rest felt very rushed, it made me wish that it had happened earlier to fully flesh those events out.
All in all, i didn't fully hate it but i also didn't love it lol.
P.s. Never add TWO epilogues. It would've been fine with the second one, but that first epilogue ruined the ending for me.
2.5 ⭐
I'm gonna be completely honest, it's difficult to come up with positive things about this book besides the cover.
This queer retelling of the sleeping beauty had so much potential, but too much time was spent in the dreamworld, and not enough on the characters' personalities. Both MCs felt very one dimensional, imo. Amelia's plot definitely helped her, meanwhile Corin ended up sounding like a broken record. They had no chemistry and I was surprised that they even kissed.
The best character was probably Malicine. It's a shame they weren't one of the MCs. Seriously, the one character whose backstory is complex and intriguing!
The dual POV was fine, I guess. There were times where the story became interesting right before switching. So, while I didn't have that much of a problem with it, I can see why others would.
Now my biggest problem with this book… I was really struggling and got tired of the constant descriptions of the surroundings, while NOTHING ELSE was going on. I didn't want to give up and dnf, so I could give an honest opinion of this ARC, but it took over 60% for something to finally happen and I started to care less and less.
Was it worth it? not really. It did have a plottwist that I didn't expect, but the rest felt very rushed, it made me wish that it had happened earlier to fully flesh those events out.
All in all, i didn't fully hate it but i also didn't love it lol.
P.s. Never add TWO epilogues. It would've been fine with the second one, but that first epilogue ruined the ending for me.
2.5 ⭐
March 20, 2026
Received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley!
2.5 stars
This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year because I absolutely adore Cindy’s channel, and I loved hearing about her publishing process and the amount of thought, love, and care she put into her debut novel, from the themes to the cover design. I usually align and am totally on board with her, and as soon as I got my hands on this ARC, I was so determined to be completely and utterly in love with this book. Dark themes in YA fantasy, mental health and escapism, a fairytale retelling, queer romance: it had all the ingredients that would hook me mind, body, and soul.
However, the execution just didn’t really… land?
Beautiful writing, so descriptive and rich — but that was what consumed most of the novel…. I’d argue, nearly 85% of it. My core issue with this novel were the characters - or rather, the lack of their presence in the plot. One: absolutely corny, one-dimensional dialogue. When they’d argue, cry, scream at one another, have heart to heart conversations, it would just sound so unnatural and a bit gratuitous. And that leads me to two: how they didn’t feel like full-bodied characters with personalities and agencies of their own. They talked and acted like stilted dolls who said the “right” things and moved the plot along, fulfilling their archetypes that felt kind of soulless. Corin is the angry, feisty, jaded MC with street smarts but a secret “heart of gold”, and Amelia is the golden beautiful sad girl who says fake deep shit and we applaud and tear up. And finally, three: literally nothing happened in this book! It was all poetic descriptions of the dreamscape and too much ogling around, but plot-wise, it was just so flat. The IRL world-building was lackluster because most of the word count was solely dedicated to describing the dreamscape through dazzling similes and metaphors, and not enough effort given into full fleshing out the “corrupt, twisted” world that prompted this fantasy escape in the first place. The plot twists were weird and kind of random, and the “villain” was so *slaps head* who actually gaf…
While I was intrigued by her chapters way more than the present day ones, Amelia never 100% convinced me why she escaped for 100 years into this desolate land of dreams and illusions. I was waiting for the build up and the final “aha!” moment for everything to connect the dots, intertwined past and present together, but I never got that satisfaction and ended up feeling quite bored.
While I knew this book would talk about depression and escapism, I was shocked by how little it went into beyond “let’s dream more!” — and maybe it’s because Pham had to pull the reins as this novel is YA, there are so many possibilities to explore, and I’m a bit disappointed by how the premise promised so many things that - while the lyrical prose was beautiful - the characters and the plot left a lot to be desired.
A choppy - but nonetheless impressive and ambitious - debut novel.
2.5 stars
This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year because I absolutely adore Cindy’s channel, and I loved hearing about her publishing process and the amount of thought, love, and care she put into her debut novel, from the themes to the cover design. I usually align and am totally on board with her, and as soon as I got my hands on this ARC, I was so determined to be completely and utterly in love with this book. Dark themes in YA fantasy, mental health and escapism, a fairytale retelling, queer romance: it had all the ingredients that would hook me mind, body, and soul.
However, the execution just didn’t really… land?
Beautiful writing, so descriptive and rich — but that was what consumed most of the novel…. I’d argue, nearly 85% of it. My core issue with this novel were the characters - or rather, the lack of their presence in the plot. One: absolutely corny, one-dimensional dialogue. When they’d argue, cry, scream at one another, have heart to heart conversations, it would just sound so unnatural and a bit gratuitous. And that leads me to two: how they didn’t feel like full-bodied characters with personalities and agencies of their own. They talked and acted like stilted dolls who said the “right” things and moved the plot along, fulfilling their archetypes that felt kind of soulless. Corin is the angry, feisty, jaded MC with street smarts but a secret “heart of gold”, and Amelia is the golden beautiful sad girl who says fake deep shit and we applaud and tear up. And finally, three: literally nothing happened in this book! It was all poetic descriptions of the dreamscape and too much ogling around, but plot-wise, it was just so flat. The IRL world-building was lackluster because most of the word count was solely dedicated to describing the dreamscape through dazzling similes and metaphors, and not enough effort given into full fleshing out the “corrupt, twisted” world that prompted this fantasy escape in the first place. The plot twists were weird and kind of random, and the “villain” was so *slaps head* who actually gaf…
While I was intrigued by her chapters way more than the present day ones, Amelia never 100% convinced me why she escaped for 100 years into this desolate land of dreams and illusions. I was waiting for the build up and the final “aha!” moment for everything to connect the dots, intertwined past and present together, but I never got that satisfaction and ended up feeling quite bored.
While I knew this book would talk about depression and escapism, I was shocked by how little it went into beyond “let’s dream more!” — and maybe it’s because Pham had to pull the reins as this novel is YA, there are so many possibilities to explore, and I’m a bit disappointed by how the premise promised so many things that - while the lyrical prose was beautiful - the characters and the plot left a lot to be desired.
A choppy - but nonetheless impressive and ambitious - debut novel.
Currently Reading
September 25, 2025(25/9/25)
I'm SAT, I'm WAITING, I'm EXCITED
I've been a fan of Cindy's videos since I was in high school, and when this book releases I'll be 20. Cannot wait to devour this thing as soon as it comes out
Cindy was the one who got me into reading again as a depressed 15 year old needing some escapism in my life, and now I guess it's coming back full circle 💕
I'm SAT, I'm WAITING, I'm EXCITED
I've been a fan of Cindy's videos since I was in high school, and when this book releases I'll be 20. Cannot wait to devour this thing as soon as it comes out
Cindy was the one who got me into reading again as a depressed 15 year old needing some escapism in my life, and now I guess it's coming back full circle 💕
Want to Read
February 28, 2026i cannot believe i got the arc ;-; it’s on ‘Read Now’ on Netgalley for two days!!
this is the most beautiful cover i've ever seen.
this is the most beautiful cover i've ever seen.
March 31, 2026
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for letting me read this book!
I don’t usually start my reviews by talking about my past, but my thoughts on this story simply wouldn’t be complete without it.
At age 15 I bought a copy of Six of Crows, because a YouTuber I liked recommended it and it ended up being the book that got me back into reading after abandoning the hobby years prior. That YouTuber was none other than the author of this book: Cindy Pham.
As time went on I kept reading books, I kept watching Cindy’s videos, but I also started severely struggling with my own mental health. Being a mentally ill teenager felt incredibly isolating and as if no one really understood what I was going through, so I wish younger me could have read this story because this book absolutely understands.
The Secret World of Briar Rose is such a beautifully devastating and honest exploration of mental health, that I’m struggling to come up with coherent sentences for this review (but I’m going to try anyway).
The world building in this story perfectly balances giving enough information for the reader to make sense of the setting without ever veering off into exposition dumps. The dream world is incredible and whimsical but never feels like it’s supposed to compensate for elements of the story that might be lacking. I feel similarly about the retelling aspect of the story, which avoids the common trap of basically being a Disney movie in a different font and doesn’t rely on the reader’s familiarity. I’ll always have a soft spot for explorations of the way stories can impact the world for better or for worse and so while it was far from the biggest aspect of the story I was still happy about its inclusion.
The biggest criticism I have would be that the POV jumps don’t flow together as I might like, but I think the other aspects of the story more than make up for that and the fact that this is my biggest issue says a lot about the quality of this book.
Without going into any spoilers this book manages to leave you with such a beautiful sense of hope, not the toxic positivity kind, but the kind that acknowledges real struggles, acknowledges that things will never just be easy or perfect and makes you want to keep trying anyway.
I am genuinely grateful that I got to read this book. I hope that it can have the same impact on other people as it did on me.
We cannot survive without each other.
And we’ll always have faerie dick jokes on the internet.
I don’t usually start my reviews by talking about my past, but my thoughts on this story simply wouldn’t be complete without it.
At age 15 I bought a copy of Six of Crows, because a YouTuber I liked recommended it and it ended up being the book that got me back into reading after abandoning the hobby years prior. That YouTuber was none other than the author of this book: Cindy Pham.
As time went on I kept reading books, I kept watching Cindy’s videos, but I also started severely struggling with my own mental health. Being a mentally ill teenager felt incredibly isolating and as if no one really understood what I was going through, so I wish younger me could have read this story because this book absolutely understands.
The Secret World of Briar Rose is such a beautifully devastating and honest exploration of mental health, that I’m struggling to come up with coherent sentences for this review (but I’m going to try anyway).
The world building in this story perfectly balances giving enough information for the reader to make sense of the setting without ever veering off into exposition dumps. The dream world is incredible and whimsical but never feels like it’s supposed to compensate for elements of the story that might be lacking. I feel similarly about the retelling aspect of the story, which avoids the common trap of basically being a Disney movie in a different font and doesn’t rely on the reader’s familiarity. I’ll always have a soft spot for explorations of the way stories can impact the world for better or for worse and so while it was far from the biggest aspect of the story I was still happy about its inclusion.
The biggest criticism I have would be that the POV jumps don’t flow together as I might like, but I think the other aspects of the story more than make up for that and the fact that this is my biggest issue says a lot about the quality of this book.
Without going into any spoilers this book manages to leave you with such a beautiful sense of hope, not the toxic positivity kind, but the kind that acknowledges real struggles, acknowledges that things will never just be easy or perfect and makes you want to keep trying anyway.
I am genuinely grateful that I got to read this book. I hope that it can have the same impact on other people as it did on me.
We cannot survive without each other.
And we’ll always have faerie dick jokes on the internet.
March 9, 2026
The story is told in two timelines, the present in a war torn country following the orphan Corin and the past following the titular Sleeping Beauty, Amelia, with other character perspectives woven in.
Some people might call Corin overly cynical and overbearing, but as the daughter of immigrants whose parents left a war-torn country for a better life, I can see so much of the trauma that shaped them in Corin. It’s not an easy weight to carry, and there is no perfect way to handle how it shapes you. I actually loved that she had to grapple with the resentment and love for her sister – and that she had several lies she had to unravel in order to step into the future, but had been caused to some extent to avoid the pain of having hope. Although this was marketed as a sapphic story, I feel like my favorite relationship was between Corin and her sister. They had me bawling my eyes out at some points.
Amelia was a little harder for me to have the same affection for. She was a solid character with clear motivations. And I completely understood that it was a take on a character who has depression (which I have had struggles with myself). But it does to some extent require a lot of effort to love a character with so much privilege and such antipathy to the struggles of others outside herself. It is required to some extent to make the story work, and I’m glad to see the way she developed.
I don’t want to spoil too much but I did love some of the takes on the characters here who could have easily cast as villains but were given complexity in the brief moments they were there. Especially the Queen, she deserved so much 💔
As for the timelines, it does get confusing a little on the climax of the third act (in a way there’s almost what you could call multiple climax moments) however the ending makes the format so worth it. It reminds me of inception a little in the execution. One thing I will note is if you’re looking for a typical happily ever after, this is definitely non-traditional in the romance department.
In this case I think the story lives up to the beauty of the cover. It’s beautiful and rich. It left me with such pangs of melancholy and satisfaction. I’ll miss the characters so much. Thanks Cindy for the wonderful read.
Some people might call Corin overly cynical and overbearing, but as the daughter of immigrants whose parents left a war-torn country for a better life, I can see so much of the trauma that shaped them in Corin. It’s not an easy weight to carry, and there is no perfect way to handle how it shapes you. I actually loved that she had to grapple with the resentment and love for her sister – and that she had several lies she had to unravel in order to step into the future, but had been caused to some extent to avoid the pain of having hope. Although this was marketed as a sapphic story, I feel like my favorite relationship was between Corin and her sister. They had me bawling my eyes out at some points.
Amelia was a little harder for me to have the same affection for. She was a solid character with clear motivations. And I completely understood that it was a take on a character who has depression (which I have had struggles with myself). But it does to some extent require a lot of effort to love a character with so much privilege and such antipathy to the struggles of others outside herself. It is required to some extent to make the story work, and I’m glad to see the way she developed.
I don’t want to spoil too much but I did love some of the takes on the characters here who could have easily cast as villains but were given complexity in the brief moments they were there. Especially the Queen, she deserved so much 💔
As for the timelines, it does get confusing a little on the climax of the third act (in a way there’s almost what you could call multiple climax moments) however the ending makes the format so worth it. It reminds me of inception a little in the execution. One thing I will note is if you’re looking for a typical happily ever after, this is definitely non-traditional in the romance department.
In this case I think the story lives up to the beauty of the cover. It’s beautiful and rich. It left me with such pangs of melancholy and satisfaction. I’ll miss the characters so much. Thanks Cindy for the wonderful read.
Read
December 16, 2025THE ARC IS IN MY HANDS.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews