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Sisters Ever After #1
Thornwood
A middle grade Sleeping Beauty rewrite about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth.
For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth--that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing--not even Briony--can stop its evil magic.
You know the story.
But here's something you don't know. When Briony finally wakes up, it's up to her to find out what's really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny.
For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth--that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing--not even Briony--can stop its evil magic.
You know the story.
But here's something you don't know. When Briony finally wakes up, it's up to her to find out what's really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2021
55 people are currently reading
1378 people want to read
About the author
Leah Cypess
67 books815 followersI wrote my first story in first grade. The narrator was an ice-cream cone in the process of being eaten. In fourth grade, I wrote my first book, about a girl who gets shipwrecked on a desert island with her faithful and heroic dog (a rip-off of both The Black Stallion and all the Lassie movies, very impressive).
After selling my first story (Temple of Stone) while in high school, I gave in to my mother’s importuning to be practical and majored in biology at Brooklyn College. I then went to Columbia Law School and practiced law for almost two years at a large law firm in New York City. I kept writing and submitting in my spare time, and finally, a mere 15 years after my first short story acceptance, I sold my first novel to Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins).
I live in Silver Spring, Maryland (right outside of Washington, D.C.) with my husband and four children.
After selling my first story (Temple of Stone) while in high school, I gave in to my mother’s importuning to be practical and majored in biology at Brooklyn College. I then went to Columbia Law School and practiced law for almost two years at a large law firm in New York City. I kept writing and submitting in my spare time, and finally, a mere 15 years after my first short story acceptance, I sold my first novel to Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins).
I live in Silver Spring, Maryland (right outside of Washington, D.C.) with my husband and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
January 9, 2024
This is a Debut Middle Grade Book, and this is the first book in the Sisters Ever After Book series. This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling. This book is told from the point of view of Briony who is the sister of the very pretty Princess that is going to sleep from 100 years. I really enjoyed this book, and I found this story fun to read. This was a short middle grade book, but I found it to be well-written. This book was a super quick read from me. There was a couple of twists in this book, and I found both of the twist to be really well done. I did not see either of the twist coming, but after knowing what they are I can see some people seeing them coming. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Random House Children's) or author (Leah Cypess) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
September 1, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ah, yes. Middle-grade fantasy. My one true love*.
*That will never betray me, hurt me, or lie to me the way character regression, insta-love, and book hype do.
What even is there to say about this book? 'Thornwood' is an excellent Sleeping Beauty retelling (not that I remember reading any apart from this one) that spins an unexpected twist: what if the princess of the story actually had a little sister? And what if things were not at all as they seemed...
Briony is your classic middle-grade protagonist: plucky, a little snarky, but ultimately kindhearted with a dash or two of insecurity. Reading this book through her perspective and voice gave it a little something that I doubt would have been there if it was written in an omniscient third person.
Speaking about the characters. they were pretty solid on their own, even though Briony is the only one who really undergoes any sort of character growth over the course of the story. While I do wish that some of them (or at least, one in particular) had their background expanded upon a bit more, the reveal regarding a certain character's true identity left me flabbergasted (and also not caring about any deficiencies the other characters had). I absolutely did not see that plot twist coming despite the subtle hints that were left here and there, and I loved every second of it.
The plot was a bit convoluted and could be a bit confusing at times. There were some times where I was having to mentally retrace where the characters had been and what they had done in order to keep track of what was going on, which definitely pushed me out of the mood/atmosphere that the book was setting up.
The same could be said of the world-building. It wasn't as clear as it should have been, especially when certain plot twists were revealed pertaining to the landscape and setting of the book. Of course, that being said, the writing was atmospheric and really worked with the novel, and made for a well-paced and enjoyable reading experience.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to other fans of fantasy and middle-grade readers. It's quite different from many of the retellings I've read, and I'm really excited for the rest of the books in Leah Cypess' series and everything that they will entail.
Ah, yes. Middle-grade fantasy. My one true love*.
What even is there to say about this book? 'Thornwood' is an excellent Sleeping Beauty retelling (not that I remember reading any apart from this one) that spins an unexpected twist: what if the princess of the story actually had a little sister? And what if things were not at all as they seemed...
Briony is your classic middle-grade protagonist: plucky, a little snarky, but ultimately kindhearted with a dash or two of insecurity. Reading this book through her perspective and voice gave it a little something that I doubt would have been there if it was written in an omniscient third person.
Speaking about the characters. they were pretty solid on their own, even though Briony is the only one who really undergoes any sort of character growth over the course of the story. While I do wish that some of them (or at least, one in particular) had their background expanded upon a bit more, the reveal regarding a certain character's true identity left me flabbergasted (and also not caring about any deficiencies the other characters had). I absolutely did not see that plot twist coming despite the subtle hints that were left here and there, and I loved every second of it.
The plot was a bit convoluted and could be a bit confusing at times. There were some times where I was having to mentally retrace where the characters had been and what they had done in order to keep track of what was going on, which definitely pushed me out of the mood/atmosphere that the book was setting up.
The same could be said of the world-building. It wasn't as clear as it should have been, especially when certain plot twists were revealed pertaining to the landscape and setting of the book. Of course, that being said, the writing was atmospheric and really worked with the novel, and made for a well-paced and enjoyable reading experience.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to other fans of fantasy and middle-grade readers. It's quite different from many of the retellings I've read, and I'm really excited for the rest of the books in Leah Cypess' series and everything that they will entail.
April 6, 2021
When I finished reading this out loud to my older son this morning, he let out a happy sigh and said, "Wow. We have been REALLY lucky with books lately, haven't we?"
Yes. Yes, we have! And this book was wonderful - an incredibly creepy and ominous reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, told by the younger sister of Sleeping Beauty...who wakes up to find her sister being kissed by a stranger who calls himself a prince. Everything should be all right now - but when she looks out the windows, she sees that the terrifying Thornwood is just as thick and malevolent as ever - and now it's trying to get inside the castle and devour all of them.
There's twist after twist as the two sisters and their allies race around the reawakening castle, trying to sort out truth from storytelling as they fight or bargain with fairies who are truly magical and terrifying. (They also have to deal with the righteous fury of everyone else in the castle who was caught out by the older princess's curse.) It's a breathless and genuinely magical-feeling read, and this is the blurb that I just sent for it:
“A fantastically dark and twisty Sleeping Beauty retelling, full of secrets, danger, fairies who are truly scary, and a complicated sisterly relationship that I adored.”
I loved it!
Yes. Yes, we have! And this book was wonderful - an incredibly creepy and ominous reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, told by the younger sister of Sleeping Beauty...who wakes up to find her sister being kissed by a stranger who calls himself a prince. Everything should be all right now - but when she looks out the windows, she sees that the terrifying Thornwood is just as thick and malevolent as ever - and now it's trying to get inside the castle and devour all of them.
There's twist after twist as the two sisters and their allies race around the reawakening castle, trying to sort out truth from storytelling as they fight or bargain with fairies who are truly magical and terrifying. (They also have to deal with the righteous fury of everyone else in the castle who was caught out by the older princess's curse.) It's a breathless and genuinely magical-feeling read, and this is the blurb that I just sent for it:
“A fantastically dark and twisty Sleeping Beauty retelling, full of secrets, danger, fairies who are truly scary, and a complicated sisterly relationship that I adored.”
I loved it!
June 10, 2021
This was amazing! I love a good retelling, & I loved what the author did w/Sleeping Beaty here. This is told by Sleeping Beauty’s(Rosalin) little sister(Briony). Briony wakes up to to see her sister being kissed by someone who says he’s a prince. But the Thornwood outside hasn’t vanished, & is only getting worse, trying to get inside the castle to them. It’s up to Briony to figure out why it’s still there, & how to stop it & save everyone. This was creepy & delightful! So many twists as the sisters & their 2 friends race around the castle trying to figure out how to stop the Thornwood. There was a great sister dynamic, although I didn’t care for some of the things Rosalin said to Briony, & how she treated her. But it was obvious that at her core she did love Briony & would do anything for her. Definitely a complicated, difficult relationship lol. Briony was an amazing little sister though, & Rosalin was lucky to have her. Her & Edwin have my heart. I was so happy she met him! She truly needed an amazing friend like that, & someone like him by her side. This is a dark, magical, twist of a retelling full of danger, suspense, friendship, secrets, & even bargaining scary fairies-you don’t know who to trust! Highly recommend, & I can’t wait for the next book! STUNNING cover front & back by Kelsey Eng too!💜
July 31, 2021
Tiny Craig and I read a chapter every night and we both adored it!
May 30, 2021
Thornwood by Leah Cypess is the first book of the new middle grade fantasy Sisters Ever After series. Thornwood is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty done in a new and creative way of making the main character of the story actually the little sister of the family. This first book is only a start to the series featuring siblings that didn’t become the star of their own show.
Briony has lived her whole life in the shadows of her older sister, Rosalin. When it was told that Rosalin was cursed and that on her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger sending the entire castle into a hundred year sleep of course everyone focused on Rosalin and breaking the curse. Unfortunately though the curse did happen and now as Briony awakens she wants to know just how this curse managed to overtake them and how they are going to escaped the castle that has held them captive.
Of course I am a lot older than the intended audience of this series but I actually really enjoyed the story. I always find myself drawn to retellings and my favorites are those that do something new and different than just re-writing every event we had before and this one did that in a cute way. I found Briony very rambunctious and fun to follow along as she navigates her own journey in the book. I’ll definitely be interested in seeing what the author comes up with next and expecting another fun, creative journey.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Briony has lived her whole life in the shadows of her older sister, Rosalin. When it was told that Rosalin was cursed and that on her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger sending the entire castle into a hundred year sleep of course everyone focused on Rosalin and breaking the curse. Unfortunately though the curse did happen and now as Briony awakens she wants to know just how this curse managed to overtake them and how they are going to escaped the castle that has held them captive.
Of course I am a lot older than the intended audience of this series but I actually really enjoyed the story. I always find myself drawn to retellings and my favorites are those that do something new and different than just re-writing every event we had before and this one did that in a cute way. I found Briony very rambunctious and fun to follow along as she navigates her own journey in the book. I’ll definitely be interested in seeing what the author comes up with next and expecting another fun, creative journey.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
April 26, 2021
This is a really lovely Middle-Grade Fantasy! It retells the story of Sleeping Beauty - except differently: Sleeping Beauty's prince has come, but the Thornwood around her castle has not disappeared and is instead growing like crazy, trying to kill everyone inside.
The protagonist is Sleeping Beauty's messy-haired little sister trying to figure out what's going on, who's who, how to defeat the fairies who've trapped them, and how to truly break the curse. It's full of twists and turns, has great pacing and a lot of action (not a boring minute) and several funny scenes. The characterization is a tiny bit heavy-handed for adult readers, but just right for young readers I think, so I can't complain.
If you're looking for a book for a child or young teenager: they'll love this one (and you might, too)!
The protagonist is Sleeping Beauty's messy-haired little sister trying to figure out what's going on, who's who, how to defeat the fairies who've trapped them, and how to truly break the curse. It's full of twists and turns, has great pacing and a lot of action (not a boring minute) and several funny scenes. The characterization is a tiny bit heavy-handed for adult readers, but just right for young readers I think, so I can't complain.
If you're looking for a book for a child or young teenager: they'll love this one (and you might, too)!
January 30, 2022
I thought this was a really interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Sleeping Beauty doesn't have a sister in the original tale, so being in Bryony's perspective let us see the curse unfold like we have heard before, but brought new conflicts and characters into the story. I was pleasantly surprised at how tense and sinister the magic and fairies get in this book. The cover gives it more of a whimsical fantasy look, and though it is still firmly middle grade, there are some scenes that are really creepy and dark. I found this book very compelling to read because the author had a tendency to end chapters on cliffhangers or surprises that made me want to read huge chunks in a sitting.
April 1, 2022
I read this as it is currently a finalist for the Norton Award. I checked it out from my local library.
Thornwood is an innovative retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the famed princess's bratty little sister. The basic set-up remains the same: a fairy curse on the princess, the spindle, the awakening with a kiss from a prince, the fortress of thorns around the castle where everyone has slumbered. From there, though, everything is topsy-turvy. The residents of the castle wake up--but the curse isn't gone. The thorny vines are not only still outside, but trying to invade the castle. The prince may not be a prince. The fairy mischief may go far beyond a curse on one teenage girl. And it's up for one intrepid little sister to figure out how very wrong everything is and make it right again.
This is a cute, fast read. I would have unabashedly adored the book as a kid. I really like how consideration is--finally--given to the other people in the castle who are collateral damage to the curse. The ending strained my belief a bit, but my child-self wouldn't have been as critical.
Thornwood is an innovative retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the famed princess's bratty little sister. The basic set-up remains the same: a fairy curse on the princess, the spindle, the awakening with a kiss from a prince, the fortress of thorns around the castle where everyone has slumbered. From there, though, everything is topsy-turvy. The residents of the castle wake up--but the curse isn't gone. The thorny vines are not only still outside, but trying to invade the castle. The prince may not be a prince. The fairy mischief may go far beyond a curse on one teenage girl. And it's up for one intrepid little sister to figure out how very wrong everything is and make it right again.
This is a cute, fast read. I would have unabashedly adored the book as a kid. I really like how consideration is--finally--given to the other people in the castle who are collateral damage to the curse. The ending strained my belief a bit, but my child-self wouldn't have been as critical.
April 5, 2021
Actual rating 3.5
This was a fun reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. I really did love that our main character is the younger sister whom nobody is really concerned with, and never shows up in the stories. I loved that she knew something was wrong after they awoke from the spell. And it was up to her to figure it out.
However, I felt that there were parts of the story that dragged. I really felt that the characters had multiple times to figure things out but were being obviously obtuse. Also, the reveal came way too close to the end of the book so it didn't feel like we got enough resolution. Instead, we got a quickly thrown-together epilogue.
I loved the concept (the sister relationship was A+) and I definitely want to read more in this series, since it appears that this is the first book in a Sisters Ever After series.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. I really did love that our main character is the younger sister whom nobody is really concerned with, and never shows up in the stories. I loved that she knew something was wrong after they awoke from the spell. And it was up to her to figure it out.
However, I felt that there were parts of the story that dragged. I really felt that the characters had multiple times to figure things out but were being obviously obtuse. Also, the reveal came way too close to the end of the book so it didn't feel like we got enough resolution. Instead, we got a quickly thrown-together epilogue.
I loved the concept (the sister relationship was A+) and I definitely want to read more in this series, since it appears that this is the first book in a Sisters Ever After series.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2022
I had so much fun with this as my first pick of Middle Grade Magic. I love Briony in her flaws and in her strengths. A different version of the Sleeping Beauty where she has a younger sister who suspects the prince who has come to kiss her after a hundred years and where the Fairy Godmother has stolen a spinning wheel from another fairytale, who needed a new name. I love the magic, the world, the characters and I am excited to read more Leah Cypress, especially from this series.
September 23, 2025
I don't usually like the way siblings are portrayed in children's books, and this was no exception. Why must siblings annoy and criticize each other? Besides that, the plot was cute and would probably interest an 8-12-year-old.
Read
April 5, 2021“The fairy tales don’t mention me. They wouldn’t. The stories you’ve heard are all about my sister, Sleeping Beauty…. So I’m going to tell you what really happened.”
Eleven-year-old Briony has never been the princess people noticed. That would be her older sister Rosalin, the princess who’s been cursed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday, sending the whole castle to sleep for one hundred years. No one can stop the evil magic, but when Rosalin is kissed by a prince and the castle wakes up, Briony believes the curse has been broken…until she looks outside. It turns out that the curse didn’t fully break, and now the murderous Thornwood is threatening to overtake the castle. With time running out, it’s up to Briony to figure out what’s really going on to save her friends and family if they ever want to see the sun again.
In her middle-grade debut, Leah Cypess weaves a tale of sisterhood, friendship, and courage that is not to be missed. I always love fairy-tale retellings, and this was no exception. With brilliant characters and a setting that practically comes alive on the page, I found that I couldn’t put it down for even a moment. Briony is a fantastic heroine: persistent, brave, and clever; yet also jealous, scared, and sometimes a little too trusting. Her voice is wonderful, and I enjoyed spending the story in her head. Although the bond between the sisters is admirable, my favorite element of Thornwood is the friendship that forms between Briony and Edwin. Fans of magical middle-grade adventures and twisted fairy-tales will delight in this sensational story.
Content Warnings: Blood, self-harm, amnesia, mentions of death, some minor violence, some intense action scenes
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
Eleven-year-old Briony has never been the princess people noticed. That would be her older sister Rosalin, the princess who’s been cursed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday, sending the whole castle to sleep for one hundred years. No one can stop the evil magic, but when Rosalin is kissed by a prince and the castle wakes up, Briony believes the curse has been broken…until she looks outside. It turns out that the curse didn’t fully break, and now the murderous Thornwood is threatening to overtake the castle. With time running out, it’s up to Briony to figure out what’s really going on to save her friends and family if they ever want to see the sun again.
In her middle-grade debut, Leah Cypess weaves a tale of sisterhood, friendship, and courage that is not to be missed. I always love fairy-tale retellings, and this was no exception. With brilliant characters and a setting that practically comes alive on the page, I found that I couldn’t put it down for even a moment. Briony is a fantastic heroine: persistent, brave, and clever; yet also jealous, scared, and sometimes a little too trusting. Her voice is wonderful, and I enjoyed spending the story in her head. Although the bond between the sisters is admirable, my favorite element of Thornwood is the friendship that forms between Briony and Edwin. Fans of magical middle-grade adventures and twisted fairy-tales will delight in this sensational story.
Content Warnings: Blood, self-harm, amnesia, mentions of death, some minor violence, some intense action scenes
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pinereadsreview and check out our website at www.pinereadsreview.com for reviews, author interviews, blogs, podcast episodes, and more!
December 16, 2020
Thornwood is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty Fairytale from the point of view of the younger sister. It is a very average book. I gave it three stars. The older sister is supposed to 16, which is not delt with at all as still being very young, and any attempt to give the younger sister agency is undermined by the treatment of the older one. She is also rather unbearable. Everyone reads a bit flat, and the ending feels rushed. The epilogue is stuck on and feels really, really rushed. It is hard to comment more without spoilers but there would be a lot more adjustment in reality. The main character is spunky and there is adventure and fairies so there will be middle schoolers who enjoy this book but I personally would not recommend it with so many other better fairytale retellings out there.
September 20, 2024
I know it's not atypical, but the bickering and sniping at each other the sisters do was really disappointing. They never seemed to address the underlying issues they had with each other or attempt to fix the problem.
The prince who rescues sleeping beauty is actually the fairy queen?? So there was no large amount of hints that he wasn't above board but it was annoying how oblivious the characters were to the major red flags. But honestly I just couldn't get past the fact some ancient? (fairy queen is at least an adult but I'd say probably much older than a standard human adult) old lady disguised herself and has been kissing and carrying on with a teen. Eww.
Overall the writing was nice and the storyline was overall engaging. But the characters were pretty lackluster and I had a hard time feeling anything positive about the lot of them.
NFK:GC
The prince who rescues sleeping beauty is actually the fairy queen?? So there was no large amount of hints that he wasn't above board but it was annoying how oblivious the characters were to the major red flags. But honestly I just couldn't get past the fact some ancient? (fairy queen is at least an adult but I'd say probably much older than a standard human adult) old lady disguised herself and has been kissing and carrying on with a teen. Eww.
Overall the writing was nice and the storyline was overall engaging. But the characters were pretty lackluster and I had a hard time feeling anything positive about the lot of them.
NFK:GC
July 23, 2022
Read to Isabel: My daughter enjoyed this book (she’s 7) because she loves fairy tales and brave female protagonists. It definitely has that but really this book is pure plot. I really like alternative takes on fairy tales but this one was SO loosely based on Sleeping Beauty that it felt flimsy. Also because none of the characters had much depth it was hard to care as the plot moved forward. I also felt like the ideas in the epilogue should have been like the second half of the book or at least a third of it. Rushed what felt truly unique or of much consequence.
February 25, 2025
I really wanted to like this book, but there were a couple of things I couldn't get past at all. The biggest thing was that the old evil fairy queen disguised herself as the prince to wake sleeping beauty. For most of the book, I thought he's a prince, so when he's schmoozing sleeping beauty, it's not a huge deal. Then I found out he's actually the fairy queen that cursed her, and I kind of threw up in my mouth. It would have been a good twist if their relationship had been platonic. As it is, that spoiled the whole book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2021
I loved this fun, exciting, fairy-tale retelling focused on Sleeping Beauty's younger sister. It's full of adventure, dangerous thorns, dubious princes, fairy magic, resourceful girls, and a wonderfully complicated and real pair of sisters.
January 13, 2023
I loved this sleeping beauty retelling. It was told in a different way but in a way that it didn’t take away from the story. Another detail was I got surprised by the ending. A kids story actually stumped me. I’m sure most people see it clearly but I didn’t. Honestly as I’m writing this review I will have already started the second book which is a Cinderella retelling.
May 21, 2021
4.5 stars
I love how unexpected this story was! Plus great characters, excellent dialogue, and some serious elements dealt with in really thoughtful ways, especially considering how short the book is.
CW: References to: bullying, thoughts of suicide/self-sacrifice
I love how unexpected this story was! Plus great characters, excellent dialogue, and some serious elements dealt with in really thoughtful ways, especially considering how short the book is.
CW: References to: bullying, thoughts of suicide/self-sacrifice
library-priority
February 4, 2025or maybe just go to book two, as that's more appealing...
May 27, 2024
A good fantasy with a huge plot twist.
May 11, 2022
Interesting and has a good pace but the characters were mediocre and there’s no way the protagonist was 11 she read at least 15
March 17, 2022
Cover is misleading, these sisters do NOT like each other or get along!!!
This book had a lot of promise and the cover of the sisters holding hands had me hoping for a book that encouraged family support. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Throughout the entire book the sisters call each other stupid, idiot, useless, selfish, etc. it is even mentioned that they don't like each other. The parents are pretty much non-existent and when they are apart of the story they are useless. Even at the very end after the climax is resolute and you think the sisters have come to understand each other and show love - they do not! In fact after it's all over (3 pages left in the book) the younger sister goes to comfort sleeping beauty (big sister) and beauty says "oh, be quiet!...you don't know the first thing about it. You're just a child." Little sister says- "I had been raising my arms to hug her. I let them drop. 'just a child? Then why was I the one who-'"
Anyway, so disappointed that there was no character growth in love and understanding. The plot was interesting but it ended too quick like another reviewer said without much resolution. Not worth it.
This book had a lot of promise and the cover of the sisters holding hands had me hoping for a book that encouraged family support. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Throughout the entire book the sisters call each other stupid, idiot, useless, selfish, etc. it is even mentioned that they don't like each other. The parents are pretty much non-existent and when they are apart of the story they are useless. Even at the very end after the climax is resolute and you think the sisters have come to understand each other and show love - they do not! In fact after it's all over (3 pages left in the book) the younger sister goes to comfort sleeping beauty (big sister) and beauty says "oh, be quiet!...you don't know the first thing about it. You're just a child." Little sister says- "I had been raising my arms to hug her. I let them drop. 'just a child? Then why was I the one who-'"
Anyway, so disappointed that there was no character growth in love and understanding. The plot was interesting but it ended too quick like another reviewer said without much resolution. Not worth it.
March 12, 2025
“Thornwood” is technically the first book in the “Sisters Ever After” series but the second one I read, as I just had to read the “Beauty and the Beast” one first 😅
Cypess’ creative take on “Sleeping Beauty” was well done! I liked the way she twisted the sleeping curse and how she modernized the ending. This is a great book for pre-teen readers who love a good fairy tale, or readers like me who enjoy twisted fairy tales and need to read a short book every now and again!
I plan to read all the “Sisters Ever After” books, so it’s onto Cinderella’s third “evil” stepsister in “Glass Slippers” next! 3⭐️
Cypess’ creative take on “Sleeping Beauty” was well done! I liked the way she twisted the sleeping curse and how she modernized the ending. This is a great book for pre-teen readers who love a good fairy tale, or readers like me who enjoy twisted fairy tales and need to read a short book every now and again!
I plan to read all the “Sisters Ever After” books, so it’s onto Cinderella’s third “evil” stepsister in “Glass Slippers” next! 3⭐️
December 19, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC of this book. It comes out April 2021.
I thought this was such a great retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale. I love the twist that the story is from the sister's preceptive. Briony is the younger sister that everyone forgets about. All everyone cares about is her older sister Rosalin. The one who is cursed. On the eve of Rosalin's sixteenth birthday she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel she and anyone else in the castle will sleep for 100 years. When Briony wakes up she feels that something is a miss. When everyone else wakes and the prince is in the castle they must find a way to fight the Thronwood outside the castle and try to defeat the Fairy Queen. I loved how the story went and the ending of it.
I thought this was such a great retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale. I love the twist that the story is from the sister's preceptive. Briony is the younger sister that everyone forgets about. All everyone cares about is her older sister Rosalin. The one who is cursed. On the eve of Rosalin's sixteenth birthday she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel she and anyone else in the castle will sleep for 100 years. When Briony wakes up she feels that something is a miss. When everyone else wakes and the prince is in the castle they must find a way to fight the Thronwood outside the castle and try to defeat the Fairy Queen. I loved how the story went and the ending of it.
December 4, 2024
3.5/5 but giving Thornwood a 4 star review because it's the first in the series and I feel like it has a lot of potential for readers to enjoy.
Charming retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Twists and turns about what happened after the 100 year sleeping curse was lifted. Our main characters are the two princesses, Rosalin and Briony. Briony is invisible to everyone as the entire kingdom deals with her sister's curse. It's told both in the past for a few passages and mostly in the future when the castle wakes up.
But when they all awaken from the spell, thorns are everywhere in the castle. Growing dangerously and out for blood. How can they escape? Does prince charming help or hinder Briony's plan to find an escape and what friends do they make along the way? It's a fun read for middle school level and I enjoyed the two fairies mentioned in this book. You can't help but wonder what their overall goal is with these humans. Both with the evil fairy queen and the fairy godmother.
The downside is how some chapters dragged. They could have solved the mystery sooner I felt. King/Queen are kind of useless in this and are only there for a few seconds. The story is mainly focused around the teens trying to figure out what's happening to themselves. I do like the character of Briony but felt even by the end of this book, her well deserved ending never truly came. But her relationship to her sister reminded me of my friends sibling relationship which is so true. They bickered a lot and made jabs at each other constantly. And the big reveal came too late at the end and not enough time to say much after they freed themselves from the thrones. Despite that, I wanted to keep reading till the end cause I craved more.
I think you'll enjoy this one, even if it ain't an award winning novel. It's fun and that's what counts!
Charming retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Twists and turns about what happened after the 100 year sleeping curse was lifted. Our main characters are the two princesses, Rosalin and Briony. Briony is invisible to everyone as the entire kingdom deals with her sister's curse. It's told both in the past for a few passages and mostly in the future when the castle wakes up.
But when they all awaken from the spell, thorns are everywhere in the castle. Growing dangerously and out for blood. How can they escape? Does prince charming help or hinder Briony's plan to find an escape and what friends do they make along the way? It's a fun read for middle school level and I enjoyed the two fairies mentioned in this book. You can't help but wonder what their overall goal is with these humans. Both with the evil fairy queen and the fairy godmother.
The downside is how some chapters dragged. They could have solved the mystery sooner I felt. King/Queen are kind of useless in this and are only there for a few seconds. The story is mainly focused around the teens trying to figure out what's happening to themselves. I do like the character of Briony but felt even by the end of this book, her well deserved ending never truly came. But her relationship to her sister reminded me of my friends sibling relationship which is so true. They bickered a lot and made jabs at each other constantly. And the big reveal came too late at the end and not enough time to say much after they freed themselves from the thrones. Despite that, I wanted to keep reading till the end cause I craved more.
I think you'll enjoy this one, even if it ain't an award winning novel. It's fun and that's what counts!
September 24, 2021
**Actually a 4.5-4.75-rating**
This feels a little unfair, but I picked this off my sub-sub-TBR [like, I have a main TBR that always fluctuates and changes, then I have lists-in my head and written in notebooks of secret TBRs] and took a chance to clear my fragile mind of some monotony in Romances.
I realized with some of my last couple of CR reads, I was spiraling into a hole, of sorts, Afraid I would either stop reading and switch to another activity. Or DNF-ing until my heart was full because of agitation and frustration. Or maybe take some chances on out-of-the-ordinary genres I have been meaning to suppliant my reading life with.
And this was exactly what I needed. Straight forward and clearly making a god-damn point. Not just in storyline but something in a YA/Middle Grade realm Fairy tale mired deep with morality.
This was quite a twist on the old Sleeping Beauty angle [also incorporates a bit of some outlier tales, too]. But what I enjoyed most of all was simple coherency in the idea there is a STORY here that is important. We have a modicum of characters who also have an end game or a final goal...and no matter how many obstacles need overcoming, we reach that HEA.
Sleeping Beauty is forever sealed in happily ever after, but WHAT IF...? WHAT IF we change one thing? And then what if the thing we added sets a change of events that still manage to end happily, so the fairy tale book endings show no shift change at all?
This feels like such a huge task to take the wheel of. For some reason, I was confident in this Author because I could sense in the writing... a purpose... a sweetness and a heart.
I think I like a few anecdotal thoughts of :: WHAT IF... JESUS had a sibling? A lesser known sibling-like an older or younger brother? And how do they deal with the rise, and eventual, fall of their popular brother? THAT kind of philosophizing allows for a myriad of rabbit holes to explore down I would love to take.
Put a spin on fairy tales we know and love since childhood? I am so there with bells and whistles on.
It happens here with such subtlety and charm, a few steps in a certain wittiness, too...and this carries a believability that cannot be fought against.
What I loved most was a simplicity in the complexities. Or maybe even a childlike wonder among the very Adult suffering and carnage felt in stories or books that have this fantastical or mythological element, to make sure YOU KNOW this is fictional.
Sleeping for a 100yrs? Oh, my word...can you imagine?!?
It breaks the mold, if you will, of doing a retelling with a twist because most writers want to work off the original text and not steer elsewhere off the path. Somewhat fearful that too much change can break your overall intentions.
For me, that never happens here. There are twists and turns within small twists and turns to ultimately get us to an HEA...but within the story is something I was not expecting to find.
I mentioned it earlier...morality. A conscious. Being self-aware inside something already outrageous and implausible but offering a dose of...hardcore reality.
We always want the Disney version, don't we? Good people are better. Bad people or Villains are just-shy of good-enough, but never pure evil. There's stuff there to go... "ooo...s/he is bad..." but then their hefty plot to take over The World [or where ever] gets foiled, and they lose or disappear or erased in a cleanly manner.
What is so fascinating here is... good is not necessarily GOOD...even when you have known them all of your life.
When Briony is fully pursuing a way in which to save her sister [Rosalyn, who IS Sleeping Beauty] and has to confront a Fairy Godmother who has saved Rosalyn from death but also imprisoned her, quite selfishly...to get down to the TRUTH... Briony learns what true evil really is....
Learning that someone who has been part of your family and upbringing since birth has their own set agenda. Especially since this woman is, to her bone...of the Fae/Fairy species...and she had an END RESULT for her own game play all along. It included using and abusing her closeness to Rosalyn, but Briony, as well.
It's funny how Briony can never SEE or FEEL like she matters, much or at all, in the scheme of things. She is not of any importance of the story to her way of thinking.
I almost felt this became or was about to become something of what "Frozen" was...that Princesses in fairy tales don't NEED Prince Charming in order to be saved. Maybe the deepest of loves--like a "sister's" unconditional/undying love saves her. Maybe the lifelong soulmate they always talk about is not the man she marries...but the deeper, consistent love of family...a close sister.
Or maybe...the Princess saves herself because the Prince is too focused elsewhere doing manly MAN-things... showing off and caught up in the aesthetic of Knight in Shining Armor when he should've simply either known something was amiss or maybe allowed his gut and instinct to lead him toward this woman he supposedly loves and may eventually marry. The Drew Barrymore version of Cinderella "Ever After" comes to mind as my new flavor of how I wish more fairy tales would portray ALL female leads in stories of this nature.
What is even more wonderful about this book is how it's okay to be hidden and kept secret... in the background. Unseen, but still be proud of what role you played in saving your sister's life.
Briony is one of those unsung heroines who deserves accolades and such huge respect for understanding and having an ability to not feel like she needs to be above, well-known and well-loved like Sleeping Beauty. She is all right with knowing what she did, what role she played and that ROsalyn is alive and well, and will one day have a real happily ever after.
There is never an ounce of jealousy and...anger, though she wishes FOR ONCE that everyone else who lives in the castle, including her own Parents, would just... CHILL and deep breath.
This book did not take itself too seriously, but then...it had such depth and thoughtfulness to making those who turn invisible aren't that willing to come out of the dark...when they know what they have done to make sure life is back to running smoothly.
And thankfully, Rosalyn remains a sister to Briony to the end, never becoming boastful [except when she was able to have her HEA] and to know what is genuinely important.
You can have all the Princes in the world fall at your feet, wishing to marry the most beautiful jewel in the realm... but having a sister like Briony who has your back and is your RIDE OR DIE...THAT is the happiest of all endings, in truth.
This feels a little unfair, but I picked this off my sub-sub-TBR [like, I have a main TBR that always fluctuates and changes, then I have lists-in my head and written in notebooks of secret TBRs] and took a chance to clear my fragile mind of some monotony in Romances.
I realized with some of my last couple of CR reads, I was spiraling into a hole, of sorts, Afraid I would either stop reading and switch to another activity. Or DNF-ing until my heart was full because of agitation and frustration. Or maybe take some chances on out-of-the-ordinary genres I have been meaning to suppliant my reading life with.
And this was exactly what I needed. Straight forward and clearly making a god-damn point. Not just in storyline but something in a YA/Middle Grade realm Fairy tale mired deep with morality.
This was quite a twist on the old Sleeping Beauty angle [also incorporates a bit of some outlier tales, too]. But what I enjoyed most of all was simple coherency in the idea there is a STORY here that is important. We have a modicum of characters who also have an end game or a final goal...and no matter how many obstacles need overcoming, we reach that HEA.
Sleeping Beauty is forever sealed in happily ever after, but WHAT IF...? WHAT IF we change one thing? And then what if the thing we added sets a change of events that still manage to end happily, so the fairy tale book endings show no shift change at all?
This feels like such a huge task to take the wheel of. For some reason, I was confident in this Author because I could sense in the writing... a purpose... a sweetness and a heart.
I think I like a few anecdotal thoughts of :: WHAT IF... JESUS had a sibling? A lesser known sibling-like an older or younger brother? And how do they deal with the rise, and eventual, fall of their popular brother? THAT kind of philosophizing allows for a myriad of rabbit holes to explore down I would love to take.
Put a spin on fairy tales we know and love since childhood? I am so there with bells and whistles on.
It happens here with such subtlety and charm, a few steps in a certain wittiness, too...and this carries a believability that cannot be fought against.
What I loved most was a simplicity in the complexities. Or maybe even a childlike wonder among the very Adult suffering and carnage felt in stories or books that have this fantastical or mythological element, to make sure YOU KNOW this is fictional.
Sleeping for a 100yrs? Oh, my word...can you imagine?!?
It breaks the mold, if you will, of doing a retelling with a twist because most writers want to work off the original text and not steer elsewhere off the path. Somewhat fearful that too much change can break your overall intentions.
For me, that never happens here. There are twists and turns within small twists and turns to ultimately get us to an HEA...but within the story is something I was not expecting to find.
I mentioned it earlier...morality. A conscious. Being self-aware inside something already outrageous and implausible but offering a dose of...hardcore reality.
We always want the Disney version, don't we? Good people are better. Bad people or Villains are just-shy of good-enough, but never pure evil. There's stuff there to go... "ooo...s/he is bad..." but then their hefty plot to take over The World [or where ever] gets foiled, and they lose or disappear or erased in a cleanly manner.
What is so fascinating here is... good is not necessarily GOOD...even when you have known them all of your life.
When Briony is fully pursuing a way in which to save her sister [Rosalyn, who IS Sleeping Beauty] and has to confront a Fairy Godmother who has saved Rosalyn from death but also imprisoned her, quite selfishly...to get down to the TRUTH... Briony learns what true evil really is....
Learning that someone who has been part of your family and upbringing since birth has their own set agenda. Especially since this woman is, to her bone...of the Fae/Fairy species...and she had an END RESULT for her own game play all along. It included using and abusing her closeness to Rosalyn, but Briony, as well.
It's funny how Briony can never SEE or FEEL like she matters, much or at all, in the scheme of things. She is not of any importance of the story to her way of thinking.
I almost felt this became or was about to become something of what "Frozen" was...that Princesses in fairy tales don't NEED Prince Charming in order to be saved. Maybe the deepest of loves--like a "sister's" unconditional/undying love saves her. Maybe the lifelong soulmate they always talk about is not the man she marries...but the deeper, consistent love of family...a close sister.
Or maybe...the Princess saves herself because the Prince is too focused elsewhere doing manly MAN-things... showing off and caught up in the aesthetic of Knight in Shining Armor when he should've simply either known something was amiss or maybe allowed his gut and instinct to lead him toward this woman he supposedly loves and may eventually marry. The Drew Barrymore version of Cinderella "Ever After" comes to mind as my new flavor of how I wish more fairy tales would portray ALL female leads in stories of this nature.
What is even more wonderful about this book is how it's okay to be hidden and kept secret... in the background. Unseen, but still be proud of what role you played in saving your sister's life.
Briony is one of those unsung heroines who deserves accolades and such huge respect for understanding and having an ability to not feel like she needs to be above, well-known and well-loved like Sleeping Beauty. She is all right with knowing what she did, what role she played and that ROsalyn is alive and well, and will one day have a real happily ever after.
There is never an ounce of jealousy and...anger, though she wishes FOR ONCE that everyone else who lives in the castle, including her own Parents, would just... CHILL and deep breath.
This book did not take itself too seriously, but then...it had such depth and thoughtfulness to making those who turn invisible aren't that willing to come out of the dark...when they know what they have done to make sure life is back to running smoothly.
And thankfully, Rosalyn remains a sister to Briony to the end, never becoming boastful [except when she was able to have her HEA] and to know what is genuinely important.
You can have all the Princes in the world fall at your feet, wishing to marry the most beautiful jewel in the realm... but having a sister like Briony who has your back and is your RIDE OR DIE...THAT is the happiest of all endings, in truth.
September 20, 2021
When Rosalin (also known as Sleeping Beauty) awakens from her lengthy sleep, the world has marched on and is nothing like what it was before she fell asleep. There's a prince by her bedside, and she hopes that everything will get back to normal. But there's something off about Prince Varian, something that Rosalin's younger sister Briony is quick to see. And oddly enough, even though the princess has now awakened, the thorny branches that have surrounded the castle and the kingdom's acreage have not disappeared. In fact, they seem to be increasing in size and threatening the lives of its inhabitants. How can this be since the curse on Sleeping Beauty was supposed to end with that kiss? Briony is used to being ignored as others fawn over her sister and as her sister belittles her and her looks and fashion choices, but in this version of the classic fairy tale, she finally gets her chance to shine. While Rosalin is all caught up in the bliss of love, Briony remains level-headed and sorts things out, finally getting to the root of the curse and how to dispel it. The author's fondness for this overlooked girl, a character who doesn't appear in the original story, and her new friend Edwin, a commoner, shows in every line. She's drawn with a sympathetic pen and a distinct voice, and her story will give every reader who has been overlooked in favor of a flashier friend or sibling hope that there might be a happily ever after in their lives as well. While this is the author's first venture into middle grade writing territory, I hope it won't be her last.
April 9, 2022
"Thornwood" is one of this year's nominees for the Andre Norton Nebula Award. It's a lovely retelling of Sleeping Beauty, as narrated by Sleeping Beauty's younger sister, Briony. I found it charming and sweet, funny and clever. Although marketed to middle-graders, I think it could be enjoyed by anyone open to a fairytale retold by a highly likable young heroine with challenging hair. Briony is wonderful. I also liked the portrayal of her sometimes fraught relationship with her beautiful sister. And I was very fond of Edwin, one of the supporting cast (no, not the prince).
I note that there are moments of peril and
4 out of 5 well-spun stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
I note that there are moments of peril and
4 out of 5 well-spun stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
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