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At Midnight: 15 Beloved Fairy Tales Reimagined
Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh tales with unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of acclaimed YA writers to breathe new life into a storied tradition.
Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:
Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin”
Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale”
H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White”
Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood”
Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl”
Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel”
Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots”
Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude”
Alex London, “Cinderella”
Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker”
Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom”
Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty”
Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid”
Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird”
and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert
Once upon a time . . .
Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:
Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin”
Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale”
H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White”
Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood”
Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl”
Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel”
Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots”
Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude”
Alex London, “Cinderella”
Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker”
Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom”
Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty”
Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid”
Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird”
and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert
Once upon a time . . .
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2022
76 people are currently reading
6040 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Adler
21 books2,810 followersDahlia Adler is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, editor of five young adult anthologies, and founder of the website LGBTQReads. As a book blogger, her byline has appeared on Buzzfeed, B&N Reads, Reactor, Parents.com, and more. She enjoys ’90s rock, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, finding great cover songs, crying at commercials, and extremely short walks on the beach. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
Want to read
January 21, 2022What if I told you Hafsah Faizal's story is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling about a heist with a hijabi MC
Because I'm screaming rn
Because I'm screaming rn
Want to read
January 31, 2022I will read this but I am unsure as to why the toxic Russo is mixed in with all these other (to my current knowledge) non-toxic authors
March 21, 2023
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
TW: Parental abuse/neglect, alcohol, homophobia, cannibalism, transphobia and arson/fire.
At Midnight is a collection of 15 short fairytale retellings reimagined. I really enjoyed reading one before bed every other night and found the book entertaining and intriguing. Some of the stories I wasn't as keen on as others, and I would check the trigger warnings before reading this book. My favourites were; Fire Rhinestone which was a retelling of the Little Matchstick Girl, Mother's Mirror which was a retelling of snow white, Sharp as any thorn (sleeping beauty), Once Bitten Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood) and The Emperor and the Eversong (The Nightingale). If you're a fan of retellings like me I highly recommend giving this a read!
TW: Parental abuse/neglect, alcohol, homophobia, cannibalism, transphobia and arson/fire.
At Midnight is a collection of 15 short fairytale retellings reimagined. I really enjoyed reading one before bed every other night and found the book entertaining and intriguing. Some of the stories I wasn't as keen on as others, and I would check the trigger warnings before reading this book. My favourites were; Fire Rhinestone which was a retelling of the Little Matchstick Girl, Mother's Mirror which was a retelling of snow white, Sharp as any thorn (sleeping beauty), Once Bitten Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood) and The Emperor and the Eversong (The Nightingale). If you're a fan of retellings like me I highly recommend giving this a read!
February 25, 2023
Pretty good anthology! I didn't read the original tales because I didn't want to, but it's neat that they're included in the back!
- Sugarplum (The Nutcracker): 2/5. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Not literally, but still. While I like the way that this played with narration (it's told in second-person present-tense and sort of in a list format, if that makes sense?) I was expecting the Anna-Marie McLemore story to be a fantastical (modern-day setting or not) take on the story of the Nutcracker, not a story about a girl who doesn't want to dance at her dad's boss's party and ends up reading The Nutcracker with her dad's boss's daughter. An extra star for the unique formatting but man...my dream idea of "Anna-Marie McLemore writing The Nutcracker" was nothing like this.
- In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher's Birds): 3/5. Good but nothing spectacular. A fairytale I was unfamiliar with, but a decidedly more dark and grim one.
- Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin): 4/5. I like it when girls are both gay and deranged. I did NOT see the ending to this one coming but I am so glad that we're in a timeline where
- Fire & Rhinestone (The Little Matchstick Girl): 4/5. I loved the historical setting and Firefly and her grandmother. It has a very different ending from The Little Matchstick Girl so if you're like a huge fan of that story then you maybe won't like this one? but it's very good.
- Mother's Mirror (Snow White): 5/5. AHHH THIS WAS AMAZING!!! SO GOOD OMG I have nothing else to add just that this was phenomenal.
- Sharp As Any Thorn (Sleeping Beauty): 5/5. Rory Power's writing is always beautiful. Loved the twist on the Sleeping Beauty Curse.
- Coyote in High-Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots): 5/5. I loved the narration and the framing in this one! The friendship between Nadia and Roberto was so cute <3
- The Sister Switch (Original Tale): 4/5. This was pretty good. I would've liked it more without the framing device, or if Albert has included a short story-length take on it in the back with the rest of the tales since the magic of the story was kind of tainted by the cynical narrator. The ending was good though.
- Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood): 5/5. A super unique and fun take on Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a heist! What more could you want?
- A Flame So Bright (Frau Trude): 3/5. Frau Trude is a tale I'm not too familiar with but I liked this one. The sapphic yearning was good but I just don't care much for stories set in this time period.
- The Emperor and the Eversong (The Nightingale): 5/5. LOVED the writing in this one, as well as the twist!
- HEA (Cinderella): 4/5. SONDHEIM REFERENCE SONDHEIM REFERENCE LET'S GOOOO although I think Gypsy is an apter comparison here than Into the Woods, Cinderella retelling nonwithstanding. This was fun, but also it sort of missed the point of Cinderella? But also I think that Asher being a rich kid with a decent to good family life who skips the ball to meet his prince was the point so I can't be too mad. An interesting take on the original.
- The Littlest Mermaid (The Little Mermaid): 4/5. Loved the writing style and the twist on the original (a human becomes the mermaid in this one) plus the way that the humans (called "termaids") are described by the mermaid MC was an interesting change of pace from usual mermaid stories.
- Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel): 4/5. Intense Sweeney Todd-esque take on the original tale with a brutal ending.
- A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom): 2/5. Loved the idea of this one but the framing device killed it for me.
- Sugarplum (The Nutcracker): 2/5. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Not literally, but still. While I like the way that this played with narration (it's told in second-person present-tense and sort of in a list format, if that makes sense?) I was expecting the Anna-Marie McLemore story to be a fantastical (modern-day setting or not) take on the story of the Nutcracker, not a story about a girl who doesn't want to dance at her dad's boss's party and ends up reading The Nutcracker with her dad's boss's daughter. An extra star for the unique formatting but man...my dream idea of "Anna-Marie McLemore writing The Nutcracker" was nothing like this.
- In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher's Birds): 3/5. Good but nothing spectacular. A fairytale I was unfamiliar with, but a decidedly more dark and grim one.
- Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin): 4/5. I like it when girls are both gay and deranged. I did NOT see the ending to this one coming but I am so glad that we're in a timeline where
- Fire & Rhinestone (The Little Matchstick Girl): 4/5. I loved the historical setting and Firefly and her grandmother. It has a very different ending from The Little Matchstick Girl so if you're like a huge fan of that story then you maybe won't like this one? but it's very good.
- Mother's Mirror (Snow White): 5/5. AHHH THIS WAS AMAZING!!! SO GOOD OMG I have nothing else to add just that this was phenomenal.
- Sharp As Any Thorn (Sleeping Beauty): 5/5. Rory Power's writing is always beautiful. Loved the twist on the Sleeping Beauty Curse.
- Coyote in High-Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots): 5/5. I loved the narration and the framing in this one! The friendship between Nadia and Roberto was so cute <3
- The Sister Switch (Original Tale): 4/5. This was pretty good. I would've liked it more without the framing device, or if Albert has included a short story-length take on it in the back with the rest of the tales since the magic of the story was kind of tainted by the cynical narrator. The ending was good though.
- Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood): 5/5. A super unique and fun take on Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a heist! What more could you want?
- A Flame So Bright (Frau Trude): 3/5. Frau Trude is a tale I'm not too familiar with but I liked this one. The sapphic yearning was good but I just don't care much for stories set in this time period.
- The Emperor and the Eversong (The Nightingale): 5/5. LOVED the writing in this one, as well as the twist!
- HEA (Cinderella): 4/5. SONDHEIM REFERENCE SONDHEIM REFERENCE LET'S GOOOO although I think Gypsy is an apter comparison here than Into the Woods, Cinderella retelling nonwithstanding. This was fun, but also it sort of missed the point of Cinderella? But also I think that Asher being a rich kid with a decent to good family life who skips the ball to meet his prince was the point so I can't be too mad. An interesting take on the original.
- The Littlest Mermaid (The Little Mermaid): 4/5. Loved the writing style and the twist on the original (a human becomes the mermaid in this one) plus the way that the humans (called "termaids") are described by the mermaid MC was an interesting change of pace from usual mermaid stories.
- Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel): 4/5. Intense Sweeney Todd-esque take on the original tale with a brutal ending.
- A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom): 2/5. Loved the idea of this one but the framing device killed it for me.
February 7, 2024
Really solid. 15 stories inspired by 15 fairy tales. Like with the Poe edition the original story (or a version of it) is at the back of this book. So I read the original and then the retelling.
The biggest downfall here is maybe the selection of which fairy tale original was published. There’s so many versions of these tales and to go back to THE Grimm one (for example) is harder than you think as the Grimm Brothers published many variations of the original stories themselves!
Highly recommend this one for anyone who loves a good fairy tale.
A few notes about each story:
Story #1 - Sugarplum Inspired by The Nutcracker
It has just rung New Year’s 2024 as I write this. It is perhaps ironic that the first story here is about the holiday I just got through.
As our leading gal feels stifled in her Christmas Eve event, so too do I feel (in general) about Christmas.
An excellent little ditty with many nods to the SugarPlum Fairy dance.
Story #2 - In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease Inspired by Fitcher’s Bird
I didn’t think I knew this story; but as I got into the original I realized I’ve certainly heard the tiger story before. I just didn’t know the name Fitcher.
The retelling is well-written; but I found the authors blurb more interesting and wished I could hear more of the real tiger that inspired her…
Story #3 - Say my Name by Dahlia Adler Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin
I often forget little there is to the original Rumplestiltskin story. I love the concept, character, & power being in a name.
I can’t help but roll my eyes at the Twilight reference in this retelling. Although, every minute since reading it the idea is growing on me. If power is in a name; then a name can also steal power away…clever
Story #4 - Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee Inspired by The Little Match Girl
Brilliant!!! I adore this one!
It’s smart, clever, and tells of a historical event giving a (fictional) backstory. It also shows the awful treatment of both women and people of colour from that day (and sadly today still).
This book is worth reading if this is the only amazing story; although I’m confident it won’t be.
Story # 5 - Mother’s Mirror by H. E. Edgmon Inspired by Little Snow-White
I LOVED this amazing version of Snow White that focuses on the ‘beauty’ of a trans man. The way this story shows the ‘ugliness’ that the lead character sees when their mother sees a different kind of ugliness is clever. A brilliantly written, accessible transgender story. This should be mandatory reading for everyone!
Story #6 - Sharp as any Thorn by Rory Power Inspired by Sleeping Beauty
While I liked this story, it’s a huge stretch to say it’s inspired by or based on Sleeping Beauty. The entire premise is skewed and makes no sense. The twist ending is great as a story; just not one related to Sleeping Beauty
Story # 7 - Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger Inspired by Puss in Boots
This story is adorable! I’ll confess I don’t really know original Puss in Boots, or even many retellings (besides Shrek’s version, lol) so I can’t say much about its relationship or the original included here. However, I can say that this story was adorable! I just don’t meet enough talking coyotes!
Story # 8 - The Sister Swap by Melissa Alberta; whole new fairy tale)
Interesting to include a non-retelling in a re-telling anthology. Not sure I get why this was done. Regardless the story was fine. Nothing mind blowing; but I did love the gothic masquerade setting!
Story #9 - Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faizal Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood
If it’s possible to fall in love with a character in only a handful of pages then certainly I just did!
I love this leading gal. She’s a Muslim who wears a hijab. This, of course, makes her even more visible and ‘obviously different’ than just being a POC. Great heist-style story. I’d love to read more!
Story #10 - A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo Inspired by Frau Trude
I’ve always loved a good evil wins tale. I’m sure that puts me in some scary bucket of concerning or crazy but I can’t help but often cheer for the ‘bad guy’.
The pacing and flow of this story is beautiful. It’s truly prose, if not poetry at times. I quite enjoyed this set of stories.
May the witch ever win. ;)
Story #11 - The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn Inspired by The Nightingale
Is there anything Deonn cannot make her own and retell better than the original?
Gosh just amazing!!
I can’t say anything else because it would give away too much. Just read this story!!
Story #12 - Hea by Alex London Inspired by Cinderella
I didn’t know I desperately needed Cinderella retold from a flamboyantly gay social media boys perspective! This is adorable and very clever. Kudos to London for keeping it both light and yet still shining a light on what it takes to be a ‘star’ and stay current in social media. I was exhausting just thinking about ‘creating content’.
Story #13 - The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo Inspired by The Little Mermaid
Not for the first time, I question if the version here is the ‘original’ tale from Hans Christian Andersen. It is not the same tale as from a book (the ‘original’ tale?) I had as a child.
Love the trans rep in this retelling! The rest is just okay. It’s a bit too lovey-dovey for me. Overall lacks plot.
Story #15 - Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim Inspired by Hansel and Gretel
This story is a wild ride!! I love it! Not just because it’s set in Canada during a blizzard (can’t help but love my own setting), but because it’s brutal, doesn’t apologize, plus kids are great. They kind of reminded me of the Winchester brothers. No nonsense, don’t screw with us attitude. Very clever interpretation.
Story #15 - A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos Inspired by The Robber Bridegroom
Well this story is okay. But next to the Hansel and Gretel one right before it fails to compare. They should have been swapped around.
I will however give Podos credit for her title being a clever play off a song Nirvana famously covered.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
The biggest downfall here is maybe the selection of which fairy tale original was published. There’s so many versions of these tales and to go back to THE Grimm one (for example) is harder than you think as the Grimm Brothers published many variations of the original stories themselves!
Highly recommend this one for anyone who loves a good fairy tale.
A few notes about each story:
Story #1 - Sugarplum Inspired by The Nutcracker
It has just rung New Year’s 2024 as I write this. It is perhaps ironic that the first story here is about the holiday I just got through.
As our leading gal feels stifled in her Christmas Eve event, so too do I feel (in general) about Christmas.
An excellent little ditty with many nods to the SugarPlum Fairy dance.
Story #2 - In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease Inspired by Fitcher’s Bird
I didn’t think I knew this story; but as I got into the original I realized I’ve certainly heard the tiger story before. I just didn’t know the name Fitcher.
The retelling is well-written; but I found the authors blurb more interesting and wished I could hear more of the real tiger that inspired her…
Story #3 - Say my Name by Dahlia Adler Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin
I often forget little there is to the original Rumplestiltskin story. I love the concept, character, & power being in a name.
I can’t help but roll my eyes at the Twilight reference in this retelling. Although, every minute since reading it the idea is growing on me. If power is in a name; then a name can also steal power away…clever
Story #4 - Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee Inspired by The Little Match Girl
Brilliant!!! I adore this one!
It’s smart, clever, and tells of a historical event giving a (fictional) backstory. It also shows the awful treatment of both women and people of colour from that day (and sadly today still).
This book is worth reading if this is the only amazing story; although I’m confident it won’t be.
Story # 5 - Mother’s Mirror by H. E. Edgmon Inspired by Little Snow-White
I LOVED this amazing version of Snow White that focuses on the ‘beauty’ of a trans man. The way this story shows the ‘ugliness’ that the lead character sees when their mother sees a different kind of ugliness is clever. A brilliantly written, accessible transgender story. This should be mandatory reading for everyone!
Story #6 - Sharp as any Thorn by Rory Power Inspired by Sleeping Beauty
While I liked this story, it’s a huge stretch to say it’s inspired by or based on Sleeping Beauty. The entire premise is skewed and makes no sense. The twist ending is great as a story; just not one related to Sleeping Beauty
Story # 7 - Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger Inspired by Puss in Boots
This story is adorable! I’ll confess I don’t really know original Puss in Boots, or even many retellings (besides Shrek’s version, lol) so I can’t say much about its relationship or the original included here. However, I can say that this story was adorable! I just don’t meet enough talking coyotes!
Story # 8 - The Sister Swap by Melissa Alberta; whole new fairy tale)
Interesting to include a non-retelling in a re-telling anthology. Not sure I get why this was done. Regardless the story was fine. Nothing mind blowing; but I did love the gothic masquerade setting!
Story #9 - Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faizal Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood
If it’s possible to fall in love with a character in only a handful of pages then certainly I just did!
I love this leading gal. She’s a Muslim who wears a hijab. This, of course, makes her even more visible and ‘obviously different’ than just being a POC. Great heist-style story. I’d love to read more!
Story #10 - A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo Inspired by Frau Trude
I’ve always loved a good evil wins tale. I’m sure that puts me in some scary bucket of concerning or crazy but I can’t help but often cheer for the ‘bad guy’.
The pacing and flow of this story is beautiful. It’s truly prose, if not poetry at times. I quite enjoyed this set of stories.
May the witch ever win. ;)
Story #11 - The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn Inspired by The Nightingale
Is there anything Deonn cannot make her own and retell better than the original?
Gosh just amazing!!
I can’t say anything else because it would give away too much. Just read this story!!
Story #12 - Hea by Alex London Inspired by Cinderella
I didn’t know I desperately needed Cinderella retold from a flamboyantly gay social media boys perspective! This is adorable and very clever. Kudos to London for keeping it both light and yet still shining a light on what it takes to be a ‘star’ and stay current in social media. I was exhausting just thinking about ‘creating content’.
Story #13 - The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo Inspired by The Little Mermaid
Not for the first time, I question if the version here is the ‘original’ tale from Hans Christian Andersen. It is not the same tale as from a book (the ‘original’ tale?) I had as a child.
Love the trans rep in this retelling! The rest is just okay. It’s a bit too lovey-dovey for me. Overall lacks plot.
Story #15 - Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim Inspired by Hansel and Gretel
This story is a wild ride!! I love it! Not just because it’s set in Canada during a blizzard (can’t help but love my own setting), but because it’s brutal, doesn’t apologize, plus kids are great. They kind of reminded me of the Winchester brothers. No nonsense, don’t screw with us attitude. Very clever interpretation.
Story #15 - A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos Inspired by The Robber Bridegroom
Well this story is okay. But next to the Hansel and Gretel one right before it fails to compare. They should have been swapped around.
I will however give Podos credit for her title being a clever play off a song Nirvana famously covered.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Read
October 31, 2022So excited to have ARCs for my newest anthology out in the world! This collection definitely errs on the Grimm-er side (pun intended), so please know that in particular, parental neglect and cruelty are a running theme. There's also some fire, revenge, alcohol use, murder, homophobia, transphobia, and cannibalism, so do take care when reading!
January 14, 2024
3.5 stars
I bought this collection for a few reasons: Melissa Albert’s new fairy tale, and to check out the stories by HE Edgmon, Hafsah Faizal, Dahlia Adler, and Darcy Little Badger.
Albert’s new fairy tale is the best of the best, and worth the read for that one alone.
I loved HE Edgmon’s twist on Snow White (TW: transphobia) and thoroughly enjoyed Faizal’s take on Red Riding Hood. Little Badger’s Puss in Boots retelling was witty and sharp, what fun.
Adler’s contributions to these YA anthology collections are usually very strong—the collection is curated by her, after all—but I found this one on Rumplestiltsken too short and not gripping enough this time.
The other stories were a mixed bag for me. (The first story in particular by McLemore was REALLY not for me in the narrative style—so don’t let that one turn you off from the collection if you peek at it in the bookstore.)
Recommended reading for anthology fans, Melissa Albert fans, and people who enjoy a good twist on the great fairytales.
I bought this collection for a few reasons: Melissa Albert’s new fairy tale, and to check out the stories by HE Edgmon, Hafsah Faizal, Dahlia Adler, and Darcy Little Badger.
Albert’s new fairy tale is the best of the best, and worth the read for that one alone.
I loved HE Edgmon’s twist on Snow White (TW: transphobia) and thoroughly enjoyed Faizal’s take on Red Riding Hood. Little Badger’s Puss in Boots retelling was witty and sharp, what fun.
Adler’s contributions to these YA anthology collections are usually very strong—the collection is curated by her, after all—but I found this one on Rumplestiltsken too short and not gripping enough this time.
The other stories were a mixed bag for me. (The first story in particular by McLemore was REALLY not for me in the narrative style—so don’t let that one turn you off from the collection if you peek at it in the bookstore.)
Recommended reading for anthology fans, Melissa Albert fans, and people who enjoy a good twist on the great fairytales.
to-read-ya
January 17, 2021...have no clue what this is about, but I love at least 3 of the authors, so I'm adding it anyway
November 17, 2022
Even though I’m well into adulthood, I still enjoy a good fairy tale retelling, and I was excited to read this collection when I saw it included authors like Tracy Deonn, Melissa Albert, and Hafsah Faizal. They’re all such great storytellers, and I was eager to see what kind of fairy tale reimagining they would come up with. Overall, I liked most of the stories. They are unique and interesting, and so much more layered and nuanced than the originals.
Like many anthologies, this is one where you can pick and choose the stories you want to read. Each of the fifteen stories is a standalone reimagining of a classic fairy tale. So, we have the same tropes, but everything is totally transformed and modern. I like how varied the stories are and how well each was transformed into a contemporary setting with unique and diverse characters. Instead of the all-white characters we usually encounter in fairy tales, these include Chinese, Muslim, Apache, Mexican-American, LGBTQ characters and more. The stories also had much more depth, more detailed backstories, and new complications, struggles, and conflicts.
Of course, I enjoyed some stories more than others, especially since these are all written by different authors. The writing styles and voices are all different, and I particularly liked Sharp as Any Thorn by Rory Power, Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faizal, and Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim. I also liked that the book included the original stories at the end of the book. That way, if you don’t know the story and want to read the original, you can!
I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before reading the book. There are definitely subjects and situations that could trigger readers, including gore, death, abuse, and more. Special thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Like many anthologies, this is one where you can pick and choose the stories you want to read. Each of the fifteen stories is a standalone reimagining of a classic fairy tale. So, we have the same tropes, but everything is totally transformed and modern. I like how varied the stories are and how well each was transformed into a contemporary setting with unique and diverse characters. Instead of the all-white characters we usually encounter in fairy tales, these include Chinese, Muslim, Apache, Mexican-American, LGBTQ characters and more. The stories also had much more depth, more detailed backstories, and new complications, struggles, and conflicts.
Of course, I enjoyed some stories more than others, especially since these are all written by different authors. The writing styles and voices are all different, and I particularly liked Sharp as Any Thorn by Rory Power, Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faizal, and Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim. I also liked that the book included the original stories at the end of the book. That way, if you don’t know the story and want to read the original, you can!
I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before reading the book. There are definitely subjects and situations that could trigger readers, including gore, death, abuse, and more. Special thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Want to read
February 11, 2021I loved Enchantée and was moderately disappointed by Liberté.
(But if you want real disappointment we can talk about the alternative titles!)
And now here I am:
On an untitled book with no synopsis,
no cover or genre,
clicking To read.
(But if you want real disappointment we can talk about the alternative titles!)
And now here I am:
On an untitled book with no synopsis,
no cover or genre,
clicking To read.
December 9, 2023
finished it after months and it was sadly average,
February 3, 2023
I love fairytales. I mean, if you look at the books I've read you will notice that a lot of those books are fairytale retellings. So when I discovered this story collection I knew I had to have and read it. I was therefore incredibly happy that I found this book on Netgalley and that the publisher, Titan Books, approved my request for a review copy. And the nice thing about short stories? It's easy to fit one or two stories into the reading schedule every day.
What I loved most about these stories is the modern feel of most of them. The authors found the themes and messages of the original tales and wrote mostly contemporary stories containing all the important elements and the same messages and themes. That automatically added a lot of diversity to this collection. We meet characters with all kind of backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences and it never feels forced or out of place.
Like with every story collection I liked some stories more than others. Sometimes it's simply because I don't like the original fairytale to begin with (the originals are included, by the way, which is amazing!), which makes it hard to appreciate the retelling. In other cases it could be the writing style that didn't click or the tone of a story. However, that was all personal taste. All stories are of high quality and are unique and worth reading. I'm certain everyone will have other and personal favorites.
I personally missed the magic a little bit. I understand that the power of this book is how realistic the situations of the characters are, how the themes of the magical tales still work in the real world where we're stuck, but for me magic and fairytales are always a little bit connected. However, in a way this collection also reminded me a lot of Tell Me A Story, a tv series that had two seasons a few years back. And when I say that, I totally mean it as a compliment!
What I loved most about these stories is the modern feel of most of them. The authors found the themes and messages of the original tales and wrote mostly contemporary stories containing all the important elements and the same messages and themes. That automatically added a lot of diversity to this collection. We meet characters with all kind of backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences and it never feels forced or out of place.
Like with every story collection I liked some stories more than others. Sometimes it's simply because I don't like the original fairytale to begin with (the originals are included, by the way, which is amazing!), which makes it hard to appreciate the retelling. In other cases it could be the writing style that didn't click or the tone of a story. However, that was all personal taste. All stories are of high quality and are unique and worth reading. I'm certain everyone will have other and personal favorites.
I personally missed the magic a little bit. I understand that the power of this book is how realistic the situations of the characters are, how the themes of the magical tales still work in the real world where we're stuck, but for me magic and fairytales are always a little bit connected. However, in a way this collection also reminded me a lot of Tell Me A Story, a tv series that had two seasons a few years back. And when I say that, I totally mean it as a compliment!
November 23, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: racism, classism, violence, and referenced implied sexual assault (in "Fire and Rhinstones"), transphobia (in "Mother's Mirror"), parental abuse (in "Mother's Mirror" and "Sharp As Any Thorn"), infidelity & themes of attempted incest/sexual assault (father to daughter) (in "The Sister Switch"), murder of own parents (in "The Emperor and the Eversong", cannibalism & child abandonment (in "Just a Little Bit")
4.2
This is a really great collection of fairy tale adaptations! These stories range from classic to more obscure, from tilts to full scale original stories. I think anyone with any interest in folktales or fairy tales will find at least something to interest them here.
I always judge adaptations by whether or not they stand alone, and if the original story adds anything, and I judge short stories by whether or not the moment shown feels important. Though there were some stories where I thought these things were a bit weaker, and a few I personally just didn't mesh with, by and large the short stories collected here worked perfectly with both those questions!
My favorites were, somewhat unfortunately, the ones that started the anthology. "Sugar Plum" is full of heavy, bitter emotion with a surprisingly believable and easy to invest in growing romance, "In the Forest at Night" takes a old, obscure story, and makes it terrifying and new while playing upon the chilling folktales ingrained in us, and "Say My Name" was just a lot of fun with my favorite brand of character- unlikable sapphics that are too smart for their own good.
We really live in a glorious time for fabulously brought together diverse YA collections!
TW: racism, classism, violence, and referenced implied sexual assault (in "Fire and Rhinstones"), transphobia (in "Mother's Mirror"), parental abuse (in "Mother's Mirror" and "Sharp As Any Thorn"), infidelity & themes of attempted incest/sexual assault (father to daughter) (in "The Sister Switch"), murder of own parents (in "The Emperor and the Eversong", cannibalism & child abandonment (in "Just a Little Bit")
4.2
This is a really great collection of fairy tale adaptations! These stories range from classic to more obscure, from tilts to full scale original stories. I think anyone with any interest in folktales or fairy tales will find at least something to interest them here.
I always judge adaptations by whether or not they stand alone, and if the original story adds anything, and I judge short stories by whether or not the moment shown feels important. Though there were some stories where I thought these things were a bit weaker, and a few I personally just didn't mesh with, by and large the short stories collected here worked perfectly with both those questions!
My favorites were, somewhat unfortunately, the ones that started the anthology. "Sugar Plum" is full of heavy, bitter emotion with a surprisingly believable and easy to invest in growing romance, "In the Forest at Night" takes a old, obscure story, and makes it terrifying and new while playing upon the chilling folktales ingrained in us, and "Say My Name" was just a lot of fun with my favorite brand of character- unlikable sapphics that are too smart for their own good.
We really live in a glorious time for fabulously brought together diverse YA collections!
February 13, 2023
3.7 stars average
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
My favourite stories were Mother's Mirror and Sharp as Any Thorn!
Sugar Plum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4/5
Considering this is one of the shortest stories in the anthology, it was quite powerful. There were beautiful descriptions and a real sense of pain coming through the pages; it was easy to connect to the main character. I really want to read the original fairytale of The Nutcracker now!
In the Forests of the Night - Gina Trelease
4/5
I'd never heard of the original fairytale, so I can't compare it to the original, but I found this one to be really interesting, tense, and I felt nervous throughout waiting for the ending.
Say My Name - Dahlia Adler
2/5
My least favourite of the collection. This was confusing and messy, and I can't work out if it was trying to be satirical with the main character's name turning out to be Renesmee Carlie? Cause honestly it was just bizarre, why is she named after Twilight?
Fire & Rhinest One - Stacey Lee
3/5
I enjoyed the message, and the protectiveness of the main character over her grandmother and their close relationship but honestly it was kind of boring.
Mother's Mirror - H.E. Edgmon
5/5
Okay this was amazing! Such a great twist on Snow White, it had a beautiful message, it was incredibly easy to connect to the main character, it was the perfect length... Just so good!
Sharp As Any Thorn - Rory Power
5/5
Really freaky and such a cool twist on Sleeping Beauty. It was incredibly tense and I was filled with anxiety reading it, which tells me how atmospheric it was! That ending was also so freaky!
Coyote in High Top Sneakers - Darcie Little Badger
3/5
Maybe I needed to have known the fairytale version of Puss in Boots (guessing it differs from the Shrek version), but I just could not work out where this story was going or really the point of it.
The Sister Switch - Melissa Albert
4/5
This was a new fairytale, and it was freaky! I found myself quite confused at times, but with the way the story was playing out, that confusion only added to the atmosphere and tension. I also think this would be really cool as a full novel!
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Hafsah Faizal
3.5/5
I enjoyed the concept of this, but it didn't have any sort of creepy aspect that I would've expected for a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It all just felt very convenient, the way it played out.
A Flame So Bright - Malinda Lo
3/5
I didn't really understand this one. It never seemed to end up going anywhere, and there was a strange age-gap.
The Emperor and the Eversong - Tracy Deonn
4/5
This was so interesting! A cool take on power life, and death, and I would really love to read a full novel version of this!
HEA - Alex London
3.5/5
I really liked the concept behind this and the commentary on the toll young fame can have on a person's life, but I think that the Cinderella aspect could've been amped up way more.
The Littlest Mermaid - Meredith Russell
3/5
A cool twist on The Little Mermaid, from the perspective of a mermaid, but it was really confusing and I don't understand how we got to the ending - it felt like I was missing a few pages.
Just a Little Bite - Roselle Lim
4.5/5
This was so creepy!! I found it to be predictable as to what the plot twist would be, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and tension and was desperate to see how it would end.
A Story About A Girl - Rebecca Podos
4/5
This was pretty cool. I enjoyed the buildup and the story, but it didn't feel as atmospheric as I would've hoped, possibly because of the fact that over half the story was the main character telling someone a story and we weren't actually involved in what was really happening.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
My favourite stories were Mother's Mirror and Sharp as Any Thorn!
Sugar Plum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4/5
Considering this is one of the shortest stories in the anthology, it was quite powerful. There were beautiful descriptions and a real sense of pain coming through the pages; it was easy to connect to the main character. I really want to read the original fairytale of The Nutcracker now!
In the Forests of the Night - Gina Trelease
4/5
I'd never heard of the original fairytale, so I can't compare it to the original, but I found this one to be really interesting, tense, and I felt nervous throughout waiting for the ending.
Say My Name - Dahlia Adler
2/5
My least favourite of the collection. This was confusing and messy, and I can't work out if it was trying to be satirical with the main character's name turning out to be Renesmee Carlie? Cause honestly it was just bizarre, why is she named after Twilight?
Fire & Rhinest One - Stacey Lee
3/5
I enjoyed the message, and the protectiveness of the main character over her grandmother and their close relationship but honestly it was kind of boring.
Mother's Mirror - H.E. Edgmon
5/5
Okay this was amazing! Such a great twist on Snow White, it had a beautiful message, it was incredibly easy to connect to the main character, it was the perfect length... Just so good!
Sharp As Any Thorn - Rory Power
5/5
Really freaky and such a cool twist on Sleeping Beauty. It was incredibly tense and I was filled with anxiety reading it, which tells me how atmospheric it was! That ending was also so freaky!
Coyote in High Top Sneakers - Darcie Little Badger
3/5
Maybe I needed to have known the fairytale version of Puss in Boots (guessing it differs from the Shrek version), but I just could not work out where this story was going or really the point of it.
The Sister Switch - Melissa Albert
4/5
This was a new fairytale, and it was freaky! I found myself quite confused at times, but with the way the story was playing out, that confusion only added to the atmosphere and tension. I also think this would be really cool as a full novel!
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Hafsah Faizal
3.5/5
I enjoyed the concept of this, but it didn't have any sort of creepy aspect that I would've expected for a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It all just felt very convenient, the way it played out.
A Flame So Bright - Malinda Lo
3/5
I didn't really understand this one. It never seemed to end up going anywhere, and there was a strange age-gap.
The Emperor and the Eversong - Tracy Deonn
4/5
This was so interesting! A cool take on power life, and death, and I would really love to read a full novel version of this!
HEA - Alex London
3.5/5
I really liked the concept behind this and the commentary on the toll young fame can have on a person's life, but I think that the Cinderella aspect could've been amped up way more.
The Littlest Mermaid - Meredith Russell
3/5
A cool twist on The Little Mermaid, from the perspective of a mermaid, but it was really confusing and I don't understand how we got to the ending - it felt like I was missing a few pages.
Just a Little Bite - Roselle Lim
4.5/5
This was so creepy!! I found it to be predictable as to what the plot twist would be, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and tension and was desperate to see how it would end.
A Story About A Girl - Rebecca Podos
4/5
This was pretty cool. I enjoyed the buildup and the story, but it didn't feel as atmospheric as I would've hoped, possibly because of the fact that over half the story was the main character telling someone a story and we weren't actually involved in what was really happening.
February 7, 2023
Anthologies help kick my reading slumps and this one is right up my alley! I like looking back seeing the little short stories and my reviews of them too.
I also love that they included the original stories these are based on too! So unique and a great detail.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4 stars
Very short story about a Mexican teen being lowkey forced to dance a ballet at her father's rich boss's holiday party. She's crushing on the boss's daughter too so that was cute as heck. Interesting and complicated.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
5 stars
I really liked this one! The story was absorbing and the writing very well done and evocative. I read the source story right after and found it a faithful retelling with an Indian twist. It was really lovely!
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
4.5 stars
The petty roundabout high school drama was meh, but oh man the reveal of her name was excellent. I wanted to know more about the aftermath too! What happened? Loved reading the original story as well after. The detail about stomping the foot was amazing.
Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
5 stars
This was well written and I loved the plotline. It's definitely inspired from the original tale as well as an inspired take on an event in history. I really enjoyed the context with the author's note at the end. Loved it!
Mother's Mirror by H. E. Edgmon
10 stars
This story does have a trigger for transphobia and abuse so be aware. However, this has been my favorite so far. It hit me so hard in the feelings; as a queer Indiana kid myself. Knowing the Snow White story did help my understanding of the retelling and then refreshing myself with the original at the end was nice. This story is precious to me, and I definitely want to pick up books by H. E. Edgmon now.
Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
4.5 stars
A bit of a stretch believability wise, but I liked the way the narrative was structured. I really liked how Coyote was both self-serving but also helpful. I haven't ever read Puss in Boots so that was really fun too!
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
3 stars
So far my least favorite, but still good. It's an original story, borrowing bits and pieces from all kinds of fairytale, but it fell short in my opinion as it was too short to really engage me. I didn't know what was going on and so I never felt invested. Nate was kinda a dick, the sisters were strange, and I just didn't care for anyone which also impacted my enjoyment of it. But it was haunting and spooky regardless.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
3 stars
Sort of a Handmaid's Tale-esque story about a girl, Obedience, who is not like her namesake and falls for the town's 'witch'. It was kinda cute but I didn't get super into it. It took the original tale, which was more of a fable, and make it gay. So I did like that.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
2.5 stars
Couldn't get into this one. The writing is nice and I liked the twist on the original, but it fell flat for me. I much prefer this retelling to the original anyhow.
HEA by Alex London
4 stars
Fun, contemporary take on Cinderella with a drag queen influencer as "Cinderella". I could have read a whole novel on this take as I found it interesting. Overall since the story is so short, it lacked substance and felt somewhat flat. I hope Ash got his happy ending tho.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
3 stars
I was confused for most of this. And I'm not sure what Aria's final transformation meant. It was cute and worth the read even if I'm left a bit disappointed and confused in the end.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
5 stars
I kinda loved it. If you're a fan of The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1, this concept is familiar. I liked the reveal and how they dealt with their... problems. But it did seem rather easy for them to turn into murderers. Still enjoyed it!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
5 stars
Super fun twisty story-within-a-story kind of deal! I LOVED IT!
Overall, I really liked it! Total of 3.6 stars (53.5/75) but I liked the 4 and 5 star stories enough to justify rounding up! I feel like I accomplished reading a book finally!
I also love that they included the original stories these are based on too! So unique and a great detail.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4 stars
Very short story about a Mexican teen being lowkey forced to dance a ballet at her father's rich boss's holiday party. She's crushing on the boss's daughter too so that was cute as heck. Interesting and complicated.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
5 stars
I really liked this one! The story was absorbing and the writing very well done and evocative. I read the source story right after and found it a faithful retelling with an Indian twist. It was really lovely!
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
4.5 stars
The petty roundabout high school drama was meh, but oh man the reveal of her name was excellent. I wanted to know more about the aftermath too! What happened? Loved reading the original story as well after. The detail about stomping the foot was amazing.
Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
5 stars
This was well written and I loved the plotline. It's definitely inspired from the original tale as well as an inspired take on an event in history. I really enjoyed the context with the author's note at the end. Loved it!
Mother's Mirror by H. E. Edgmon
10 stars
This story does have a trigger for transphobia and abuse so be aware. However, this has been my favorite so far. It hit me so hard in the feelings; as a queer Indiana kid myself. Knowing the Snow White story did help my understanding of the retelling and then refreshing myself with the original at the end was nice. This story is precious to me, and I definitely want to pick up books by H. E. Edgmon now.
Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
4.5 stars
A bit of a stretch believability wise, but I liked the way the narrative was structured. I really liked how Coyote was both self-serving but also helpful. I haven't ever read Puss in Boots so that was really fun too!
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
3 stars
So far my least favorite, but still good. It's an original story, borrowing bits and pieces from all kinds of fairytale, but it fell short in my opinion as it was too short to really engage me. I didn't know what was going on and so I never felt invested. Nate was kinda a dick, the sisters were strange, and I just didn't care for anyone which also impacted my enjoyment of it. But it was haunting and spooky regardless.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
3 stars
Sort of a Handmaid's Tale-esque story about a girl, Obedience, who is not like her namesake and falls for the town's 'witch'. It was kinda cute but I didn't get super into it. It took the original tale, which was more of a fable, and make it gay. So I did like that.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
2.5 stars
Couldn't get into this one. The writing is nice and I liked the twist on the original, but it fell flat for me. I much prefer this retelling to the original anyhow.
HEA by Alex London
4 stars
Fun, contemporary take on Cinderella with a drag queen influencer as "Cinderella". I could have read a whole novel on this take as I found it interesting. Overall since the story is so short, it lacked substance and felt somewhat flat. I hope Ash got his happy ending tho.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
3 stars
I was confused for most of this. And I'm not sure what Aria's final transformation meant. It was cute and worth the read even if I'm left a bit disappointed and confused in the end.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
5 stars
I kinda loved it. If you're a fan of The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1, this concept is familiar. I liked the reveal and how they dealt with their... problems. But it did seem rather easy for them to turn into murderers. Still enjoyed it!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
5 stars
Super fun twisty story-within-a-story kind of deal! I LOVED IT!
Overall, I really liked it! Total of 3.6 stars (53.5/75) but I liked the 4 and 5 star stories enough to justify rounding up! I feel like I accomplished reading a book finally!
June 8, 2023
Fun, inclusive and magical! True fairy tales for readers that want to be brought back to their childhood and want to see some of their favorite tales in a modern coat. Personally it was a 3/5 stars for me because I preferred some stories over the others.
But for anyone that likes a bit of diverse magic go read this book! In the words of Dahlia Adler; “ So polish that apple, double-check your roses for thorns, and settle in for a collection of absolutely inspired magic.”
But for anyone that likes a bit of diverse magic go read this book! In the words of Dahlia Adler; “ So polish that apple, double-check your roses for thorns, and settle in for a collection of absolutely inspired magic.”
November 13, 2022
Trigger warnings:
A lovely anthology overall, with some surprising reads I loved! Full review coming soon on the blog :)
Thank you so much to the a author for sending me an ARC. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
A lovely anthology overall, with some surprising reads I loved! Full review coming soon on the blog :)
Thank you so much to the a author for sending me an ARC. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
October 22, 2022
3 Stars
It is very hard to rate an anthology collection more than 3 stars because every story stands alone--and you're not guaranteed to like all of them. That was the case here. I enjoyed some more than others. A few I found delightfully gruesome (as all good fairy tales should be). Others fell rather flat, which was very disappointing. My biggest disappointment, though, was how short this collection ultimately is. I wanted more of it.
My full review will be available November 4th, 2022 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
It is very hard to rate an anthology collection more than 3 stars because every story stands alone--and you're not guaranteed to like all of them. That was the case here. I enjoyed some more than others. A few I found delightfully gruesome (as all good fairy tales should be). Others fell rather flat, which was very disappointing. My biggest disappointment, though, was how short this collection ultimately is. I wanted more of it.
My full review will be available November 4th, 2022 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
February 19, 2023
I really loved the Dahlia Adler edited Poe retelling collection His Hideous Heart, so I was really excited to see this new set of fairytale retellings, also edited by Adler.
This collection is less consistently good than Hideous, which surprised me because the parameters for the stories allow for a lot more creative latitude here, but there’s plenty of great stuff that’s worth reading here.
Best of the lot:
Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin)
Fire and Rhinestone (The Little Match Seller)
Coyote in High Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots)
The Sister Switch (original fairy tale)
Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel)
A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom)
The last two, along with Melissa Albert’s original fairy tale, were my favorites.
Also worth a read:
Sugar Plum (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King)
In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher’s Bird)
Mother’s Mirror (Little Snow White)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood)
The rest you can skip.
I really appreciated the inclusion in the book of the original fairy tales that these stories are based on. Many I’m already familiar with, but a few were new to me and it was so lovely to have them directly to hand in order to better appreciate the retellings.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This collection is less consistently good than Hideous, which surprised me because the parameters for the stories allow for a lot more creative latitude here, but there’s plenty of great stuff that’s worth reading here.
Best of the lot:
Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin)
Fire and Rhinestone (The Little Match Seller)
Coyote in High Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots)
The Sister Switch (original fairy tale)
Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel)
A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom)
The last two, along with Melissa Albert’s original fairy tale, were my favorites.
Also worth a read:
Sugar Plum (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King)
In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher’s Bird)
Mother’s Mirror (Little Snow White)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood)
The rest you can skip.
I really appreciated the inclusion in the book of the original fairy tales that these stories are based on. Many I’m already familiar with, but a few were new to me and it was so lovely to have them directly to hand in order to better appreciate the retellings.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
June 16, 2023
2 stars overall. We did get a few good stories, and I loved that the original fairytales are also printed in the back of the book, but the majority were not for me and I skimmed/skipped a lot.
Sugarplum - DNF. Didn't like the writing. Pass.
In The Forests of the Night - 2.5 stars. Creepy and horrifying, but in a familiar way. It keeps the tone of Grimm's "Fitcher's Bird" but making it its own. Not great, but okay.
Say My Name - 2 stars. Skimmed this one, but notable for the take on Rumpelstitskin and that I think it's the only modern retelling of the tale I've read. LBGTQ (etc etc infinity)
Fire and Rhinestone - 3 stars. Interesting and slightly less depressing take on The Little Matchstick Girl.
Mother's Mirror - 1 star. Skimmed. While admittedly quite the take on Snow White, so props for originality in that regard, it was awful. LGBTQ.
Sharp as Any Thorn - DNF. Hated the writing. Next.
Coyote in High-top Sneakers - 3.5 stars.
The Sister Switch - DNF. Not my cup of tea.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - 5 stars. I don't even know if it should get 5 stars or if I was just so happy to read one I genuinely liked. Either way, good stuff.
A Flame So Bright - Skimmed enough to get the gist. Nope. 1 star. LGBTQ.
The Emperor and The Eversong - 5 stars. Classic fairytale vibe. For some reason, reminded me of Wilde's short story, the Happy Prince.
HEA - DNF. LBGTQ.
The Littlest Mermaid - DNF. Hated the writing.
Just A Little Bite - 2 stars. Okay, nevermind that most fairytales are weird as shit and not realistic, a modern setting can sometimes take that to extremes.
A Story About A Girl - 2 stars. Same goes for this one. The tone just felt weird for the modern setting, to go along with the creepy vibes.
Sugarplum - DNF. Didn't like the writing. Pass.
In The Forests of the Night - 2.5 stars. Creepy and horrifying, but in a familiar way. It keeps the tone of Grimm's "Fitcher's Bird" but making it its own. Not great, but okay.
Say My Name - 2 stars. Skimmed this one, but notable for the take on Rumpelstitskin and that I think it's the only modern retelling of the tale I've read. LBGTQ (etc etc infinity)
Fire and Rhinestone - 3 stars. Interesting and slightly less depressing take on The Little Matchstick Girl.
Mother's Mirror - 1 star. Skimmed. While admittedly quite the take on Snow White, so props for originality in that regard, it was awful. LGBTQ.
Sharp as Any Thorn - DNF. Hated the writing. Next.
Coyote in High-top Sneakers - 3.5 stars.
The Sister Switch - DNF. Not my cup of tea.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - 5 stars. I don't even know if it should get 5 stars or if I was just so happy to read one I genuinely liked. Either way, good stuff.
A Flame So Bright - Skimmed enough to get the gist. Nope. 1 star. LGBTQ.
The Emperor and The Eversong - 5 stars. Classic fairytale vibe. For some reason, reminded me of Wilde's short story, the Happy Prince.
HEA - DNF. LBGTQ.
The Littlest Mermaid - DNF. Hated the writing.
Just A Little Bite - 2 stars. Okay, nevermind that most fairytales are weird as shit and not realistic, a modern setting can sometimes take that to extremes.
A Story About A Girl - 2 stars. Same goes for this one. The tone just felt weird for the modern setting, to go along with the creepy vibes.
July 23, 2023
This rating is a bit harsh but I just wasn’t interested and had to DNF halfway through. I didn’t like the writing style and some of the choices the authors made - and I didn’t like the versions of the tales they gave us.
Want to read
November 25, 2022I see Hafsah Faizal, I add
November 20, 2022
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
I grew up on fairy tales and have loved them all, from the darkest Grimm to the over-cheery Disney! So I was beyond excited to read At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler with 15 authors contributing to the anthology. I was hoping it was going to be something like the anthology I read many years ago with a similar theme. However, I found that this anthology was much more on the lighter side of fairy tales instead of being like the truly sinister tales that they once were.
Its always hard to review anthologies, do I review the book as a whole? Break down each story into one/two sentence reviews? I've done both versions over my blogging years and always struggle with deciding what to do when there's an anthology that caught my eye and made me pick it up. I guess in this one I will break it down by stories.
I do want to put a bit of a forewarning before getting into the bulk of this review. Since I read it as an ebook, I did not realize that all the original fairy tales were also included in this book...in the very back. Now since I was familiar with most of these stories, it wasn't a huge deal but I did have a handful that I wasn't at all familiar with and wished there was some insight into what the original fairy tale was about. By having these fairy tales tucked away in the back I feel like you lose something as the reader. Why after reading 15 tales would you want to go back and "re-read" the original version...and not remember at all what the retelling was about? I feel like these original tales should have been placed before their retelling if that was their ultimate purpose...to remind you of what this new tale was based upon. Since this is an ARC, I can only hope that maybe the formatting and placement of these stories will be changed for the finished copy as I think it would flow better that way.
All in all, though I would say that this anthology was just okay. It wasn't all what I was expecting, I was hoping for something a bit darker in fairy tale tone I guess. What I got instead were more contemporary retellings that just left me feeling wanting. I felt like the magic and "grimness" of the original fairy tales just wasn't all there. Some of the tales did have that "grimness," but not all. Though I suppose if you enjoy fairy tales and contemporary reads then this would be a perfect read for you.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
This was a story inspired by The Nutcracker. Though I was somewhat familiar with the story, I wasn't really feeling those vibes from this story itself. Yes, it was Christmas and there was a ballerina involved though she hated dancing. Oddly, the story was told in second person point of view. It's very rare that I come across this point of view type and I'm reminded why it's rarely seen, as it makes for awkward reading.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
This was a retelling of Fitcher's Bird. This was a story I knew nothing about sadly. It involved a young girl who was trying to discover the mystery behind the missing girls of her village. Everyone thinks it was tigers who were taking them into the forest. She though suspects the enigmatic teacher may have something to do with the disappearances.
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
This was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I quite enjoyed this one! It definitely did what I was hoping to find within the anthology, took a well-known fairy tale and let it play out basically the same way but differently. Needless to say, this one has a modern twist involving a girl with a very unique name--one that had me rolling over with laughter once revealed--who is trying to impress her crush by getting back at the girl who took her place on a coding team. Our Rumpelstiltskin virtually blackmails the nemesis, and promises everything will all go away if she can only guess her name.
Fire and Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
This was a retelling of The Little Matchstick Girl. This was pretty different from the original tale if memory serves me correct. This one, oddly, seems less dark, but still pretty dark. This involved a young girl known as Firefly, who with her grandmother, sells matches and later drawings outside a theater. Along the way, Firefly learns some shocking news about her parentage. It was a little bit of an odd tale to be honest. I mean it was interesting for the most part, but felt like it was lacking something as well. There was an interesting historical note at the end that helped to tie things together.
Mother's Mirror by H.E. Edgman
This was a retelling of Snow White. This was a very different kind of retelling and it was heartbreaking all the same. Not exactly the vibe I was looking for, the sadness part. Yes, fairy tales were meant to be dark and grim, but not this depressing kind of sadness. This was a story about a teenager who was born a girl, but identified as a boy. He soon called himself Hunter and changed his lifestyle, much to his mother's dismay. His mother just could not accept her son for who he was. So Hunter found himself a new family of sorts. He joined a chat group, met 7 other friends dealing with the same thing and fell in love with performer who went by the name of Charming. It was sweet in some respect, but still very, very sad.
Sharp As Any Thorn by Rory Poer
This was a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Here we find the darkness of fairy tales that I was looking for, yet it was still done very differently. Two sisters grew up on the edge of forest with their parents. Though Aurora looked up to her older sister, Mel, Mel didn't always feel the same way. When Mel turned 17 she ran away and for years Aurora wondered what happened to her. She thinks the forest took her and it's not until she turns 13 that she learns just what the dark forest was hiding.
Coyote in High Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
This was a Puss in Boots retelling. This basically was about a boy named Roberto and how he came to meet a coyote who could talk to him. The coyote had him do things that were for the greater good and led to good things happening to Roberto. My little knowledge on the original tale fell line with what was happening here, I just didn't get all that excited about the tale sadly.
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
This was Melissa's brand new fairy tale and was probably my favorite of the collection as the ones leading up to this one just didn't meet my fairy tale retelling standards. Though it did make it somewhat more complicated to follow. It was about a boy named Nate who was in a dying relationship with Miriam. One night, he, Miriam, their friend Case--who Nate was in love with, and a new boy named Kevin attend this magical party. The party is something of a rarity, never happens the same night/time/place kind of thing, so finding it is a treat. At the party, performers play out a tale much like the fairy tales we know of a king who had two beautiful daughters. When his queen died he was saddened and didn't look upon his daughters until they were of the marrying age...and well, you can guess what he wanted to do. The princesses, aided by their maid were able to escape but had to separate. The partygoers were then enticed to wear masks that made them play a part in the new play...one that was playing out very much like the fairy tale they just witnessed. It was an odd sort of tale, but still very intriguing and definitely had the darker themes I was looking for in my fairy tale retelling.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faiza
This was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This was perhaps one of the odder of the retellings as I struggled to keep up at times. Red was basically working with a mysterious guy named Wolf, but what she thought was going to be doing something with architecture led to a robbery of sorts. I feel like I got lost along the way with this story. There were still some clear nods to the fairy tale along the way which was nice, but overall I just felt confused with what was going on.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
This was a retelling of Frau Trude. I virtually knew nothing of this tale and having the later knowledge that the original in back just upset me afterwards because I would've read that one first before reading the retelling. I honestly was confused with this story as it seemed to take place in a Puritan village around the time of the Witch Trials and such. Obedience observes the beautiful new woman in town named Trude who marries off well. But then her husband dies a month later. The whispers start going around shortly afterwards. As I said, I did not know the original tale at all, or that it was within my reach in the same book. The story just didn't really seem to have a focus, but I guess if I knew what the original tale was about I would've made the right connections. Sadly, I did not.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
This was a retelling of The Nightingale. Another tale I wasn't too familiar with. This involved a prince who wanted to live forever. He was going to do whatever possible to escape Death. He ends up doing a handful of bad deeds, including taking a mystical woman hostage when she has a beautiful singing voice. Though, naturally, things were not as they appeared to be and the cruel prince learns a very hard lesson.
Hea by Alex London
This was a Cinderella retelling though it was very much turned on its head. For in this one, we have a social media star, Asher who longs to leave the limelight for a time and just be a normal teenager. The elements of the original fairy tale were there, which made it interesting, though it was kind of hard to pinpoint if Asher was meant to be Cinderella or Prince Charming or possibly both. For Asher falls for the handsome barista at a coffee shop and just longs to get the know the boy. Sadly, his stepmother has other plans for him.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
Naturally, a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Though this one was quite different as well. Several times I tripped up wondering if I was following the mermaid or the girl she fell in love with. It wasn't easy to decipher at first, for a story is being told to listeners about the mermaid meeting and falling in love with the human girl. Tragedy follows the story and it's ending, though revealing, didn't really provide me with the shocking answers I was waiting for. Needless to say, that this story too left me a bit confused with what was happening.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
This was a Hansel and Gretel retelling that was very easy to see and follow! This was yet another example of what I was hoping this anthology would be about. In this modern twist, brother and sister, Hank and Gigi are left on the side of the wintry road while their father and stepmother sped away, leaving them to freeze to death. They take shelter in the first building they see, a very elite and fancy restaurant. You can tell it's the snooty rich people type and when the hostess agrees to let them stay, if they would help the cook out who's shorthanded, they would not only get a hot meal, but a ride to the city where cell phones get reception to make a call to get a ride home. But they find out just why this restaurant caters to the rich and elite and just what's so special with their very expensive menu. This was a dark and sinister story that played out in just the right ways!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
This was a retelling of The Robber Bridegroom. After reading this story, I realize I wasn't all that familiar with the original tale. Though it starts off intriguingly enough, I was dismayed when it took on a more of tell, don't show spin. Dani is forced to go on a "meet" with her dad's boss' boss' son. Yup, that complex. When she meets Alexsandr at this parents' house sans parents, she's a bit nervous. They get on a topic of likes, which leads to Dani's love for horror movies and then she tells Alexsandr a story called The Pale of Settlement. In it, she describes how a poor young girl was forced to marry a rich man...who had a terrible secret. She learns from his sister that he was a monster called a strzyga. The girl is able to defeat the monster and then lives happily ever after with the sister where they were said to run away and raise orphans together. It was a very long winded story really, that basically brought us back to the present and a very intense situation. In the end, it was exciting, but it just felt a little off with the story within a story.
Overall Rating 3/5 stars
At Midnight releases November 22, 2022
I grew up on fairy tales and have loved them all, from the darkest Grimm to the over-cheery Disney! So I was beyond excited to read At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler with 15 authors contributing to the anthology. I was hoping it was going to be something like the anthology I read many years ago with a similar theme. However, I found that this anthology was much more on the lighter side of fairy tales instead of being like the truly sinister tales that they once were.
Its always hard to review anthologies, do I review the book as a whole? Break down each story into one/two sentence reviews? I've done both versions over my blogging years and always struggle with deciding what to do when there's an anthology that caught my eye and made me pick it up. I guess in this one I will break it down by stories.
I do want to put a bit of a forewarning before getting into the bulk of this review. Since I read it as an ebook, I did not realize that all the original fairy tales were also included in this book...in the very back. Now since I was familiar with most of these stories, it wasn't a huge deal but I did have a handful that I wasn't at all familiar with and wished there was some insight into what the original fairy tale was about. By having these fairy tales tucked away in the back I feel like you lose something as the reader. Why after reading 15 tales would you want to go back and "re-read" the original version...and not remember at all what the retelling was about? I feel like these original tales should have been placed before their retelling if that was their ultimate purpose...to remind you of what this new tale was based upon. Since this is an ARC, I can only hope that maybe the formatting and placement of these stories will be changed for the finished copy as I think it would flow better that way.
All in all, though I would say that this anthology was just okay. It wasn't all what I was expecting, I was hoping for something a bit darker in fairy tale tone I guess. What I got instead were more contemporary retellings that just left me feeling wanting. I felt like the magic and "grimness" of the original fairy tales just wasn't all there. Some of the tales did have that "grimness," but not all. Though I suppose if you enjoy fairy tales and contemporary reads then this would be a perfect read for you.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
This was a story inspired by The Nutcracker. Though I was somewhat familiar with the story, I wasn't really feeling those vibes from this story itself. Yes, it was Christmas and there was a ballerina involved though she hated dancing. Oddly, the story was told in second person point of view. It's very rare that I come across this point of view type and I'm reminded why it's rarely seen, as it makes for awkward reading.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
This was a retelling of Fitcher's Bird. This was a story I knew nothing about sadly. It involved a young girl who was trying to discover the mystery behind the missing girls of her village. Everyone thinks it was tigers who were taking them into the forest. She though suspects the enigmatic teacher may have something to do with the disappearances.
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
This was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I quite enjoyed this one! It definitely did what I was hoping to find within the anthology, took a well-known fairy tale and let it play out basically the same way but differently. Needless to say, this one has a modern twist involving a girl with a very unique name--one that had me rolling over with laughter once revealed--who is trying to impress her crush by getting back at the girl who took her place on a coding team. Our Rumpelstiltskin virtually blackmails the nemesis, and promises everything will all go away if she can only guess her name.
Fire and Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
This was a retelling of The Little Matchstick Girl. This was pretty different from the original tale if memory serves me correct. This one, oddly, seems less dark, but still pretty dark. This involved a young girl known as Firefly, who with her grandmother, sells matches and later drawings outside a theater. Along the way, Firefly learns some shocking news about her parentage. It was a little bit of an odd tale to be honest. I mean it was interesting for the most part, but felt like it was lacking something as well. There was an interesting historical note at the end that helped to tie things together.
Mother's Mirror by H.E. Edgman
This was a retelling of Snow White. This was a very different kind of retelling and it was heartbreaking all the same. Not exactly the vibe I was looking for, the sadness part. Yes, fairy tales were meant to be dark and grim, but not this depressing kind of sadness. This was a story about a teenager who was born a girl, but identified as a boy. He soon called himself Hunter and changed his lifestyle, much to his mother's dismay. His mother just could not accept her son for who he was. So Hunter found himself a new family of sorts. He joined a chat group, met 7 other friends dealing with the same thing and fell in love with performer who went by the name of Charming. It was sweet in some respect, but still very, very sad.
Sharp As Any Thorn by Rory Poer
This was a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Here we find the darkness of fairy tales that I was looking for, yet it was still done very differently. Two sisters grew up on the edge of forest with their parents. Though Aurora looked up to her older sister, Mel, Mel didn't always feel the same way. When Mel turned 17 she ran away and for years Aurora wondered what happened to her. She thinks the forest took her and it's not until she turns 13 that she learns just what the dark forest was hiding.
Coyote in High Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
This was a Puss in Boots retelling. This basically was about a boy named Roberto and how he came to meet a coyote who could talk to him. The coyote had him do things that were for the greater good and led to good things happening to Roberto. My little knowledge on the original tale fell line with what was happening here, I just didn't get all that excited about the tale sadly.
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
This was Melissa's brand new fairy tale and was probably my favorite of the collection as the ones leading up to this one just didn't meet my fairy tale retelling standards. Though it did make it somewhat more complicated to follow. It was about a boy named Nate who was in a dying relationship with Miriam. One night, he, Miriam, their friend Case--who Nate was in love with, and a new boy named Kevin attend this magical party. The party is something of a rarity, never happens the same night/time/place kind of thing, so finding it is a treat. At the party, performers play out a tale much like the fairy tales we know of a king who had two beautiful daughters. When his queen died he was saddened and didn't look upon his daughters until they were of the marrying age...and well, you can guess what he wanted to do. The princesses, aided by their maid were able to escape but had to separate. The partygoers were then enticed to wear masks that made them play a part in the new play...one that was playing out very much like the fairy tale they just witnessed. It was an odd sort of tale, but still very intriguing and definitely had the darker themes I was looking for in my fairy tale retelling.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faiza
This was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This was perhaps one of the odder of the retellings as I struggled to keep up at times. Red was basically working with a mysterious guy named Wolf, but what she thought was going to be doing something with architecture led to a robbery of sorts. I feel like I got lost along the way with this story. There were still some clear nods to the fairy tale along the way which was nice, but overall I just felt confused with what was going on.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
This was a retelling of Frau Trude. I virtually knew nothing of this tale and having the later knowledge that the original in back just upset me afterwards because I would've read that one first before reading the retelling. I honestly was confused with this story as it seemed to take place in a Puritan village around the time of the Witch Trials and such. Obedience observes the beautiful new woman in town named Trude who marries off well. But then her husband dies a month later. The whispers start going around shortly afterwards. As I said, I did not know the original tale at all, or that it was within my reach in the same book. The story just didn't really seem to have a focus, but I guess if I knew what the original tale was about I would've made the right connections. Sadly, I did not.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
This was a retelling of The Nightingale. Another tale I wasn't too familiar with. This involved a prince who wanted to live forever. He was going to do whatever possible to escape Death. He ends up doing a handful of bad deeds, including taking a mystical woman hostage when she has a beautiful singing voice. Though, naturally, things were not as they appeared to be and the cruel prince learns a very hard lesson.
Hea by Alex London
This was a Cinderella retelling though it was very much turned on its head. For in this one, we have a social media star, Asher who longs to leave the limelight for a time and just be a normal teenager. The elements of the original fairy tale were there, which made it interesting, though it was kind of hard to pinpoint if Asher was meant to be Cinderella or Prince Charming or possibly both. For Asher falls for the handsome barista at a coffee shop and just longs to get the know the boy. Sadly, his stepmother has other plans for him.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
Naturally, a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Though this one was quite different as well. Several times I tripped up wondering if I was following the mermaid or the girl she fell in love with. It wasn't easy to decipher at first, for a story is being told to listeners about the mermaid meeting and falling in love with the human girl. Tragedy follows the story and it's ending, though revealing, didn't really provide me with the shocking answers I was waiting for. Needless to say, that this story too left me a bit confused with what was happening.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
This was a Hansel and Gretel retelling that was very easy to see and follow! This was yet another example of what I was hoping this anthology would be about. In this modern twist, brother and sister, Hank and Gigi are left on the side of the wintry road while their father and stepmother sped away, leaving them to freeze to death. They take shelter in the first building they see, a very elite and fancy restaurant. You can tell it's the snooty rich people type and when the hostess agrees to let them stay, if they would help the cook out who's shorthanded, they would not only get a hot meal, but a ride to the city where cell phones get reception to make a call to get a ride home. But they find out just why this restaurant caters to the rich and elite and just what's so special with their very expensive menu. This was a dark and sinister story that played out in just the right ways!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
This was a retelling of The Robber Bridegroom. After reading this story, I realize I wasn't all that familiar with the original tale. Though it starts off intriguingly enough, I was dismayed when it took on a more of tell, don't show spin. Dani is forced to go on a "meet" with her dad's boss' boss' son. Yup, that complex. When she meets Alexsandr at this parents' house sans parents, she's a bit nervous. They get on a topic of likes, which leads to Dani's love for horror movies and then she tells Alexsandr a story called The Pale of Settlement. In it, she describes how a poor young girl was forced to marry a rich man...who had a terrible secret. She learns from his sister that he was a monster called a strzyga. The girl is able to defeat the monster and then lives happily ever after with the sister where they were said to run away and raise orphans together. It was a very long winded story really, that basically brought us back to the present and a very intense situation. In the end, it was exciting, but it just felt a little off with the story within a story.
Overall Rating 3/5 stars
At Midnight releases November 22, 2022
October 22, 2024
Sooooo…I read half of this last summer, put it down, and only now just finished it…which is MY BAD LOL. So the first like 5 stories I have no review for because I have zero memory of them…… but I wrote my star ratings down. ANYWAY THATS ON ME LOL. Overall I think I’ve learned I need to be very selective with YA anthologies because overall I’ve just felt very meh about them and there’s only one short story I’ve ever returned to several times (Jennifer E. Smith’s in that one summer anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins) so like?? Is it worth it?? Idk maybe I should look more into adult anthologies or short story collections by one author or something like that because I mean…there was a reason I put this down and didn’t really want to pick it back up lol…it was just meh for me overall unfortunately,
“Sugarplum” by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4/5
“In the Forests of the Night” by Gita Trelease - 3/5
“Say My Name” by Dahlia Adler - 2/5
“Fire and Rhinestone” by Stacey Lee - 3/5
“Mother’s Mirror” by H.E. Edgmon - 4/5
“Sharp as Any Thorn” by Rory Power - 4/5
“Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger - 5/5 (loved this one, need to read more by her, I love her whimsy and writing style)
Okay here’s where I picked it back up again lol
“The Sister Switch” by Melissa Albert - 3/5; I liked the concept but this went nowhere and ended really abruptly? Did not get the point
“Once Bitten, Twice Shy” by Hafsah Faizal - 3/5; eh?? It was fine lol, I liked the MC
“A Flame so Bright” by Malinda Lo - 4/5; I really liked this one! A gay witchcraft story with a happy ending <3
“The Emperor and the Eversong” by Tracey Deonn - 2.5/5; mega disappointing :/ Tracey is literally why I bought this book because I wanted any of her writing to tide me over until Legendborn book 3 but this story felt pointless to me and totally different from her series in a way I didn’t likeeeee
“HEA” by Alex London - 1/5; wtf was this Alex. You know that video going around TikTok with the girl walking into that coffee shop and says she doesn’t like pumpkin spice lattes and then the dude is like “omg I’m in love. Name?” And she goes “senorita awesome” that was this entire story. I physically cringed reading this. Every line was torture. Not to mention why the HELL would I care about Ash’s first world shit problems? Like omg I’m SO sorry you’re a gabillionare and have to work soooo hard at your influencer job. I’m so sorry but I hated this hahahaha
“The Littlest Mermaid” by Meredith Russo - 3.5/5; this was cute but I was a little confused by the ending oops
“Just a Little Bite” by Roselle Lim - 3/5; this moved wayyyy too fast. But the concept was fun
“A Story About a Girl” by Rebecca Podos - 4/5; I liked this one too, I thought she packed a lot into such a small story and I liked the little reveal.
So yeah I guess I ended up with a few 4-stars but all the others just felt okay to me and it really brought this collection down for me unfortunatelyyyy
“Sugarplum” by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4/5
“In the Forests of the Night” by Gita Trelease - 3/5
“Say My Name” by Dahlia Adler - 2/5
“Fire and Rhinestone” by Stacey Lee - 3/5
“Mother’s Mirror” by H.E. Edgmon - 4/5
“Sharp as Any Thorn” by Rory Power - 4/5
“Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger - 5/5 (loved this one, need to read more by her, I love her whimsy and writing style)
Okay here’s where I picked it back up again lol
“The Sister Switch” by Melissa Albert - 3/5; I liked the concept but this went nowhere and ended really abruptly? Did not get the point
“Once Bitten, Twice Shy” by Hafsah Faizal - 3/5; eh?? It was fine lol, I liked the MC
“A Flame so Bright” by Malinda Lo - 4/5; I really liked this one! A gay witchcraft story with a happy ending <3
“The Emperor and the Eversong” by Tracey Deonn - 2.5/5; mega disappointing :/ Tracey is literally why I bought this book because I wanted any of her writing to tide me over until Legendborn book 3 but this story felt pointless to me and totally different from her series in a way I didn’t likeeeee
“HEA” by Alex London - 1/5; wtf was this Alex. You know that video going around TikTok with the girl walking into that coffee shop and says she doesn’t like pumpkin spice lattes and then the dude is like “omg I’m in love. Name?” And she goes “senorita awesome” that was this entire story. I physically cringed reading this. Every line was torture. Not to mention why the HELL would I care about Ash’s first world shit problems? Like omg I’m SO sorry you’re a gabillionare and have to work soooo hard at your influencer job. I’m so sorry but I hated this hahahaha
“The Littlest Mermaid” by Meredith Russo - 3.5/5; this was cute but I was a little confused by the ending oops
“Just a Little Bite” by Roselle Lim - 3/5; this moved wayyyy too fast. But the concept was fun
“A Story About a Girl” by Rebecca Podos - 4/5; I liked this one too, I thought she packed a lot into such a small story and I liked the little reveal.
So yeah I guess I ended up with a few 4-stars but all the others just felt okay to me and it really brought this collection down for me unfortunatelyyyy
June 25, 2023
I received a free copy from Netgalley all opinions are my own.
2 stars.
This is a collection of short stories. Overall I didn't love any of them, and I don't feel compelled to read any of the stories again.
I do like that the original stories are at the end if you don't already know them. I didn't know most of these so I think I did lose a lot of context.
Sugarplum - Anna-Marie McLemore
boring af. I'm happy it was so short otherwise I wouldn't have been able to finish it. 1 star
In the Forests of the Night - Gita Trelease
I don't know the original story. I found the mystery interesting. This story had a horror element to it. And I'm not a fan of horror😬
This story had me on my toes, I was actually a little scared haha.
2 stars, just because I didn't hate it, but I would definitely never read it again. My poor heart can't take it. The story was well written though.
Say My Name - Dahlia Adler
Run of the mill high school student psychopath. 1 star.
Fire and Rhinestone - Stacey Lee
Not a fan, because I hate reading about the cruelty that happens in this world. 1,5 stars.
Mother's Mirror - H. E. Edgmon
Trans representation, good ending. 3 stars
Sharp As Any Thorn - Rory Powers
I didn't really understand what the curse or voices meant? 2 stars?
Coyote In High-Top Sneakers - Darcie Little Badger
It was alright, just a childrens story. 2 stars.
The Sister Switch - Melissa Albert
I'm Nate, I had no freaking clue what was going on. I really didn't like this short story. 1 star.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Hafsah Faizal
It was fine. 2,5 stars.
A Flame So Bright - Malinda Lo
Wlw. It was fine 2 stars.
The Emperor and the Eversong - Tracy Deonn
A story about greed. 2 stars
HEA - Alex London
The reason family should'nt be your manager when you're famous, and why teens should be allowed to be teens and not working adults.
4 stars.
The Littlest Mermaid - Meredith Russo
It was a beautiful story. But I didn't really understand the ending. 3 stars.
Just A Little Bite - Roselle Lim
A Hansel and Gretel retelling. This story really had me in nerves. I feared for their life, it was scary to me. Very well written.
3,5 stars.
A Story About A Girl - Rebecca Podos
Kind of boring, but it did take a turn I didn't expect. 2 stars.
2 stars.
This is a collection of short stories. Overall I didn't love any of them, and I don't feel compelled to read any of the stories again.
I do like that the original stories are at the end if you don't already know them. I didn't know most of these so I think I did lose a lot of context.
Sugarplum - Anna-Marie McLemore
boring af. I'm happy it was so short otherwise I wouldn't have been able to finish it. 1 star
In the Forests of the Night - Gita Trelease
I don't know the original story. I found the mystery interesting. This story had a horror element to it. And I'm not a fan of horror😬
This story had me on my toes, I was actually a little scared haha.
2 stars, just because I didn't hate it, but I would definitely never read it again. My poor heart can't take it. The story was well written though.
Say My Name - Dahlia Adler
Run of the mill high school student psychopath. 1 star.
Fire and Rhinestone - Stacey Lee
Not a fan, because I hate reading about the cruelty that happens in this world. 1,5 stars.
Mother's Mirror - H. E. Edgmon
Trans representation, good ending. 3 stars
Sharp As Any Thorn - Rory Powers
I didn't really understand what the curse or voices meant? 2 stars?
Coyote In High-Top Sneakers - Darcie Little Badger
It was alright, just a childrens story. 2 stars.
The Sister Switch - Melissa Albert
I'm Nate, I had no freaking clue what was going on. I really didn't like this short story. 1 star.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Hafsah Faizal
It was fine. 2,5 stars.
A Flame So Bright - Malinda Lo
Wlw. It was fine 2 stars.
The Emperor and the Eversong - Tracy Deonn
A story about greed. 2 stars
HEA - Alex London
The reason family should'nt be your manager when you're famous, and why teens should be allowed to be teens and not working adults.
4 stars.
The Littlest Mermaid - Meredith Russo
It was a beautiful story. But I didn't really understand the ending. 3 stars.
Just A Little Bite - Roselle Lim
A Hansel and Gretel retelling. This story really had me in nerves. I feared for their life, it was scary to me. Very well written.
3,5 stars.
A Story About A Girl - Rebecca Podos
Kind of boring, but it did take a turn I didn't expect. 2 stars.
April 10, 2023
Thank you to Titan Books for sending me a copy of this book!
Overall, I had a really great time reading these stories and I loved the amount of love, representations and magic I saw in these pages.
Sugarplum - 2 stars
In The Forest of the Night - 5 stars
Say My Name - 3.5 stars
Fire and Rhinestone - 3 stars
Mother's Mirror - 3 stars
Sharp As Any Thorn - 2.5 stars
Coyote in High Top Sneakers - 4 stars
The Sister Switch - 3 stars
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - 3 stars
A Flame So Bright - 3.5 stars
The Emperor and the Eversong - 5 stars
HEA - DNF
The Littlest Mermaid - 2 stars
Just a Little Bite - 5 stars
A Story About a Girl - 5 stars
Overall, I had a really great time reading these stories and I loved the amount of love, representations and magic I saw in these pages.
Sugarplum - 2 stars
In The Forest of the Night - 5 stars
Say My Name - 3.5 stars
Fire and Rhinestone - 3 stars
Mother's Mirror - 3 stars
Sharp As Any Thorn - 2.5 stars
Coyote in High Top Sneakers - 4 stars
The Sister Switch - 3 stars
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - 3 stars
A Flame So Bright - 3.5 stars
The Emperor and the Eversong - 5 stars
HEA - DNF
The Littlest Mermaid - 2 stars
Just a Little Bite - 5 stars
A Story About a Girl - 5 stars
March 12, 2023
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
4.5 stars.
A thrilling collection of reimagined fairy tales that showcase more inclusivity within their characters as well as twisting the stories on their heads.
I really appreciate that excerpts from the original stories are included in the book so that readers can see where inspiration was taken, and where the stories have evolved.
An excellent mixture of both heart warming and dark retellings.
4.5 stars.
A thrilling collection of reimagined fairy tales that showcase more inclusivity within their characters as well as twisting the stories on their heads.
I really appreciate that excerpts from the original stories are included in the book so that readers can see where inspiration was taken, and where the stories have evolved.
An excellent mixture of both heart warming and dark retellings.
November 4, 2024
This book is a collection of fairytales, but made into present day. Just by reading the summary I thought I would love it. It was a little disappointing. At first the stories were really interesting, but over the course of the book they just kept on getting more boring. If you are going to read this I would recommend to start at the back with the original fairy tales and work your way forward to the reimagined ones.
January 15, 2023
Rounding up to 3 stars, some of the stories were just not good. My favorites were: Mothers Mirror, The Sister Switch and The Emperor and the Ever Song.
I’m also counting this book as fully read despite not reading the original fairy tales. Just not interested in that.
I’m also counting this book as fully read despite not reading the original fairy tales. Just not interested in that.
January 27, 2023
3.5/5
actually really loved most of these!! some fell a bit flat for me but it's hard to love every single story in an anthology so im cool w it.
5 star faves:
-in the forests of the night by gita trelease
-coyote in high-top sneakers by darcie little badger
-the sister switch by melissa albert
-once bitten, twice shy by hafsah faizal
-a flame so bright by malinda lo
-a story about a girl by rebecca podos
actually really loved most of these!! some fell a bit flat for me but it's hard to love every single story in an anthology so im cool w it.
5 star faves:
-in the forests of the night by gita trelease
-coyote in high-top sneakers by darcie little badger
-the sister switch by melissa albert
-once bitten, twice shy by hafsah faizal
-a flame so bright by malinda lo
-a story about a girl by rebecca podos
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