Bitsy is no one’s ideal princess.
She’s heard it all: that it’s a shame she’s so plain, so lacking in grace. That the best thing for her to do is simply wait (and wait some more), and hope some prince will grant her a happy ending.
Then Bitsy pricks her finger on a spindle and falls down, down, down.
Into a world where cutthroats and con artists are more common than curtsies. Where no one ages and everyone is beautiful. Where an inscrutable evil rests at its core.
A land where Bitsy’s fate and her future are solely in her own hands—and neither are what she expects.
The dark and deadly world of Heartless meets the empowering twist of Cruel Beauty in this thrilling, unpredictable, multigenre retelling of one of the most beloved fairy tales: where instead of falling asleep to await her prince, this sleeping beauty finally wakes up.
I really wanted to like this. The idea is so great! Why shouldn't Sleeping Beauty have had adventures in other worlds while she was waiting for her prince? Why shouldn't she earn her happy ending like most people have to?
Sadly, the execution is a mixed up mess. Bitsy meets a lot of people in her dream world, but it's tough to see how they fit into the narrative or move the story on. Since we're always in her head, we only know what she thinks of them, and it's difficult to get a real handle on anyone. I really did want to like this, but it's too mixed up and confusing.
However, the idea is clever, and some of the characters are really good. I think Andrea could be a wonderful writer; this book didn't suit me, but I'll be looking out for more by her, because she does have a brilliant imagination and I'm interested to see what else she comes up with in the future.
Creeping Beauty publishes on the 22nd of August, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest opinion.
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