ARC Review: Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer

Author: Maureen McGowan

Genre: Fiction, YA, Fairy Tales, Paranormal, MG, Choose Your Own Adventure

Release: April, 2011

Source: Netgalley

Rating: 4/5

Description: In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read! Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is an entirely new type of fairy tale–one that will keep today's kids guessing and offer them hours of magical fun.

Review:

What I Didn't Like

• It's marketed as a book for young adults, but I think the language is more on the middle grade level. Just my opinion.
• It got silly at times throughout the novel.
• The "choose your own adventure" part of the book has you thinking for Lucette rather than Lucette thinking for herself.

What I Liked

• Ms. McGowan gives an interesting twist to a classic fairy tale. I love the "fractured" fairy tale...some more so than the classics.
• What I liked about the "choose your own adventure" bit was the fact that it made you a part of the story, despite the fact that you did the thinking rather than Lucette. Kids would love to be able to make the decisions, so it works for them.
• Princess Lucette is your regular damsel in distress. Instead of a helpless princess waiting on her prince to rescue her, she's a brave, strong princess who does the saving along with her prince. She's also more of a tomboy than a pampered, spoiled princess.
• I liked the twisted curse: During the day, while the everyone in the kingdom was awake, Lucette slept. During the night, when the vampires roamed, Lucette was awake while the kingdom slept.

Overall, Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer was a pretty good book. I enjoyed the twist and loved the fact that Lucette was an awesomely brave heroine. If you love fairy tales with a twist, this book is definitely for you.