Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer - Maureen McGowan

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.
Synopsis taken from goodreads

Title: Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Fairytale Retelling, Choose Your Own Adventure
Publisher: Silver Dolphin
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Format: E-book
Source: Netgalley.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks goes to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review. 
Look for it: Amazon, Book Depository
My rating: 4/5

Lucette has been coddled ever since she was a baby; so much so that she hasn't been allowed to do anything for herself, lest she prick her finger and unleash the curse that has been placed on her by the bitter vampire queen. She has to wear gloves at all times, and is not allowed to do anything that could potentially hurt her. Unfortunately, that means that her hopes of becoming a vampire slayer are pretty bleak. When the unthinkable happens, will Lucette be able to break the spell? 
McGowan has done it again. With another installment in the "Twisted Tales" series, she has created a princess who not only is beautiful, but is strong as well. Lucette isn't your typical princess. She's always revolted against her restraints, and has trained secretly to become a vampire slayer. She has always wanted to be a vampire slayer, and now, with her sixteenth birthday looming, she knows she needs to be able to protect herself, as well as her family. With elements from the original Sleeping Beauty integrated into the story, it is interesting to see the variations and liberties taken. New friends are made, and rather than wait around for a prince to come, she is willing to take up arms and patrol the castle to protect her family.
Though her father is over-protective, his heart is in the right place, and you can't fault him for that. He does go overboard, but Lucette's mother is more even-tempered and is willing to help Lucette out. 
Tweens and teens will love this fairytale retelling as they get to see Lucette turn into the strong woman that she is. Though she hasn't counted out finding true love, she isn't going to sit around waiting for it either.
All in all a fresh take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. With new friends, and a princess who can stand up for herself, Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is sure to charm any reader. With two fairy tales now recreated, I'm itching to see what McGowan has in store for the rest of them. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ohhhh I love this cover. Great review.

Jillian said...

This looks so interesting to me. I've been a little obsessed with fairy tale re-tellings lately, so I might read this one!

Anonymous said...

I was never crazy for the original Sleeping Beauty. So meek and dependent. I'm glad she has been made into a strong and independent person by Maureen McGowen!