Once Again

Once again

By Liz Braswell & Cameron Dokey

With a hint of magic and a spell of romance, the tales of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty come alive...

  If you had read my Once review…you’ll know how much I love it…and now…behold, the most “UNIQUE” fairytale retelling of all time. Really, among all the stories I’ve read, magic, darkness, trouble, romance has involved in the plots. But two of these stories…are completely out of surprise. Remember I told you about the Rapunzel retelling? That isn’t the most surprising of all. Snow and Beauty Sleep are…definitely unexpected. When I finish the story, I was like…WOW! My mouth dropped.

Snow

  After the tragic death of her mother, Jessica's father finds love again. But as Jessica soon grows into a beautiful young woman, it becomes clear thatcher stepmother is wildly--and murderously--jealous of her. With no choice, Jessica escapes to London and falls in with an odd band of outcasts who accept her into their makeshift family. So when her stepmother, repentant and seeking forgiveness, appears in the city, Jessica must decide whom to trust...with her life.

Beauty Sleep

  Cursed at birth, Princess Aurore is fated to prick her finger at age sixteen and sleep for one hundred years. As the days go by, the adventurous princess makes a habit of exploring the lands beyond the castle, where her warmth and generosity earn her the devotion of the townspeople. But after learning that the impending curse will harm not only her but the entire kingdom as well, Aurore embarks on a dangerous quest to the end the evil magic--and put a stop to the curse before it's too late.

  So…Snow White wasn’t called Snow White after all? Now, another mother died from birth, another daughter out of parents’ love. Jessica was raise among the servants and played freely. But then one day, the unreasonable father appeared and “Oh! You were so not like a lady! So from today forward, you must behave like one and I would find you a stepmother to teach you so.” Then Jessica’s life change. She could no longer play and run freely as she like, nor could she visit her servant friends, what’s worse, she was brutal by her stepmother after her fourteenth birthday party accident. When she grew more and more beautiful, as all of you know, she escaped for her life. She didn’t hide in the forest, instead, she left for London. There, she was captured by a group of…of…animal? Human? I don’t know…it was hard to describe them. She gradually gained their trust, and she finally being regarded as a family member. But then the duchess was back, threatening her life. (Oh! Jessica wasn’t a princess…after all, she was the daughter of a duke.) She was fallen under the magic and slept for years. They tried everything to save her. Well…what’s interesting about this story is that the true love kiss didn’t go as we expected. This wasn’t merely a Snow White retelling…but I think it’s also a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Just that the “Snow White” part is more. We don’t have “Prince Charming” inside this story…or it wasn’t the same. Besides, this Snow was stronger and wiser. She figured out her own true love and who she should truly cherish: friendship, family, and love. As soon as I finished it, I was astonished, but WOW. I love those kind of ending about “Happily Ever After”, but what I love more, is a strong female character. And this story, contained a love that doesn’t include Prince, but one that all will want to cherish forever.

  Now, now…the second story. Beauty Sleep, the retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Thankfully, the princess’ parents were both alive and healthy. Yet, she was cursed, her life was bound by two spell. What’s interesting is that she wasn’t raise in the forest or far from the castle, instead, she was surrounded by her beloved parents and a cousin. Well…the cousin that lived with her was called Prince Charming…but their relationship differ all the time. Due to the curse, Aurore was forbidden to leave the castle until she was older. And then one day, she was officially announced as the heir of the kingdom, even though it must take one hundred year after she was awake, the throne still belong to her. But then when she was sixteen, the kingdom was almost destroyed. The sky started to rain blood, flood and dry came together. The only way to save the kingdom was… If reading Snow my reaction was WOW, I have no idea how to express myself after reading Beauty Sleep. This story is a bit mix of time traveling, magic, enchanting stuff. While you might think you’ve already past a few hour, it actually was years past. What’s more, your true love might not be the one who waked you. The reason I love the book so much is that we don’t have the originally kind of “true love kiss.” Instead, that kind of kiss often happen when everything seems to turn out right, and the kiss will finish it with a perfect draw. While everyone only think the only possible way, the authors will give you a complete different path for the story. Not only this book, but also Once. Now, after reading this unexpected book, I can no longer wait for Kiss to arrive!

 

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