Review: Thornwood

Thornwood by Leah Cypess
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Publication Date: 6 April 2021

Publisher's Description

This middle grade debut is Sleeping Beauty like you've never seen it before, about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth.

For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth--that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing--not even Briony--can stop its evil magic.

You know the story.

But here's something you don't know. When Briony finally wakes up, it's up to her to find out what's really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny. The first in a three-book series of fairy tale retellings, these are the stories of the siblings who never made it into the storybook.

My Thoughts

I received an eARC courtesy of Delacorte Books for Young Readers/Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is considered Middle Grade, but I would be inclined to say it reads lower than that just a bit. The pacing is fine for kids and while there is certainly some dark themes, nothing is too intense. While this was certainly not in my list of favorites in the world of retellings, I think there is a lot here for kids to appreciate: a castle surrounded my a forest of thorns, the survival story, fairies, swords, a little bit of love. There is a great deal of cheesiness and some predictability, but kids will like this one.

For Libraries: If you have young fantasy and fairytale fans, this is a good addition to your shelves.