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jessica_flower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I am not the intended middle grade audience for this so I am reviewing it from an adult perspective and as someone who has read plenty of fairytales.
This is a good mixed bag of Western fairytale retellings with some cool concepts, new twists and diverse backgrounds that I was happy to see and that add a new dimension to these stories. Chainani's writing has lots of charm and whimsy, and the only thing that irked me was that there were no dialogue quotations when the characters were speaking. He gets a few points down for that. But since these are fairytales with long-held recognizable archetypes and not full-length novels where there is an expected differentiation between dialogue and prose, I decided to let this pet peeve of mine slide and finished the book anyway.
We see retellings of:
Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel & Gretel, Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin and Peter Pan.
I love fairytales and this is a collection I'm glad I picked up. I think Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, and The Little Mermaid were my favourites ⭐️ . Red Riding Hood was great at showing girls finding ways to escape from the rigid expectations placed on them. Sleeping Beauty was a queer prince with a magic vampire(?) boyfriend. Confusing as to what/how the blood and rose thing worked but good imagery for sure. And a baby shows up at the end, so magical mpreg? Nice. Hansel and Gretel are reimagined as Indian children who are tricked to go into the forest by their wicked stepmother after a famine. The witch that burns at the end of the story is not the one with the house made of sweets. Although the ending for The Little Mermaid story is really open-ended, but maybe that was Chainani's intention. It's less a traditional fairytale structure and more a confrontational dialogue between the mermaid and the sea witch. The sea witch makes a valid argument.
I have to say, though, the retellings of Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Peter Pan especially(!) were the ones I did not like. Bluebeard's was good, and had the right amount of tension for a Bluebeard retelling, but for some reason I kept thinking that some sort of triggering (pedophilic) content was going to show up, but it didn't, aside from the murdered bodies, of course. Peter Pan's, well, actually, Wendy's story, since she was the narrator and not Peter like it was in the original book, just made me really sad. That last story was more a tragedy than anything else.
I haven't read anything by Chainani before this but I might pick something else up by him 🙂
This is a good mixed bag of Western fairytale retellings with some cool concepts, new twists and diverse backgrounds that I was happy to see and that add a new dimension to these stories. Chainani's writing has lots of charm and whimsy, and the only thing that irked me was that there were no dialogue quotations when the characters were speaking. He gets a few points down for that. But since these are fairytales with long-held recognizable archetypes and not full-length novels where there is an expected differentiation between dialogue and prose, I decided to let this pet peeve of mine slide and finished the book anyway.
We see retellings of:
Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel & Gretel, Beauty and the Beast, Bluebeard, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin and Peter Pan.
I love fairytales and this is a collection I'm glad I picked up. I think Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, and The Little Mermaid were my favourites ⭐️ . Red Riding Hood was great at showing girls finding ways to escape from the rigid expectations placed on them. Sleeping Beauty was a queer prince with a magic vampire(?) boyfriend. Confusing as to what/how the blood and rose thing worked but good imagery for sure. And a baby shows up at the end, so magical mpreg? Nice. Hansel and Gretel are reimagined as Indian children who are tricked to go into the forest by their wicked stepmother after a famine. The witch that burns at the end of the story is not the one with the house made of sweets. Although the ending for The Little Mermaid story is really open-ended, but maybe that was Chainani's intention. It's less a traditional fairytale structure and more a confrontational dialogue between the mermaid and the sea witch. The sea witch makes a valid argument.
I have to say, though, the retellings of Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Peter Pan especially(!) were the ones I did not like. Bluebeard's was good, and had the right amount of tension for a Bluebeard retelling, but for some reason I kept thinking that some sort of triggering (pedophilic) content was going to show up, but it didn't, aside from the murdered bodies, of course. Peter Pan's, well, actually, Wendy's story, since she was the narrator and not Peter like it was in the original book, just made me really sad. That last story was more a tragedy than anything else.
I haven't read anything by Chainani before this but I might pick something else up by him 🙂
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, and Abandonment
fairislemeadow's review against another edition
1.0
Darn. I love a good fairy tale retelling but this was not it. I made it through the first four stories and they were all a mess.
mudder17's review against another edition
4.0
This was a solid collection of fairytale retellings, and I really enjoyed the author's take on the various tales, some more than others. A few left me somewhat confused, but overall, it was a very interesting collection. I started out listening to this story but then decided to read along because I wanted to see the illustrations. Somehow listening to the story with what I perceive as an Indian British accent made the story more atmospheric for me. In any case, I am glad I listened along while reading it. I'll say a few words about each story:
Red Riding Hood: This was the opening story and it doesn't matter how well you know the original. Chainani weaves a story full of atmosphere, danger, and the evil humans can do to one another. There was definitely the element of the supernatural and I wasn't sure how much was real and how much was a metaphor. But the ending made me smile and want to howl.
Snow White: The contrast between Snow White's name and what she looked like was very cool. Snow White and her real mother are black, unlike the rest of the realm, and as such, they are looked down upon. The King, as much as he starts out loving Snow White's mother, is really a weak man at heart. I loved how every part of this tale said multiple things. I was briefly confused near the end when the tale seemed to be restarting itself and initially thought I had done something funny when I transferred the audio file onto my phone, but since I was reading along, I knew it had to be deliberate. I loved the ending.
Sleeping Beauty: This was a bit twisted, not to mention gender-bending, and at first, I wasn't sure what was going on. I ended up liking this one, but like Red Riding Hood, there were some aspects of it I was unsure of.
Rapunzel: This one was okay, but it was not nearly as satisfying as the previous stories.
Jack and the Beanstalk: I liked some of this story, but I really didn't like any of the characters in the story, except for maybe the man in the castle who Jack met. He was the only constant character. I get that part of the reason Jack was the way he was was because of his upbringing and his useless parents. He definitely had a hole in his heart yearning to be filled. But he was also as useless as his parents in many other ways. He wanted a better life but didn't want to have to work for it. He wanted it handed to him because he felt he deserved it. While I did appreciate how it ended, this was also not one of my favorites.
Hansel and Gretel: This was one of my two favorites and I loved the whole story, especially the ending. I'll leave it at that.
Beauty and the Beast: I'm not sure how to feel about this one. This has always been one of my favorite fairy tales, and parts of this story I really liked. But the ending--I'm feeling mixed feelings about it.
Bluebeard: This was definitely on the creepy side, but I loved it. It was one of the shorter ones, but it was perfect in length and atmosphere. I loved the ending.
Cinderella: I liked this version of Cinderella and the twist at the end worked very well for me.
The Little Mermaid: This was the shortest of the tales and definitely not what I was expecting. It actually made me laugh quite a bit knowing how the original story went and all the holes the sea witch in this story poked into the original plot. I liked the ending on this one, although it's left a bit ambiguous. But I know what I would pick if I were her!
Rumpelstiltskin: This was another one I wasn't thrilled about because I didn't really like any of the characters, except maybe the Devil? But when she final grows up and realizes she is the one who has to put in the work rather than waiting for someone to save her, she learns and that saves the story for me.
Peter Pan: This was the last of the tales and my other favorite story so a perfect way to end the book. It had me tearing up at the end, but although it made me cry, it was also the way it had to be.
Overall, I'd say that I had two favorites that I would easily give 5 stars and I had two not so favorites that I would have given 3 stars. Most of the rest were somewhere in between, so I'll rate the entire book 4 stars. Interestingly, my niece has me reading The School for Good and Evil, which is a popular middle school series that turns happily ever after upside down, so the author has definitely found his strength. I'm currently reading the second book, and while I still can't stand one of the main characters, I'm finding the story to be pretty interesting.
Red Riding Hood: This was the opening story and it doesn't matter how well you know the original. Chainani weaves a story full of atmosphere, danger, and the evil humans can do to one another. There was definitely the element of the supernatural and I wasn't sure how much was real and how much was a metaphor. But the ending made me smile and want to howl.
Snow White: The contrast between Snow White's name and what she looked like was very cool. Snow White and her real mother are black, unlike the rest of the realm, and as such, they are looked down upon. The King, as much as he starts out loving Snow White's mother, is really a weak man at heart. I loved how every part of this tale said multiple things. I was briefly confused near the end when the tale seemed to be restarting itself and initially thought I had done something funny when I transferred the audio file onto my phone, but since I was reading along, I knew it had to be deliberate. I loved the ending.
Sleeping Beauty: This was a bit twisted, not to mention gender-bending, and at first, I wasn't sure what was going on. I ended up liking this one, but like Red Riding Hood, there were some aspects of it I was unsure of.
Rapunzel: This one was okay, but it was not nearly as satisfying as the previous stories.
Jack and the Beanstalk: I liked some of this story, but I really didn't like any of the characters in the story, except for maybe the man in the castle who Jack met. He was the only constant character. I get that part of the reason Jack was the way he was was because of his upbringing and his useless parents. He definitely had a hole in his heart yearning to be filled. But he was also as useless as his parents in many other ways. He wanted a better life but didn't want to have to work for it. He wanted it handed to him because he felt he deserved it. While I did appreciate how it ended, this was also not one of my favorites.
Hansel and Gretel: This was one of my two favorites and I loved the whole story, especially the ending. I'll leave it at that.
Beauty and the Beast: I'm not sure how to feel about this one. This has always been one of my favorite fairy tales, and parts of this story I really liked. But the ending--I'm feeling mixed feelings about it.
Bluebeard: This was definitely on the creepy side, but I loved it. It was one of the shorter ones, but it was perfect in length and atmosphere. I loved the ending.
Cinderella: I liked this version of Cinderella and the twist at the end worked very well for me.
The Little Mermaid: This was the shortest of the tales and definitely not what I was expecting. It actually made me laugh quite a bit knowing how the original story went and all the holes the sea witch in this story poked into the original plot. I liked the ending on this one, although it's left a bit ambiguous. But I know what I would pick if I were her!
Rumpelstiltskin: This was another one I wasn't thrilled about because I didn't really like any of the characters, except maybe the Devil? But when she final grows up and realizes she is the one who has to put in the work rather than waiting for someone to save her, she learns and that saves the story for me.
Peter Pan: This was the last of the tales and my other favorite story so a perfect way to end the book. It had me tearing up at the end, but although it made me cry, it was also the way it had to be.
Overall, I'd say that I had two favorites that I would easily give 5 stars and I had two not so favorites that I would have given 3 stars. Most of the rest were somewhere in between, so I'll rate the entire book 4 stars. Interestingly, my niece has me reading The School for Good and Evil, which is a popular middle school series that turns happily ever after upside down, so the author has definitely found his strength. I'm currently reading the second book, and while I still can't stand one of the main characters, I'm finding the story to be pretty interesting.
ritsuka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Podobały mi się tak bardziej: Piotruś Pan, Królewna Śnieżka, Sinobrody, Piękna i Bestia, Czerwony Kapturek
Niezbyt polubiłam: Jaś i magiczna fasola, Śpiąca królewna, Mała syrena
Reszta neutralna
Niezbyt polubiłam: Jaś i magiczna fasola, Śpiąca królewna, Mała syrena
Reszta neutralna
buckeyebreezey's review against another edition
5.0
Beasts and Beauty is what happens when fairy tales take on a modern and fun twist - and they aren't all about the damsel in distress.
Soman Chainani takes the fairy tales and makes them new for a new age - with LGBTQ+ and friendship taking the lead and beautiful prose taking a wonderful backseat.
I didn't realize these were specifically for children or middle grades until I started writing this review.
These are well written for adults as well.
Soman Chainani takes the fairy tales and makes them new for a new age - with LGBTQ+ and friendship taking the lead and beautiful prose taking a wonderful backseat.
I didn't realize these were specifically for children or middle grades until I started writing this review.
These are well written for adults as well.
queeneallie's review against another edition
I liked the first couple stories, but after that I don't understand *why* he retold them. I just didn't see a point.
Sleeping Beauty was a homosexual male? OK, fine, but that should be consensual and not painful. Hansel and Gretel become cannibals and that's....good? Meh.
Sleeping Beauty was a homosexual male? OK, fine, but that should be consensual and not painful. Hansel and Gretel become cannibals and that's....good? Meh.
isiloaranel's review against another edition
5.0
A stunningly written collection of reimagined fairytales and folk stories. Absolutely beautiful and masterful.
831bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- Peter Pan - pan is selfish and loses interest in Wendy. Who falls in love with a pirate with heart of gold. She continues to grow up and live a double life. And then she gives birth and the he pirate comes back to bring them to neverland. She doesn’t have any magic left and the fairy dust is no longer working on her. He takes the baby and raises it in neverland.
- The little mermaid - basically the witch, unnamed, Ursula, and the mermaid, Ariel, talk it out, and Ursula convinces her that she doesn’t really know what she’s asking for and is making you stupid mistakes to want legs for the prince.
- Cinderella - follows the regular plot line except Cinderella is not the princess true love it is a girl named Magdalena. And really the friendship love between Magdalena and Cinderella is the one that endures. There is a funny moment where the prince behold, both of them, and for a short moment, they are a happy threesome, except Magdalena and Cinderella like each other more than the prince.
- Bluebeard - instead of wives, blue beard likes to take little boys. The greatest game mission for the master, and a clever boy, who harnesses the power of his fallen brothers, to outsmart the evil master.
- Beauty and the beast - be careful to look and not see [your love]. You might end up stabbing him while looking for him.
- Hansel and gretel - it’s a moral story for the mothers who don’t love and take care of their children. And a sad remembrance tie in for husbands who let their wife go, to save their argument.
- Jack and the beanstalk - he lives with a miserable mother and it follows the trope except the boy wanted his father and got that and love as his final winning. Followed the storyline otherwise.
- Red riding hood - wolf is wolves and a beautiful maiden is given in tribute but red changes that and rescues the girls after her in a wolfy clan of her own
- Snow White - she’s black and has a baby and doesn’t complete the orphaned daughter prey for evil stepmother cycle
- Sleeping beauty - she’s a he and he’s gay for a rose spirit(?) and they end up happily ever after (killing the evil wife to the he)
- Rapunzel - the witch is an old man gardener who smothers the rabbit. Rapunzel is a viney plant and she doesn’t want to leave with the prince, just want kisses
- Rumplestiltskin is basically the same story, but with the statement that there is no man to rescue her like in fairytales, if she is to beat the devil, she must be her own prince