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Once Again: Snow / Beauty Sleep
Two beloved and timeless tales—Snow White and Sleeping Beauty—find new life in these magical and imaginative retellings filled with romance and adventure.
Snow
After the tragic death of her mother, Jessica’s father finds love again. But as Jessica grows into a beautiful young woman, it becomes clear that her stepmother is wildly—and murderously—jealous of her.
With no choice, Jessica escapes to London and finds herself surrounded by an odd band of outcasts who accept her into their makeshift family. And when her stepmother—repentant and supposedly seeking forgiveness—appears in the city, Jessica must decide whom to trust.
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 when she finds out the impending curse will not only harm her—but the entire kingdom—Aurore embarks on a dangerous quest to end the evil magic. Will she be able to put a stop to the curse before it’s too late?
Snow
After the tragic death of her mother, Jessica’s father finds love again. But as Jessica grows into a beautiful young woman, it becomes clear that her stepmother is wildly—and murderously—jealous of her.
With no choice, Jessica escapes to London and finds herself surrounded by an odd band of outcasts who accept her into their makeshift family. And when her stepmother—repentant and supposedly seeking forgiveness—appears in the city, Jessica must decide whom to trust.
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 when she finds out the impending curse will not only harm her—but the entire kingdom—Aurore embarks on a dangerous quest to end the evil magic. Will she be able to put a stop to the curse before it’s too late?
464 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2015
33 people are currently reading
6402 people want to read
About the author
Liz Braswell
70 books6,256 followersAfter the sort of introverted childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally she caved into fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She also has short stories in Geektastic and Who Done It and a new series of reimagined fairy tales coming out, starting with A Whole New World—a retelling of Aladdin.
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected].
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected].
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
October 19, 2019
I loved both of the stories in this book they both were unique in their own ways I would read more books like this for sure. I liked the characters of both stories especially Snow and Raven from Snow and Aurore and Oswald from Beauty Sleep. I found Snow or Jessica which is her actual name to be a very interesting character in the beginning she was your typical child and then the evil Step Mother came and then she was treated horribly and blamed for something that happened to her she was very well written. I liked the plot of Snow it was well written and really flowed well it had a more scientific rather than magical take on the things the evil step mother did I found that unique and it made the story so much better, I liked the bit of romance between Raven and Snow it was well done and was not out of place at all. I really liked Aurore she was a wonderful character that really cared about her people she would even go into a forest to prevent misfortune from happening to them. I liked the bit at the end with Oswald and her and his feelings for each other it really had the perfect fairy tale ending. I really liked the plot of Beauty Sleep it really read like an old fairy tale and I really liked how the plot moved from one place to another. So overall these stories were really good I would read more of them in the future.
January 11, 2016
This book is split into 2 completely separate stories the 1st story about snow is 3.5 for me and the 2nd story about aurora is a 2
Snow
pros
Braswell actually had a fairly interesting premise starting out. Jess a young girl ,whose mother died the day she was born and whose father can't stand being near, runs away when she finds out her new step mother wants nothing more then to tear out her heart.
Thankfully with the help of her fiend Alan she escapes to London and finds herself accepted by an odd band of outcasts, but when her stepmother comes back changed and supposedly seeking forgiveness, Jessica wants nothing more than to believe her and feel what its like to have a real mother but can she trust her?
The narrative was simple and descriptive at the same time I didn't find myself getting caught up in the writing or feeling bogged down by unnecessary details.
the story was definitely creative and (thankfully) not as cliche as i thought it would be, i loved how Liz Incorporated the lonely ones into the story that was very fun too read
cons
the setting, the plot, everything was... okay and that was just it nothing really stood out the mc seemed was easily forgettable in fact all the characters were pretty simple and one-dimensional, which made the story bland
while at first the premise was promising, nothing really happened.. I was furious. I kept reading, waiting for this thing to go somewhere, for something cool to happen. It didn't! Nothing worth anything happened here.
And the ending was totally rushed the book skipped 2 years in under a page! which made the whole story disappointing (i guess i was just expecting more)
beuty sleep
this story was so boring it literally took me 2 days and the plot was so confusing i didnt even bother to get it
all in all if your looking for a quick little fairytale it's good
Snow
pros
Braswell actually had a fairly interesting premise starting out. Jess a young girl ,whose mother died the day she was born and whose father can't stand being near, runs away when she finds out her new step mother wants nothing more then to tear out her heart.
Thankfully with the help of her fiend Alan she escapes to London and finds herself accepted by an odd band of outcasts, but when her stepmother comes back changed and supposedly seeking forgiveness, Jessica wants nothing more than to believe her and feel what its like to have a real mother but can she trust her?
The narrative was simple and descriptive at the same time I didn't find myself getting caught up in the writing or feeling bogged down by unnecessary details.
the story was definitely creative and (thankfully) not as cliche as i thought it would be, i loved how Liz Incorporated the lonely ones into the story that was very fun too read
cons
the setting, the plot, everything was... okay and that was just it nothing really stood out the mc seemed was easily forgettable in fact all the characters were pretty simple and one-dimensional, which made the story bland
while at first the premise was promising, nothing really happened.. I was furious. I kept reading, waiting for this thing to go somewhere, for something cool to happen. It didn't! Nothing worth anything happened here.
And the ending was totally rushed the book skipped 2 years in under a page! which made the whole story disappointing (i guess i was just expecting more)
beuty sleep
this story was so boring it literally took me 2 days and the plot was so confusing i didnt even bother to get it
all in all if your looking for a quick little fairytale it's good
Want to read
June 13, 2015
Book Look (88): Once Again by nereyda1003
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Check out more of my Book Looks or Mood Boards at:
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Follow me at:
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June 24, 2021
OH MY GOD. EVERYTHING WENT WRONG AT ONCE.
Okay hold on. First things first.
Snow : 3.4
I really enjoyed this. It was intriguing, very interesting and the pieces came together really nicely.
Mainly I just wish it could have been longer. It felt a bit underdeveloped and I wish that there had been more time fleshing out her relationships with the Lonely Ones.
NOW. ONTO THE MESS.
Beauty Sleep : 1.7 (and that’s being generous)
WHAT HAPPENED HERE??? Just. Cameron. I wanna talk.
So it wasn’t off to a strong start. The narrator, Aurore, is practically unbearable at the beginning. She does get less annoying over time, though.
Now. Her cousin Oswald is nearly a decade older than her, and was there for the entirety of her growing up. I was getting the impression that he was basically a semi-estranged older brother figure.
Once she was in the magic time-altering forest it was easy to see that Ironheart was Oswald’s descendant.
I remember specifically writing down that it was obvious Ironheart was a love interest, but she kept on comparing him to Oswald, and the similarities made her like him more, which I had found odd. I brushed it off, though, assuming that the author was just trying to show it was Oswald’s descendant, how long it had been in the outside world, and that she was still thinking of her family in some way.
Holy hell was I wrong.
So as the story went on I slowly got on board with her cousins descendant being the love interest. I mean, by then the genetics are diluted enough that it’s essentially irrelevant, it’s just a bit odd. I liked how the characters played off each other, the story as a whole was growing on me.
Then we come to the ending.
She gets back to her kingdom, and upon getting there, reveals that she’s actually in love with her cousin, and they end up together (through de-aging magic).
Now. Let’s put this in perspective.
She has only really been alive for 16 years. Her cousin, on the other hand, has been alive for 124.
She grew up with him, and he’s apparently been in love with her all his life. This man was in his mid 20s, in love with his teenaged cousin. Then she left, and he stayed in love with the (still!) 16 year old girl for another hundred years.
Just. This is so creepy. Not only is it incestuous, it reeks of grooming and predatory behavior.
I can’t even put into words how disgusted and baffled I am that this was a full on published story.
Like honestly, what the actual fuck.
Okay hold on. First things first.
Snow : 3.4
I really enjoyed this. It was intriguing, very interesting and the pieces came together really nicely.
Mainly I just wish it could have been longer. It felt a bit underdeveloped and I wish that there had been more time fleshing out her relationships with the Lonely Ones.
NOW. ONTO THE MESS.
Beauty Sleep : 1.7 (and that’s being generous)
WHAT HAPPENED HERE??? Just. Cameron. I wanna talk.
So it wasn’t off to a strong start. The narrator, Aurore, is practically unbearable at the beginning. She does get less annoying over time, though.
Now. Her cousin Oswald is nearly a decade older than her, and was there for the entirety of her growing up. I was getting the impression that he was basically a semi-estranged older brother figure.
Once she was in the magic time-altering forest it was easy to see that Ironheart was Oswald’s descendant.
I remember specifically writing down that it was obvious Ironheart was a love interest, but she kept on comparing him to Oswald, and the similarities made her like him more, which I had found odd. I brushed it off, though, assuming that the author was just trying to show it was Oswald’s descendant, how long it had been in the outside world, and that she was still thinking of her family in some way.
Holy hell was I wrong.
So as the story went on I slowly got on board with her cousins descendant being the love interest. I mean, by then the genetics are diluted enough that it’s essentially irrelevant, it’s just a bit odd. I liked how the characters played off each other, the story as a whole was growing on me.
Then we come to the ending.
She gets back to her kingdom, and upon getting there, reveals that she’s actually in love with her cousin, and they end up together (through de-aging magic).
Now. Let’s put this in perspective.
She has only really been alive for 16 years. Her cousin, on the other hand, has been alive for 124.
She grew up with him, and he’s apparently been in love with her all his life. This man was in his mid 20s, in love with his teenaged cousin. Then she left, and he stayed in love with the (still!) 16 year old girl for another hundred years.
Just. This is so creepy. Not only is it incestuous, it reeks of grooming and predatory behavior.
I can’t even put into words how disgusted and baffled I am that this was a full on published story.
Like honestly, what the actual fuck.
August 22, 2020
This book is divided into two short stories (retelling fairytale of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty)
3.5/5 - Snow by Liz Brasswell
I really like how Brasswell giving us an insight of how snow's stepmother grows up from a loving, attentive mother to a strict, controlling mother. It's refreshing to see all of this time since, surprisingly, she wanted the best for Snow, for her reasons that women are needed/respected/accepted in society for two reasons - pretty face and chasity. Before this, snow is allowed to play outside the castle, together with her guy friends, like a tomboy, un-ladylike. When she's young, she's not pale as snow nor red lips as blood, tan her skin was with freckles spattered on her cheeks. Not until one day, on the day snow is supposed to be introduced to the audience, all nobles from other other countries come to see. But that night, as she loves wandering outside castle carelessly, a prince has tried to harass her. Since that point, the stepmother is aghast of her, nagging her for her lack of awareness and thus start to ban her from going out.
And snow grows up into a pretty lady, since she doesnt go out often. Her tan skin changes into a pale one, freckles gone long. Once, her guy friends has seen a glimpse of her and is really flabbergasted of her beauty. Things change for good.
I really really like snow's stepmother. I feel like i could understand her. She doesn't hate snow (like we've always known of Snow white's story) and she's sort of a scientist.
And one thing i really love the twists in this story. There's no dwarfs included here, instead it's a pack of half human and half animals.
Plotwise, very good, satisfying with the ending. You'll get surprised of whom she will end up with. So far, this is the most realistic snow white retelling that i've ever read and i love it so much. The story is narrates from a 3rd POV.
2.5/5 - Beauty Sleep.
At first, you'll find yourself turn off with how the story delivers (written from 1st POV) i usually dont have any problem with this kind of narration but i despise of how the narrator overuses the skeptical questions, it's less interesting to follow so i decided to dnf this story.
But i decided to give it one chance by just speeding up thru story and see what the story makes of. And surprisingly, i am drawn back to the story when Aurore is forced by the public to leave the castle(since her existence brings calamity to her people, such as blood rain and so on) so she goes to a forest that's forbidden for anyone who has entered.
And PLOT TWIST omg, suffice to say I'm really really taken aback. Ngl, you should suffer the same amount of my headache when reading the first half😂 then you'll really get pleased when u reach the conflict of this story.
Reason why i'd rated this under 3 stars is that the author doesn't explain of how Aurore is able to sleep in the forest for 100 years.
3.5/5 - Snow by Liz Brasswell
I really like how Brasswell giving us an insight of how snow's stepmother grows up from a loving, attentive mother to a strict, controlling mother. It's refreshing to see all of this time since, surprisingly, she wanted the best for Snow, for her reasons that women are needed/respected/accepted in society for two reasons - pretty face and chasity. Before this, snow is allowed to play outside the castle, together with her guy friends, like a tomboy, un-ladylike. When she's young, she's not pale as snow nor red lips as blood, tan her skin was with freckles spattered on her cheeks. Not until one day, on the day snow is supposed to be introduced to the audience, all nobles from other other countries come to see. But that night, as she loves wandering outside castle carelessly, a prince has tried to harass her. Since that point, the stepmother is aghast of her, nagging her for her lack of awareness and thus start to ban her from going out.
And snow grows up into a pretty lady, since she doesnt go out often. Her tan skin changes into a pale one, freckles gone long. Once, her guy friends has seen a glimpse of her and is really flabbergasted of her beauty. Things change for good.
I really really like snow's stepmother. I feel like i could understand her. She doesn't hate snow (like we've always known of Snow white's story) and she's sort of a scientist.
And one thing i really love the twists in this story. There's no dwarfs included here, instead it's a pack of half human and half animals.
Plotwise, very good, satisfying with the ending. You'll get surprised of whom she will end up with. So far, this is the most realistic snow white retelling that i've ever read and i love it so much. The story is narrates from a 3rd POV.
2.5/5 - Beauty Sleep.
At first, you'll find yourself turn off with how the story delivers (written from 1st POV) i usually dont have any problem with this kind of narration but i despise of how the narrator overuses the skeptical questions, it's less interesting to follow so i decided to dnf this story.
But i decided to give it one chance by just speeding up thru story and see what the story makes of. And surprisingly, i am drawn back to the story when Aurore is forced by the public to leave the castle(since her existence brings calamity to her people, such as blood rain and so on) so she goes to a forest that's forbidden for anyone who has entered.
And PLOT TWIST omg, suffice to say I'm really really taken aback. Ngl, you should suffer the same amount of my headache when reading the first half😂 then you'll really get pleased when u reach the conflict of this story.
Reason why i'd rated this under 3 stars is that the author doesn't explain of how Aurore is able to sleep in the forest for 100 years.
August 13, 2017
I can't say I loved this book but I also can't say I hated it either. Due to it being two books in one I did prefer the first book. Snow was good and kept me wanting to read more where as with Beauty Sleep I felt it was to drawn out. I liked both takes on the classic fairytales.
October 1, 2022
There are two stories put into this book: "Snow" and "Beauty Sleep". In my opinion, you should save yourself the heartbreak and ONLY read "Snow".
TLDR: "Snow" stars a relatable main character that follows her search for love after being cast aside by her family. It is a 4/5 star story with a few minor hiccups. "Beauty Sleep" starts off as a witty adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty", in which the main character talks to the audience through her journey in family, high society and saving her kingdom. However, this story was soured when the last few chapters reveal that the main character is in love with her much older cousin (who I considered as an affectionate but distant brother), and they have children and grandchildren. Due to this development, it is 1.5/5 stars.
TLDR: "Snow" stars a relatable main character that follows her search for love after being cast aside by her family. It is a 4/5 star story with a few minor hiccups. "Beauty Sleep" starts off as a witty adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty", in which the main character talks to the audience through her journey in family, high society and saving her kingdom. However, this story was soured when the last few chapters reveal that the main character is in love with her much older cousin (who I considered as an affectionate but distant brother), and they have children and grandchildren. Due to this development, it is 1.5/5 stars.
May 10, 2020
both of these tales are super trippy, so it makes sense they were bundled together
SNOW by Liz Braswell
** 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 that her stepmother is wildly—and murderously—jealous of her **
the longer of the two stories at 268 pages, i was hooked for the overwhelming majority of Jessica's story. her life begins rather unassumingly as a young duchess, then shifts with the arrival of her father's new wife, Anne of Mandagor. Jessica and Anne's early relationship is cordial, as Jessica is allowed to retain most of her childhood freedom and Anne begins to instruct the young girl on the ways of being a proper lady.
i appreciated the time we get to see how the "wicked stepmother" and Jessica grew to a relative familiarity. readers are also treated to Anne's particular passion: the sciences. i quite liked how Jessica was a staunch support for her (though distant) stepmother's passions, an activity frowned upon for women. while Jessica's support could later be seen as her downfall, i saw it much more as part of her kindness.
Jessica's eventual escape from her home leads us to this adaptation's version of the Seven Dwarves — the Lonely Ones, a group of half-animal, half-human misfits who inhabit the streets of London. a good chunk of the book is spent on Jessica's time with the Lonely Ones, and I'll admit, sometimes my interest waned here. not all the scenes seemed particularly important to the overall plot. THEN we get the expected cause of Snow's sleep, which was a bit confusing to follow, and the section of the story until her awakening felt a bit far-fetched and over-long.
overall, this story has some strongly likeable and well-fleshed out characters and morals, though some elements of the plot were over-stretched. an *interesting* take on snow white, if not a particular favourite.
BEAUTY SLEEP by Cameron Dokey
** After learning her impending curse will harm not only her but the entire kingdom as well, Aurore embarks on a dangerous quest to end the evil magic—and put a stop to the curse before it's too late **
I've read enough of Dokey's retellings to get a general sense of where this story was going before I even started. The beginning was much the same, with the princess narrating how her story was poorly retold and how she would set the story straight. Dokey's main flaw is there is too, too much rambling from the narrator. stuff like "you might have thought, but really...and who can blame you because...then again...the truth of the matter is..." and this will go on for several paragraphs before you get to something actually pertinent to the plot.
Ultimately, the actionable moments in this story could fit on fifty pages, but with the meaningless insertions from the narrator, it's made longer and less interesting to follow.
To the story itself, my greatest thoughts are on the ending, which was shocking mostly because it was so odd (but I won't discuss because I wouldn't spoil if for some reason you wanted to read this). I don't see myself reading this again.
SNOW by Liz Braswell
** 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 that her stepmother is wildly—and murderously—jealous of her **
the longer of the two stories at 268 pages, i was hooked for the overwhelming majority of Jessica's story. her life begins rather unassumingly as a young duchess, then shifts with the arrival of her father's new wife, Anne of Mandagor. Jessica and Anne's early relationship is cordial, as Jessica is allowed to retain most of her childhood freedom and Anne begins to instruct the young girl on the ways of being a proper lady.
i appreciated the time we get to see how the "wicked stepmother" and Jessica grew to a relative familiarity. readers are also treated to Anne's particular passion: the sciences. i quite liked how Jessica was a staunch support for her (though distant) stepmother's passions, an activity frowned upon for women. while Jessica's support could later be seen as her downfall, i saw it much more as part of her kindness.
Jessica's eventual escape from her home leads us to this adaptation's version of the Seven Dwarves — the Lonely Ones, a group of half-animal, half-human misfits who inhabit the streets of London. a good chunk of the book is spent on Jessica's time with the Lonely Ones, and I'll admit, sometimes my interest waned here. not all the scenes seemed particularly important to the overall plot. THEN we get the expected cause of Snow's sleep, which was a bit confusing to follow, and the section of the story until her awakening felt a bit far-fetched and over-long.
overall, this story has some strongly likeable and well-fleshed out characters and morals, though some elements of the plot were over-stretched. an *interesting* take on snow white, if not a particular favourite.
BEAUTY SLEEP by Cameron Dokey
** After learning her impending curse will harm not only her but the entire kingdom as well, Aurore embarks on a dangerous quest to end the evil magic—and put a stop to the curse before it's too late **
I've read enough of Dokey's retellings to get a general sense of where this story was going before I even started. The beginning was much the same, with the princess narrating how her story was poorly retold and how she would set the story straight. Dokey's main flaw is there is too, too much rambling from the narrator. stuff like "you might have thought, but really...and who can blame you because...then again...the truth of the matter is..." and this will go on for several paragraphs before you get to something actually pertinent to the plot.
Ultimately, the actionable moments in this story could fit on fifty pages, but with the meaningless insertions from the narrator, it's made longer and less interesting to follow.
To the story itself, my greatest thoughts are on the ending, which was shocking mostly because it was so odd (but I won't discuss because I wouldn't spoil if for some reason you wanted to read this). I don't see myself reading this again.
June 18, 2022
I was pleasantly surprised by the two stories in this book. There are so many retellings of fairy tales in books, movies and television which made me skeptical these would be different enough to be enjoyable. Because I am familiar with (and like) Liz Braswell’s writing I gave it a try. I was not disappointed.
Both tales were very unique both from each other and from previously written versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I’m going to review each story separately below.
SNOW
It had a very similar feel to the original fairy tale but with an interesting slant towards alchemy/early science. The essence of the original characters was there but with more depth and background. The addition of some new and unconventional characters helped to expand the story and world it’s set in. This also made the story quite interesting and very enjoyable. The narrative kept the base story of Snow White while weaving in extras that brought it a fresh perspective. It had a very satisfying ending.
BEAUTY SLEEP
I’ll admit at first I had trouble with the narrative style of this story. It seemed too casual for my liking. However within a few chapters I saw the merit of using this style and thoroughly enjoyed the story. This version of Sleeping Beauty was a far cry from the original in the best way. The original fairy tale was there in skeleton form with a delightful narrative woven on top. The characters were well fleshed out and had me very involved in their individual trials and emotions. There were many interesting twists to the story and “aha” moments. I was very pleased with how the tale ended.
Both tales were very unique both from each other and from previously written versions of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I’m going to review each story separately below.
SNOW
It had a very similar feel to the original fairy tale but with an interesting slant towards alchemy/early science. The essence of the original characters was there but with more depth and background. The addition of some new and unconventional characters helped to expand the story and world it’s set in. This also made the story quite interesting and very enjoyable. The narrative kept the base story of Snow White while weaving in extras that brought it a fresh perspective. It had a very satisfying ending.
BEAUTY SLEEP
I’ll admit at first I had trouble with the narrative style of this story. It seemed too casual for my liking. However within a few chapters I saw the merit of using this style and thoroughly enjoyed the story. This version of Sleeping Beauty was a far cry from the original in the best way. The original fairy tale was there in skeleton form with a delightful narrative woven on top. The characters were well fleshed out and had me very involved in their individual trials and emotions. There were many interesting twists to the story and “aha” moments. I was very pleased with how the tale ended.
October 26, 2017
I enjoyed the first story more than the second one, but the second did grow on me as I read it.
For the first, it was a really cool take on Snow White. The bare bones of the Snow White story was there, but the additions and twists kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next.
As for the second story... After reading only the first few sentences, I wanted to just put the book down. The main character's voice felt so jarring compared to the voice of the Snow White retelling. However, I found that the more I read, the less annoying she sounded. Not that I ever fell in love with the story, but it didn't seem too bad by the end. On it's own, I would probably give it three stars.
Though, how the crap does Aurore not ever prick herself before turning sixteen? That possibility is mentioned by her mother and is what keeps Aurore so confined at first, but there's never a moment she pricks herself early and they discover it really is only when she's sixteen--but I don't believe for a second this didn't happen, with everything she was doing up until then.
So, it wasn't a bad story, but Aurore's voice was a little jarring after the other story, and while Aurore was certainly proactive, this story still felt a little like it was just waiting for something to happen.
I'll keep this book for the first story, but I don't know if I would ever re-read the second. Again, the Sleeping Beauty retelling wasn't bad, but it just didn't do anything for me.
For the first, it was a really cool take on Snow White. The bare bones of the Snow White story was there, but the additions and twists kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next.
As for the second story... After reading only the first few sentences, I wanted to just put the book down. The main character's voice felt so jarring compared to the voice of the Snow White retelling. However, I found that the more I read, the less annoying she sounded. Not that I ever fell in love with the story, but it didn't seem too bad by the end. On it's own, I would probably give it three stars.
Though, how the crap does Aurore not ever prick herself before turning sixteen? That possibility is mentioned by her mother and is what keeps Aurore so confined at first, but there's never a moment she pricks herself early and they discover it really is only when she's sixteen--but I don't believe for a second this didn't happen, with everything she was doing up until then.
So, it wasn't a bad story, but Aurore's voice was a little jarring after the other story, and while Aurore was certainly proactive, this story still felt a little like it was just waiting for something to happen.
I'll keep this book for the first story, but I don't know if I would ever re-read the second. Again, the Sleeping Beauty retelling wasn't bad, but it just didn't do anything for me.
December 12, 2021
Since there are two stories in this book, I am going to split my review in two as well.
Snow: I loved this story. Braswell paid proper homage to the original tale but added in some very interesting and uncommon elements that made it very exciting to read. There were heart-warming relationships -- both familial and romantic. The characterization of the stepmother was also very complex and humane, to the point that I felt myself feeling sympathy for her.
Beauty Sleep: This story was not on the same level as Snow. I did like it a lot more than I originally thought that I was going to. The tone of the narrator at the beginning is a little too conversational and modern for the setting and plot of the story, so that was very jarring, initially. SPOILER ALERT!! This comes off as very... incest-y. The relationship with the cousin and the cousin's grandson... While it may be historically accurate, I do not think it adds much to the story and I have seen other reviews questioning this choice. I also found it very odd that the grandson was involved at all? The reasoning for him being the hero / rescuer was not really explained. If it weren't for this story being included, I would have given this book 5 stars.
Snow: I loved this story. Braswell paid proper homage to the original tale but added in some very interesting and uncommon elements that made it very exciting to read. There were heart-warming relationships -- both familial and romantic. The characterization of the stepmother was also very complex and humane, to the point that I felt myself feeling sympathy for her.
Beauty Sleep: This story was not on the same level as Snow. I did like it a lot more than I originally thought that I was going to. The tone of the narrator at the beginning is a little too conversational and modern for the setting and plot of the story, so that was very jarring, initially. SPOILER ALERT!! This comes off as very... incest-y. The relationship with the cousin and the cousin's grandson... While it may be historically accurate, I do not think it adds much to the story and I have seen other reviews questioning this choice. I also found it very odd that the grandson was involved at all? The reasoning for him being the hero / rescuer was not really explained. If it weren't for this story being included, I would have given this book 5 stars.
May 31, 2020
As a disclaimer, I only read the first story of two in this book, which was "Snow" - a retelling of Snow White. I quite enjoy retellings, but I didn't like this one at all, which is why I didn't even bother to read the other. I didn't find myself rooting for the characters. I honestly didn't care very much about any of them. There was a jump in time when 'Snow' or 'Jessica' was locked up by her stepmother, but I found it very abrupt, and we learned little about the circumstances of her life while she was away.
Additionally, the romance seemed randomly thrown in to me. There were some instances where the characters seemed to connect somewhat, but it felt hollow and forced. I also did not enjoy the seven dwarves becoming The Lonely Ones, which we part-human/part-animal. I found it odd, and though the author explained in the end, I just don't think it made sense at all. Overall, I did not enjoy this book at all, and I would not recommend it.
Additionally, the romance seemed randomly thrown in to me. There were some instances where the characters seemed to connect somewhat, but it felt hollow and forced. I also did not enjoy the seven dwarves becoming The Lonely Ones, which we part-human/part-animal. I found it odd, and though the author explained in the end, I just don't think it made sense at all. Overall, I did not enjoy this book at all, and I would not recommend it.
May 29, 2025
. I want to like them but I found the first story based on Snow White off like the pacing was all over the place and I hated the second story about Sleeping beauty strictly due to ending like what happened? Ending made no sense.
Snow - the story was good but dragged a bit. I like the idea of the different animal-human Hybrids instead of Seven dwarfs but their existence needs more explanation or description. The tone and pacing gave me a whiplash . Not a good resolution but I did like Raven and Cat.
2/5
Sleeping Beauty : The story was very strong until we got to the forest and it dragged. Then the ending was gross. Spoiler alert !!! Kissing cousins is gross . I just couldn’t like this story after finding out she “loves” her cousin romantically ,then he turns back into a young man and they have children like no just no . 1/5
Not worth time to read, read any of the other works by these two authors they will be much better than this one.
Snow - the story was good but dragged a bit. I like the idea of the different animal-human Hybrids instead of Seven dwarfs but their existence needs more explanation or description. The tone and pacing gave me a whiplash . Not a good resolution but I did like Raven and Cat.
2/5
Sleeping Beauty : The story was very strong until we got to the forest and it dragged. Then the ending was gross. Spoiler alert !!! Kissing cousins is gross . I just couldn’t like this story after finding out she “loves” her cousin romantically ,then he turns back into a young man and they have children like no just no . 1/5
Not worth time to read, read any of the other works by these two authors they will be much better than this one.
January 20, 2020
Snow - I liked the story enough. I started well, the characters were interesting, and there were many spots where I couldn't put the book down and laughed. Only the ending fell flat. I felt that it was a little anti-climatic, especially since I felt that the story was building to something more exciting than what happened. Although I gave the book three stars, this story is more of a four star.
Beauty Sleep - The story started out slow, the characters felt cliche (yet another princess who didn't act princess-like) and I wasn't pleased that the love interest was her cousin. Parts of it were creative and interesting, but I felt that the story wasn't as well put together as I like in a story. The ending was super cheesy too, way too much chedder for my taste. This story I would give a two star.
Beauty Sleep - The story started out slow, the characters felt cliche (yet another princess who didn't act princess-like) and I wasn't pleased that the love interest was her cousin. Parts of it were creative and interesting, but I felt that the story wasn't as well put together as I like in a story. The ending was super cheesy too, way too much chedder for my taste. This story I would give a two star.
July 12, 2017
If you love the story of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, I would highly recommend this book. This book allow for a whole new twist on the story of Snow White and a personal view from Aurora or Aurore in this book.
While both story's were good, I thoroughly enjoyed the Snow White retelling the most. This story had me turning the pages quickly and I wanted to know what happened next. The way it ended made me want a whole other part to it rather than having the Sleeping Beauty retelling to be honest.
With the Aurore one, it didn't captivate my attention as much as the Snow White one did and it took me longer to read.
Either way, this is a good bind up of two favorite fairy tales and you won't be disappointed.
While both story's were good, I thoroughly enjoyed the Snow White retelling the most. This story had me turning the pages quickly and I wanted to know what happened next. The way it ended made me want a whole other part to it rather than having the Sleeping Beauty retelling to be honest.
With the Aurore one, it didn't captivate my attention as much as the Snow White one did and it took me longer to read.
Either way, this is a good bind up of two favorite fairy tales and you won't be disappointed.
October 2, 2017
I am usually a sucker for fairytale retellings. These missed the mark a bit, for me. Definitely not ones I will want to read again.
I did enjoy Snow better. There were some darker elements that made you want to learn more. The animal-people instead of dwarves added some mystery. I felt like there was some filler, but overall it wasn't bad.
Beauty Sleep felt like it was meant to be for the lower age range of YA, if not middle grade. I had a hard time connecting with Aurore. It's Sleeping Beauty, we all know who she ends up with. I just felt the round about way it all suddenly dawns on her was rushed. The bulk of the story moves at a snail's pace, then BAM... true love, story over.
I did enjoy Snow better. There were some darker elements that made you want to learn more. The animal-people instead of dwarves added some mystery. I felt like there was some filler, but overall it wasn't bad.
Beauty Sleep felt like it was meant to be for the lower age range of YA, if not middle grade. I had a hard time connecting with Aurore. It's Sleeping Beauty, we all know who she ends up with. I just felt the round about way it all suddenly dawns on her was rushed. The bulk of the story moves at a snail's pace, then BAM... true love, story over.
February 21, 2020
This book has two stories in one. It has the retelling of Snow White that puts a more sci fi feel to the story. It was okay to me. It was an original but I found the actual story part lacking. It dragged in certain places and the queen herself was not that intimidating. The characters needed more development to really peek my interest. The retelling of sleeping beauty had a better twist. I had my hunches while reading it but I thought that focused more on Princess Aurora herself than the curse which made the story more intriguing. That being said without spoiling the story one of the twist I found a little odd and wasn’t my cup of tea so to speak so I wasn’t able to truly enjoy how the book ended.
October 13, 2023
I only read the first study and it was good but i think it had some excessive details that didn’t necessarily need to be there for the story line. It was boring at times and took a little longer than necessary to get to the point then it just skips 2 years at the end- like bro where did the 2 years go? Other then that there were certain parts of this story i really did enjoy and when i finally got past the boringness the last 15 or so chapters were very intriguing to me, which i couldn’t say about the first half of the first story. I decided not to read the second story because i couldn’t get through the first chapter it was interesting to me.
February 6, 2017
I received this book in a subscription box but can't remember which one at the moment. I love retelling and this was good. I did enjoy Snow (story one) better. It was more interesting. Beauty Sleep was too weird and didn't care from the incestuous love interest.
August 14, 2017
i love retellings and these are no different. snow's story is sad. a girl looking for a family finds one unexpectedly. as for aurore, a 100 years passes in the blink of an eye. such great additions to classic tales.
June 23, 2023
I really enjoyed the first book, SNOW. It was fanciful, interesting and made me think of the characters even after I was finished reading. The second book - ugh....no thanks. Sooooooo wordy and so afflicted with trying to be a fancy wordsmith. Abandoned the second one.
February 26, 2017
Liked this one- Snow is an interesting and likable character. I loved the take on "The Lonely Ones" in stead of the dwarves. It was really an interesting version of Snow White.
March 18, 2017
I liked Beauty Sleep way better than Snow
September 14, 2017
both of these 'happily ever after' endings i really enjoyed.
September 18, 2017
3.5 out of 5 rating
January 25, 2018
I struggled to get through this one.
February 8, 2018
Love the twisted tails.
April 1, 2018
I enjoyed Snow (the first part of this book). But I could not get into the writing of Beauty Sleep. It was all over the place.
April 3, 2018
I hated the first story! The second story was amazing!!
January 25, 2019
very easy read love the telling of the story, and how it turned out
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