Thornwood by Leah Cypess

Thornwood is an intriguing  retelling of The sleeping beauty and is one of my favourite genres. It is told from the viewpoint of Briony, the younger sister of Rosalin, who has been cursed from birth by a wicked fairy. She is destined to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a 100-year sleep and will not be awakened until a prince kisses her. When Briony wakes up she is in the castle’s tower and everyone else is still fast asleep. Then she spots a handsome stranger kiss her sister, but questions arise about Varian. Why is the  castle still surrounded by thorns, allowing no one in or out? Briony is determined to find a way to break the spell and rescue everyone in the castle - but no one has ever listened to the little sister.

Told in the first person by Briony, the narrative flows along smoothly, often with snarky asides by Briony which add wit and humour to the story. All the characters are fully fleshed out, and the sibling rivalry and love between the two sisters is a highlight of the tale. Briony is not a haughty princess and the friendship between her and Edwin, a boy who was so bullied in his village that he preferred to come to the castle and sleep for one hundred years, is another high point. Briony needs to use all her skills and cunning to work out how to be rid of the thorny forest that hems them all in and Cypess’s vivid writing ensures that the reader is fully invested in the story.

This is a fun read that will appeal to all fans of fairy tale retellings, although it is aimed at a middle-school audience. Readers will, like me, come away with a smile on their faces, at the surprise way Cypess ends her story and will want to read more books by this author. Other retellings like Book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale and Beauty by Robin McKinley are sure to appeal as well.

Themes: Fairy tale retelling, Siblings, Problem solving.

Pat Pledger