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molang_madrigal's review against another edition
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Povertyrsngphoenix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bookswithlydscl'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? No
4.25
A wonderful middle grade retelling of Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty but retold to give us Muslim fairy tale princesses and heroines. The intertwined stories have genuinely good hearts, a sense of adventure, and stress the importance of family and friendships.
Will definitely read book 2 to follow the adventures of Rumaysa further to see if she gets her happily ever after.
annoulaplayo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thebooklovingpanda's review against another edition
4.0
[H]er favourite book, 'One Thousand and One Nights'...had beautiful drawings of palaces and animals, women in hijabs and men in magnificent robes. It was a relief to step into someone else's life and escape her tower room, if even just for a moment.4.5 stars
Content warnings:
Spoiler
loss of a loved one; neglectful and abusive guardian; very mild violence and injury[Note: All quotes are from the ARC version and may be different in finalised editions.]
This was such a sweet, entertaining and original read that was unexpectedly funny too!
'Do all evil people just like towers and one window?', [Rumaysa] said out loud, feeling quite frustrated by now. 'What's the point of being evil if you're not going to be creative about it?'
I loved how the central character Rumaysa connects the Rapunzel tale to the other spins on Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty! The inclusion of Muslim protagonists and South Asian culture was seamless and very refreshing. There were some cool plot twists and some actually quite thrilling scenes!. Bonus point if you love reading flying carpet rides. The illustrations were also whimsy and dynamic and one day I'd love to see how it looks in a paper version!
The characters all felt real and distinct from each other, and I liked that side characters (e.g. Ayla's stepsisters) weren't written as caricatures but like actual children/teens with realistic reactions.
Losing a loved one is a strange thing. It can come upon you out of nowhere, knocking you sideways and changing the colour of your life for many years to come.
I also enjoyed how feminism threads throughout this story without being heavy-handed. This includes challenges to anti-toxic masculinity and there was a nice little bit of anti-classism too. Definitely an enjoyable and recommended read from me!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan's Children's Books for an eARC for an honest review.
novellenovels'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? No
5.0
infinitelibrary's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
mermaird's review against another edition
5.0
Rumaysa: A Fairytale is a combination of three fairytale retellings: Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. The difference is that Rapunzel is known as Rumaysa, Cinderella as Cinderayla, and Sleeping Beauty as Sleeping Sara. The main character is of course, Rumaysa, and after escaping the witch's tower, she goes on an adventure to look for her parents and came across Cinderayla and Sara.
What I love the most about this book is that even though it stayed true to most parts of the original fairytale, the changes made to it made the stories lovelier and more fun. I also love that each girl has their own strength and qualities, and none of them were depicted as meek or in need of some saving from a boy.
Rumaysa is both brilliant and quick-witted, having figured out how to escape on her own without waiting for a random prince coming to save her. She also has sass and a no-nonsense attitude, which was really refreshing to read. But the most important part is that she has great kindness and compassion in her, despite enduring a lot of harshness from when she was younger. While Cinderayla's character was written quite realistically, I find Sleeping Sara to be relatable. I most definitely will have a difficult time waking up if I have slept for too long.
Apart from the independent female characters that I love, the elements of Islam and South Asian cultures sprinkled generously throughout the book were also part of the charm. From what I understood, there were some Bengali foods and culture mentioned. The holy month of Ramadan was mentioned and the ball in the original Cinderella tale was changed into an Eid Ball, and I absolutely relish them.
Rumaysa: A Fairytale easily became one of my favourite releases in 2021, and the best retelling that I have ever read. The Muslim and Asian elements made me feel proud—this is the very kind of book that my people should read while growing up as it shows that we should be proud of our culture and belief. Your skin colour is beautiful no matter how light or dark-skinned you are. And the girls also show that you should just be yourself and you do not need to depend on boys to save you.
I believe anyone who enjoys reading fantasy and retellings will enjoy reading Rumaysa: A Fairytale, no matter how old you are. Many thanks to Pansing for sending me the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
clairevlinney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0