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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Encouraging fairytale for a modern audience, sisters 'doing it for themselves'.
This reads like a typical fairytale, the structure, style and speech. The plot is familiar - a dead queen, distraught king, and princesses locked away for their own safety...
But it is our twelve sisters who make this a different kind of fairytale. Unusually for a fairy story, Burton goes to the trouble of giving each princess a name, a character, a personality and a voice in the story, though some feature more strongly than others.
The King is mourning his wife, dead in a car accident (she loved fast cars), and to keep his daughters safe, he slowly takes away their loves - a telescope, art equipment, books, everything they lived for. Until all that is left for them is a room with twelve beds.
Until they manage to find a way out of the confines and live. But it wouldn't be a fairy story without some conflict.
This was never going to be a story about twelve sisters finding twelve princes to marry them, it is clear from the first pages that the princesses are young women with aspirations, opinions and a bond that brings them strength.
I enjoyed immensely their arguments with their father, the feminist aspect coming out that I want young girls to see in fairy stories, not just a girl needing rescuing, marriage or both.
The fantastical elements of the story never appealed to me, but that's my own taste, it was always the bond between the sisters and their long-standing battle for freedom and choice that caught me up in this.
Burton's style suits a fairy tale down to the ground. It felt traditional and familiar, but at the same time incredibly modern in the attitudes of the princesses. They even say at one point that being a princess is actually pretty boring (something I've always thought it must be!), and each aspires to something much more, more useful, more interesting and more challenging.
Unfortunately, as mine was a review copy, I cannot comment on the illustrations, as my copy was mostly without them. Those I did see had a very nostalgic fairy tale look, complementing the text. It will look wonderful fully illustrated.
I would recommend this to every young lady out there, and hope to encourage boys to try this and see how they feel about girls being shut away and not being treated as equals.
For ages 9 and above, and if being read aloud, for listeners aged 7+.
Superb choice for class/family discussions.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
This reads like a typical fairytale, the structure, style and speech. The plot is familiar - a dead queen, distraught king, and princesses locked away for their own safety...
But it is our twelve sisters who make this a different kind of fairytale. Unusually for a fairy story, Burton goes to the trouble of giving each princess a name, a character, a personality and a voice in the story, though some feature more strongly than others.
The King is mourning his wife, dead in a car accident (she loved fast cars), and to keep his daughters safe, he slowly takes away their loves - a telescope, art equipment, books, everything they lived for. Until all that is left for them is a room with twelve beds.
Until they manage to find a way out of the confines and live. But it wouldn't be a fairy story without some conflict.
This was never going to be a story about twelve sisters finding twelve princes to marry them, it is clear from the first pages that the princesses are young women with aspirations, opinions and a bond that brings them strength.
I enjoyed immensely their arguments with their father, the feminist aspect coming out that I want young girls to see in fairy stories, not just a girl needing rescuing, marriage or both.
The fantastical elements of the story never appealed to me, but that's my own taste, it was always the bond between the sisters and their long-standing battle for freedom and choice that caught me up in this.
Burton's style suits a fairy tale down to the ground. It felt traditional and familiar, but at the same time incredibly modern in the attitudes of the princesses. They even say at one point that being a princess is actually pretty boring (something I've always thought it must be!), and each aspires to something much more, more useful, more interesting and more challenging.
Unfortunately, as mine was a review copy, I cannot comment on the illustrations, as my copy was mostly without them. Those I did see had a very nostalgic fairy tale look, complementing the text. It will look wonderful fully illustrated.
I would recommend this to every young lady out there, and hope to encourage boys to try this and see how they feel about girls being shut away and not being treated as equals.
For ages 9 and above, and if being read aloud, for listeners aged 7+.
Superb choice for class/family discussions.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
evealyn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
mermaird's review against another edition
5.0
I’m going to admit this: I fell asleep halfway through the book 🙈 but fret not, it’s because it felt like such a comfortable read that it lulled me to a sweet dream. In my head, I read out The Restless Girls word by word, just like I would tell someone a bedtime story (I’m definitely saving it for my children, if I ever have any ✨) .
The story is not only full of wonder, but it is also every bit fully women empowering 💫🔥 I love the very close sisterly bond between the princesses, the magical elements in it, and how clever the girls managed to outwit others.
And I absolutely love the fact that the princesses are brown girls. When I was young, almost every princesses (from the western culture) that I knew of had been white; I believe that it’s time that we prove that no matter what your skin colour looks like, you can definitely still be a princess 👑 💖 Rise and slay, girls! ✨🔥 .
The story is not only full of wonder, but it is also every bit fully women empowering 💫🔥 I love the very close sisterly bond between the princesses, the magical elements in it, and how clever the girls managed to outwit others.
And I absolutely love the fact that the princesses are brown girls. When I was young, almost every princesses (from the western culture) that I knew of had been white; I believe that it’s time that we prove that no matter what your skin colour looks like, you can definitely still be a princess 👑 💖 Rise and slay, girls! ✨🔥 .
alongreader's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautiful updating of a classic story. It still has the feel of a fairytale, helped immeasurably by Angela Barret's fabulous artwork, but there are touches of newness; a telephone, the daughter who love astronomy and the daughter who uses a typewriter. These things give it a feeling of being set anywhere, anywhen.
I loved the ending, too. A very clever solution to the problem. What a lovely message to give children - princesses can save themselves. Five stars.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
Frida walked, head held high, towards the curtain covering one of the windows.
When they realised what she was about to do, the advisors cried in unison for her to stop.
But Frida did not stop..
With one sharp heave, she pulled the curtain back, and a golden vengeance poured into the room.
'Insolence!' screamed the king, and in that moment it was hard to tell whether he was blinded by the light of the sun, or of his daughter.
Frida was moving like a spirit, curtain to curtain, pulling down the black drapes, advisors and maids cringing with their eyes closed, the dust swirling like gold notes around the throne as velvet and taffeta tumbled to the floor. Ariosta rushed to help her, and Bellina followed, then Chessa and Delilah and Mariella, then Polina and Emelia, then Flora and Vita, and finally Lorna and Agnes, twelve princessly pairs of hands making portal after portal of sunshine to flood the room.
No one could stop them,
no one dared go near them,
and thus their father's throne was nothing,
a chair, bleached white by the light of grief.
I loved the ending, too. A very clever solution to the problem. What a lovely message to give children - princesses can save themselves. Five stars.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
Frida walked, head held high, towards the curtain covering one of the windows.
When they realised what she was about to do, the advisors cried in unison for her to stop.
But Frida did not stop..
With one sharp heave, she pulled the curtain back, and a golden vengeance poured into the room.
'Insolence!' screamed the king, and in that moment it was hard to tell whether he was blinded by the light of the sun, or of his daughter.
Frida was moving like a spirit, curtain to curtain, pulling down the black drapes, advisors and maids cringing with their eyes closed, the dust swirling like gold notes around the throne as velvet and taffeta tumbled to the floor. Ariosta rushed to help her, and Bellina followed, then Chessa and Delilah and Mariella, then Polina and Emelia, then Flora and Vita, and finally Lorna and Agnes, twelve princessly pairs of hands making portal after portal of sunshine to flood the room.
No one could stop them,
no one dared go near them,
and thus their father's throne was nothing,
a chair, bleached white by the light of grief.
ipomoea's review against another edition
2.0
I like the idea? But it's the language of an adult trying to write a fairy tale without the charm and natural flow of Robin McKinley or Naomi Novik, and the story is awkward and ends abruptly and unbelievably. Yes, it's a fairy tale, but just look to those two authors to see how to rework a classic.
danieladas8's review against another edition
4.0
Una hermosa historia acerca del amor fraternal y el amor propio. De cómo con nuestra resiliencia, perseverancia e imaginación podemos sobrevivir a las situaciones más adversas.
Es un lindo retelling de la historia de las 12 princesas bailarinas, con algo más de misterio que otras versiones.
Lo acompañan unas ilustraciones de estilo clásico preciosas, que saltan de la página por sus formas y vivacidad, y que al mismo tiempo te hacen querer mirarlas más de cerca para apreciar todos los detalles y sentir que estás rodeado de todos sus colores.
Si algo me habría gustado que fuera diferente, es que siento que hubo muy pocas ilustraciones, las páginas que no tienen se sienten vacías y frías. La historia es tan rica y vibrante que quizás algunos detalles decorativos o algunas ilustraciones de objetos o situaciones relevantes le habría dado más vida al relato.
Me gustó mucho el juego de niveles que hizo la autora con las frases y los escalones.
Aquí alguna de mis frases favoritas:
“The darkness grew around them once more. But this time the princess were not frightened. They knew now that the dar was simply the beginning of new things. The dark was necessary. The dark might bring you a golden fox”.
•
“Just a feeling. Sometimes a feeling can be as true as fact”.
•
“Brave, resourceful, clever and kind. And terribly imaginative. Just how I like princesses to be”.
•
“I call it reverse search […] you don’t find what you’re looking for, but you will find what you need”.
•
“[…] I’ve the suspicion that freedom is a bit of a slippery fish”.
•
“So cry if you feel like crying. Never hold on tears, it’s pointless. Then dry your eyes, look around you, think -think a bit more- then act”.
•
“It was best to accept a mystery and not pull its wings off, like a brute might to a butterfly”.
•
“He imagined it. […] maybe I did, but it’s real.”
•
“[…] in leaving, Alberto has found himself”.
•
“For although some things exist in places out of reach, that doesn’t mean they cannot be”.
Es un lindo retelling de la historia de las 12 princesas bailarinas, con algo más de misterio que otras versiones.
Lo acompañan unas ilustraciones de estilo clásico preciosas, que saltan de la página por sus formas y vivacidad, y que al mismo tiempo te hacen querer mirarlas más de cerca para apreciar todos los detalles y sentir que estás rodeado de todos sus colores.
Si algo me habría gustado que fuera diferente, es que siento que hubo muy pocas ilustraciones, las páginas que no tienen se sienten vacías y frías. La historia es tan rica y vibrante que quizás algunos detalles decorativos o algunas ilustraciones de objetos o situaciones relevantes le habría dado más vida al relato.
Me gustó mucho el juego de niveles que hizo la autora con las frases y los escalones.
Aquí alguna de mis frases favoritas:
“The darkness grew around them once more. But this time the princess were not frightened. They knew now that the dar was simply the beginning of new things. The dark was necessary. The dark might bring you a golden fox”.
•
“Just a feeling. Sometimes a feeling can be as true as fact”.
•
“Brave, resourceful, clever and kind. And terribly imaginative. Just how I like princesses to be”.
•
“I call it reverse search […] you don’t find what you’re looking for, but you will find what you need”.
•
“[…] I’ve the suspicion that freedom is a bit of a slippery fish”.
•
“So cry if you feel like crying. Never hold on tears, it’s pointless. Then dry your eyes, look around you, think -think a bit more- then act”.
•
“It was best to accept a mystery and not pull its wings off, like a brute might to a butterfly”.
•
“He imagined it. […] maybe I did, but it’s real.”
•
“[…] in leaving, Alberto has found himself”.
•
“For although some things exist in places out of reach, that doesn’t mean they cannot be”.
wheninapril's review against another edition
4.0
I have never really read the original fairy tale, only watched the cartoon and what I saw there only made me furious. I mean why on earth a king would lock up his daughters and vows any strangers who could solve a riddle can have his kingdom and his daughters is beyond me! I mean, WTF!! Your kingdom might be your property, but your daughters are not, period!
This retelling however made me happier with the tale, and I loved the feminist twist and The illustrations were absolutely stunning.
I believe if a children book is written properly, it could even give some lessons to the adults. Here we see the king, who kind of represents the parents who try to bind their kids for their safety, which in turn make the kids forget how to live. I do agree the world is not always safe for girls, but how binding them at home can ensure there safety? Why not teach the girls how to keep themselves safe? Why not teach them self-defense? No girl needs to wait for someone to rescue her, when she could learn and rescue herself.
So, yes.. overall a very enjoyable (also relatable) read..
RATING: 4/5 Stars!!
*I got this Review Copy from #Pansing aka Definitely Reads. The thoughts are mine and mine only ❤
Click here to see the Blog Post
This retelling however made me happier with the tale, and I loved the feminist twist and The illustrations were absolutely stunning.
I believe if a children book is written properly, it could even give some lessons to the adults. Here we see the king, who kind of represents the parents who try to bind their kids for their safety, which in turn make the kids forget how to live. I do agree the world is not always safe for girls, but how binding them at home can ensure there safety? Why not teach the girls how to keep themselves safe? Why not teach them self-defense? No girl needs to wait for someone to rescue her, when she could learn and rescue herself.
So, yes.. overall a very enjoyable (also relatable) read..
RATING: 4/5 Stars!!
*I got this Review Copy from #Pansing aka Definitely Reads. The thoughts are mine and mine only ❤
Click here to see the Blog Post
giralka's review against another edition
5.0
This book reminds me of other children’s stories like Narnia and Coraline where a magical adventure is just behind another door. I love that the girls are smart and would fight for their rights, which reminds me of Princess Mia from The Princess Diaries. The illustrations accompanying this story is just lovely. I adore Angela Barrett’s style. However, I do find the font used slightly unreadable.
Also, thank you Bloomsbury for sending me this AGES ago! I finally got round to reading it...
Also, thank you Bloomsbury for sending me this AGES ago! I finally got round to reading it...