A review by angelofthetardis
Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I found this quite an interesting read, not just because it takes a darker turn, but because it gives a totally fresh perspective on the 'original' (Disney) storyline. 

Firstly, it allows Aurora Rose her own agency; she might have to be reminded on a couple of occasions, but she recognises that the story is her quest and her responsibility, and doesn't shy away from it. She struggles, absolutely, but it seeves to awaken her to her real character. 

Nor, when she is reunited with Prince Phillip, does she just fall into his arms when he insists that they were in love. I actually found that one of the most enjoyable twists; she is constantly questioning the label of 'silly little princess' that's meant to be beautiful, submissive and marry the handsome Prince, even when she's made to feel like that's all her life is. One of my favourite moments is when Prince Phillip is explaining how he fell in love with her when he saw her in the woods, and she questions the fact that he was going to run away from everything to be with her purely based on her looks and her 'happiness'. 

From my reading, it also examines the effect of depression on a young mind. By giving it a 'character', it gives Aurora Rose the chance to literally face her demons and overcome, but that's only half the story. Her reconciliation of the fact that she feels the same in both worlds she inhabits (albeit for different reasons), is a really clever illustration of the fact that you can have these feelings whether you're a princess or a pauper; whether you come from a broken home or a happy one, whether you're loved or not, and it's all equally valid. It feels really important that the author gives an alternative explanation for the touch of the spindle in the original tale, and in turn manages to twist the Disney film into something even darker than it already is. It's a perspective I'd never considered before because, well, it's Disney; it's meant to be pretty Princesses, handsome Princes and happily ever afters. 

I will say I think it was longer than it needed to be; there felt like quite a period where the author was just coming up with obstacles to fill out the pages, which did detract from the experience. I would also have like Prince Phillip to pop off the page a bit more than he did for me; I felt that the author laid the groundwork for some good character building, but never really followed through. 

My biggest issue though is the premise itself. I got there eventually, and the overall idea is understandable (and works well in the context of twisting the original), but I found the intricacies quite difficult to follow. It is explained, but I just found that it took me out of the story every time I had to stop and think about how or why something was happening. Don't read this one while you're half asleep!

While I'm probably the most familiar with this Disney tale (it's one of the few I remember owning on VHS  and watching several times), it's not my favourite. So it did its job and I'll keep reading the series, but I'm not overly invested in buying/keeping them all moving forward.

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