A Twisted Tale Anthology edited by Elizabeth Lim - ADVISABLE

 

A Twisted Tale Anthology edited by Elizabeth Lim, 567 pages. Disney, 2023. $19

Content: PG (mild violence similar to the movies)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Meet 16 new short twisted tale version of classic fairy tales adding to the Disney Twisted Tales series. Classics, of course, like Sleeping Beauty (what if the Prince is the one to go to sleep), Cinderella (What if one of the stepsisters is actually good at heart), but also Brave (what about those rambunctious triplets) and even Treasure Planet.  

Readers can read them all, or skip around to the tales they are most interested in. Each story runs about 50 pages.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim - ESSENTIAL

Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim, 408 pages.  Disney Press, 2018.  $18.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

This twist on Mulan starts on the snowy pass when the Hun soldiers are fighting against Shang, Mulan and their friends as the Huns are headed to attack the Imperial City.  Mulan, still known as Ping, is attacked but instead of getting hurt, Shang takes the blow.  Mulan still causes the avalanche and saves the city, but Shang is dying from his injury.  In the night, as Shang is passing away, Mulan sees Shang’s father and learns that she can go into the underworld and try to convince King Yama, the ruler of the underworld, to maybe let Shang stay and defend China.  Mulan starts a journey into the underworld where she has to convince Shang to fight to live and she has to face her own self-doubt.  

I LOVE Mulan.  She is my favorite Disney character and I was concerned that this story wouldn’t stay true to Mulan’s awesomeness, but it did.  It was fun to imagine more to the story of Mulan and Shang.  Fun, fast read that I couldn’t put down.  

C. Peterson.    

Almost There by Farrah Rochon - OPTIONAL

Almost There (Twisted Tale) by Farrah Rochon. 464 pages. Disney Hyperion. 2022. $13. 

Language: PG (6 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Souls traded in exchange for powers with nothing explicitly described.); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

In Disney's animated "The Princess and the Frog," 18yo Tiana successfully beats Dr. Facilier and marries Prince Naveen, but in "Almost There," Dr. Facilier manages to successfully manipulate Tiana into making a deal moments before she could ultimately vanquish him. The majority of the story continues a year following the deal. In this new ending and because of her deal with Dr. Facilier, Tiana's father is alive and runs a restaurant with her, Louis becomes human, and Naveen loses all memory of their time together. Even more, Tiana isn't allowed to fall in love with him. Naveen luckily didn't marry Charlotte and instead works for Charlotte's dad, but his constant presence keeps Tiana on edge and on the verge of constant heartache. Tiana works hard to make a name for herself, but her chances and opportunities are limited as a black woman in the 1920s. Worst of all, her deal with Dr. Facilier has welcomed a new kind of evil into New Orleans, and she must unite with her friends once more to vanquish the darkness that threatens to overtake the new life she's made for herself and the people she loves. 

Many of the "Twisted Tales" series change major plot points earlier in the story, but this one changed the ending. While that might have worked in its favor, I found that it ultimately forced the characters to regress a little or take on personality traits that weren't consistent with the beginning of the story. Most readers would need to be familiar with Disney's film "The Princess and the Frog" in order to understand what is happening in this version as there's only the briefest summation of events from the film. There are some plot holes as well, but I did enjoy how the novel tried to show the differences between Vodou as it should be used and the kind presented in pop culture. It also addresses a little more explicitly the racism Tiana would face at the time. It's a fun read, but it's a bit of a niche storyline for people who like Disney or twisted fairytales. Tiana, Naveen, and their families are black; Charlotte is white; and Louis's human form is never described.


Lisa J HS ELA Teacher

Go the Distance by Jen Calonita - ADVISABLE

 

Go the Distance (A Twisted Tale) by Jen Calonita, 329 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2021. $18. 

Content: Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Meg and Hercules are in front of Zeus and Hara and Hercules has gained his godhood.  Hercules tries to remain a human because he loves Meg, but Zeus refuses to let Hercules give up his godhood, so Hara provides Meg a way to become a god-by going on a quest.  Meg embarks on a quest that will make her re-exam her life and her relationships with the help of Pegasus and a satyr named Phil. 

Hercules is an okay enough story, and I can’t say I was overly interested in Meg as a character, but I got into her story.  Meg was a great heroine, and her backstory was heartbreaking and made her an easy character to empathize with. Sometimes quest stories can seem all about the setting, or the plot moving from point A to B, and this is a quest story but was fully developed throughout with a character who was learning to forgive, grow and embrace her possibility. I enjoy the Twisted Tale series and Calonita’s other books, and this book didn’t disappoint.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson 

So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim - ESSENTIAL

 

So This is Love: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim, 411 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2020. $18. 

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Cinderella went to the ball, leaving her slipper at midnight, but when the Duke comes around to try the glass slipper on eligible young women, Cinderella doesn’t get her chance.  When the Evil Stepmother sells Cinderella as a servant to a gruff man, Cinderella decides to escape from his wagon.  Cinderella is wandering on the side of the road when she meets a nice servant girl from the castle who helps Cinderella find a job at the castle.  As Cinderella starts to unveil the corrupt Grand Duke and befriend the King’s sister, the Duchess, she also crosses paths with the prince.  

I loved this twist on the Cinderella story.  Cinderella was an empathetic character who was like-able and easy to cheer on.  Although the corruption of the Grand Duke was predictable, it was a fun turn in the story.  I also liked the development of Cinderella and the prince’s relationship.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson.              

Straight on Till Morning by Liz Braswell - OPTIONAL

Straight on Till Morning: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell, 488 pages.  Disney Hyperion, 2020.  $18.  

Content: Language: PG (2 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Wendy is sixteen and feels lost and misunderstood while living in London.  She has been holding onto Peter’s shadow for four years, but he hasn’t come to claim it and Wendy is anxious to visit Neverland.  Wendy negotiates a trade with Captain Hook that if Hook will take Wendy to Neverland, Wendy will give Hook Peter’s shadow.  When Wendy arrives in Neverland, she realizes that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bargain with a pirate and finds herself trapped on Hook’s ship.  Wendy befriends a pirate named Zane and finds a way to continue her journey to find Peter and have her adventure.  

I usually love the Twisted Tale stories, but this book was boring and was full of little adventures that never really led anywhere.  Peter didn’t show up until the last quarter of the book and he was whinny and not likable.  Tinkerbell and Wendy were the main characters and I liked how the characters created stories to create their reality, but after a while it felt like it would never end.  The content included attempted sexual assault, child slave labor, torture and someone is shot to death.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson.

As Old as Time by Liz Braswell - ADVISABLE

Braswell, Liz As Old as Time (A Twisted Tale), 484 pages.  Disney, 2016.  $18.  Content: G (some danger).

Belle’s mother and father lived a wonderful life together, but before Belle’s birth they had to leave the kingdom when the king and queen do nothing to protect the charmantes (magic users), including Belle’s mother from forces who want to destroy them.  Soon after Belle’s birth, the king and queen are dying from a disease.  Instead of helping, Belle’s mother tests their heir, the prince, who fails.  When she curses him, she sets up the familiar tale of Beauty and Beast.

This time Braswell departs very little from the familiar story.  She does add depth and background and twists things ever so slightly, but not so much as in her first two Twisted Tales.  That doesn’t distract from the charm of the book, however.

EL, MS – ADVISABLE.   Cindy, Library Teacher

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell - OPTIONAL

 

What Once Was Mine (Twisted Tale, #12) by Liz Braswell, 490 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2021.  $19.  

Language: PG (3 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Rapunzel is born with glowing hair, but in this version, her hair comes from a moonflower and as the moon changes phases, Rapunzel's hair has different magical powers. When Rapunzel is a newborn, she accidentally kills a nurse when she is angry and then is quickly whisked away by Gothel to a tower. Gothel convinces Rapunzel that she is in the tower because her hair kills people. The story picks up when Rapunzel turns nineteen and Gothel bids Rapunzel's hand in marriage to the highest paying evil-doer. However, before Gothel can sell her, Rapunzel sneaks out of the tower to find the glowing lanterns and to track down Flynn Ryder who she has seen in the meadow outside her tower. What ensues is an adventure full of self-discovery, magic, romance, friendship and villainy.  

Tangled is one of my all-time favorite Disney movie, so I was super excited to read about Rapunzel. While slogging through the first 100 pages, I almost quit reading. It was boring, drawn out and not creative in the least. Then Rapunzel leaves the tower and all of the fun began.  I enjoyed Rapunzel's friend, Gina, and Rapunzel's discovery of her magical powers. Flynn was well developed and Maximus has an origin story that was surprising. That said, no matter how well the story turned out, I'm not sure there are many young readers out there who would keep slogging through to get to the good parts.  Also, the book is 490 pages long, so that alone would discourage many, making this book optional even though it had really good parts.  The violence bumps this book out of the elementary age and into middle school.  One of the villains kills multiple girls and bathes in their blood and there is a gruesome war wound.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson

Unbirthday by Liz Braswell - OPTIONAL

Unbirthday (Twisted Tale, #10) by Liz Braswell, 504 pages. Disney Hyperion, 2020. $18.  

Content: Language: PG (1 swear); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

18yo Alice isn’t interested in the boring role of a traditional woman in London.  She longs for Wonderland and its whimsical ways.  Alice starts to see characters that she remembers from Wonderland when she develops her photographs, and she recognizes that they are trying to reach her because they need help.  The Queen of Hearts is stealing all the toys and killing people in her attempt to stop time and win a game.  Alice is their only hope for stopping the Queen and maybe the characters in Wonderland are also in the real world as well. 

I don’t love the story of Alice and Wonderland.  The nonsense can be a bit much, and at times while reading this story it had that frustrating feel. I loved all the real-world crossover and wish there would have been more to that part of the story.  I especially enjoyed the ending.  Slogging through all the detailed nonsense, to get to the good ending isn’t probably something teen readers will do.  Unless you have a real Alice in Wonderland fan, this book won’t appeal as much as the other Twisted Tales.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson

Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita - ESSENTIAL

Mirror, Mirror (Twisted Tale) by Jen Calonita, 344 pages.  Disney, 2019.  $18.

Content: G (some tension)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Snow has been living in a kind of fog for years since her mother died, her father disappeared, and her evil stepmother (her mother’s sister) has taken an iron grip over the kingdom, supposedly as Snow’s regent.  When the huntsman takes her out into the haunted woods to kill her, Snow escapes and ends up with the dwarves.  Now that she knows how awful the Evil Queen is, does Snow White have the courage to grasp her own destiny and gather forces to take down Evil for good?

The tag line on the cover of the book is the least of what goes on in this retelling.  Actually, for most of the book it is pretty faithful to the classic story, with a great added unapologetic back story of the Evil Queen’s rise to supreme evilness.  Her ultimate downfall is all that much sweeter for knowing how selfish and controlling the Evil Queen had always been and how may chances she had to make different choices.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Part of Your World by Liz Braswell, and Stephanie Kate Strom, illustrated by Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews - ADVISABLE

Part of Your World (Twisted Tale Graphic Novel) by Liz Braswell, adapted by Stephanie Kate Strom, illustrated by Kelly Matthews & Nichole Matthews. 156 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Disney/Hyperion, 2023. $22.

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Ursula killed) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

It has been 5 years since Ursula defeated Ariel, captured the Sea King, bespelled and married Prince Eric, and took control of the kingdom. Ariel is now the ruler under the sea, but without her voice, she communicates in signs. Then a seagull tells Ariel that Eric has remembered something from before and Ariel takes a chance to go to the surface and see if she can rescue her father. 

I really enjoyed reading this as a graphic novel - more than I liked the novel itself. There are a couple of rough plot points, but the whole is pretty delightful. All of the main characters are portrayed as white. 

Cindy, Library Teacher 

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller - OPTIONAL

 Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller, 345 pages. Disney, 2022. $18

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (two battles)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Prince Eric has been cursed – if he kisses anyone who is not his true love, he will die. That makes finding a queen a huge problem. When he is rescued by a mystery girl with a beautiful voice, he is sure that she is his true love. Eric needs to track down the witch who cursed his mother – an evil sea witch who has been the cause of not his kingdom’s problems, but of kingdoms up and down the coast for many years.

A look at the Disney Little Mermaid tale through the eyes of the Prince, with some added depth to Eric’s story. Interestingly, the book gives Eric’s mother (who is missing) a large role in the plot. If your students are liking the Disney Twisted Tales, then this should be an easy add to your collection. One of the characters presents as non-binary; there is an LGBT couple.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

Conceal Don't Feel by Jen Calonita - ESSENTIAL

Conceal Don’t Feel (Twisted Tale, #7) by Jen Calonita, 312 pages.  Disney Hyperion, 2019.  $18.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ESSENTIAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH  

When Princess Elsa accidentally hit Princess Anna with a freezing blast, and Anna’s parents rushed her to Grand Pabbie, the troll king, Anna and Elsa were erased from each other’s memories and separated.  Now that Elsa’s parents have died, Elsa’s powers are starting to get stronger and she is having a hard time controlling them.  When Elsa is pushed too far, and her ability to freeze things gets out of control, the entire kingdom is frozen, and Anna feels the need to investigate.  Anna starts to remember Elsa, and vice versa, and if the two sisters can find each other and remember their past they can fix Arendelle before it is too late.  

I love Frozen and I love this reimagining of Anna and Elsa’s story.  It was fun to see how Kristoff and Hans fit into the story, and the heart of the characters and the setting stayed true.  The violence is PG because of the way Elsa was treated while locked up.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson.