Image: HarperCollins Publishers
Happy Tuesday! Today is the Winter Solstice! The sun will set at 4:31 tonight, ushering in the longest period of darkness of the year, but tomorrow, the sun begins to return a bit more each day. Teen Tuesday features Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani. If the author's name seems familiar to, it's because you faithfully read the Daily Book Talks. Earlier this school year, I finally took an eighth grader's suggestion and read School for Good and Evil, in which the author took many fairy tale tropes and turned them inside out in the start of an original and delightful series.
He does the same with twelve classic fairy tales here in this handsome, beautifully illustrated collection. You might recognize the names of some, but that is where the resemblance stops. The characters are racially diverse and there's LGBTQ representation as well. Plus, you won't find one maiden in distress needing rescue, but you will find one man in distress!
Readers used to the Disney version of fairy tales might be shocked by the violence and gore in many of these tales. You might recall that I mentioned that way back when the tales were collected, they were quite violent - even Cinderella! Mr. Chainani's retellings are atmospheric and eerie, subversive and surprising. So settle into your favorite reading spot with a nice cup of hot cocoa and prepare to be unsettled.
Readers used to the Disney version of fairy tales might be shocked by the violence and gore in many of these tales. You might recall that I mentioned that way back when the tales were collected, they were quite violent - even Cinderella! Mr. Chainani's retellings are atmospheric and eerie, subversive and surprising. So settle into your favorite reading spot with a nice cup of hot cocoa and prepare to be unsettled.
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