There’s a fairy tale craze going on in Hollywood. If you’re a regular reader of TYF, I don’t need to point out all the new and upcoming film and TV adaptations. However when it comes to literature, the fairy tale theme has always been alive and well. I will admit that I’m much more willing to read a new take on a classic fairy tale than watch one. Hence, it’s no surprise that Sarah Cross’ new book, Kill Me Softly, caught my attention. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Kill Me Softly, but what I got was an intriguing, surprisingly dark and modern take on classic fairy tales.
In Kill Me Softly, Mira has been sheltered all her life. Orphaned at a very young age, her godmothers took her in and raised her. They were always super strict about her doing certain things, like going near sharp objects or wanting to visit her parents’ graves in Beau Rivage. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Mira decides to go forward with a plan to sneak away from home and make a trip to Beau Rivage to find her parents’ graves and possibly find out more about them. Her escape is successful, yet when she arrives in Beau Rivage, she is perplexed on how to go about finding her parents. She also has nowhere to stay and tries to spend a whole night awake at The Dream, a casino. There she meets Blue, a rude guy who warns her to leave The Dream immediately, and Freddie, a sweet guy who almost resembles something like a Prince Charming. Mira disregards Blue’s rude behavior and chooses to stay at the Dream, especially after she meets Blue’s charming and mysterious brother, Felix. The longer Mira stays in Beau Rivage, the longer she realizes that there is definitely something up with the place and that she may be playing a bigger role in it than she could ever imagine.
Obviously, in Beau Rivage, almost everyone is a version of a fairy tale character. I won’t rattle off who’s who, because that takes half the fun away from the story. But it’s really interesting how it all works and how messed up it is. I didn’t expect the story to get dark like that, and it was a pleasant surprise. We all got used to the pleasant versions that Disney had served us. Well, let’s just say that these characters go by the book, and it’s not pretty. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a dreary book, but there are some dark twists. I guess because it has a modern setting, you wouldn’t expect some of it to still happen. However, one of the major themes of the story is destiny, and for these characters, it’s something they can’t escape no matter how much they try. There are also some new or unfamiliar stories mixed with the ones we know so well. Overall, it’s a pretty refreshing take on the fairy tale world.
As for the characters, they were great. Mira is a good lead. I did find myself getting frustrated at her during some points. But I had to keep reminding myself that she is a sixteen-year-old girl. I feel like in a lot of YA novels, many of the teenage leads are usually made a little too wise for their years. Mira is barely 16 years old and has been sheltered most of her life; of course she’s going to be incredibly naïve about some people and things! Props to the author for that. Also, props for Blue. Off the bat, I liked Blue. Yes, he’s rude and everything, but he’s seems pretty genuine and that’s something that makes me really like a character. Usually it takes me a while to warm up to supporting characters, but it wasn’t the case for him.
If you love fairy tales, it’s more than worth taking a trip to Beau Rivage alongside Mira in Kill Me Softly. It’s intriguing, dark, fun, and based off fairy tales; what’s not to like?
Rating: 4/5 stars
Kill Me Softly hits bookstores Tuesday, April 10th. You can order the book from our TYF Store, powered by Amazon.
Book info:
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Publisher: Egmont USA (April 10, 2012)
Length: 171 pages, Hardcover
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fairy Tales
Completed: April 2012
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