Review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Title: Kill Me Softly

Author: Sarah Cross

Publisher:  EgmontUSA

Publication Date: 4.10.2012

Pages: 331

Genre: Fairytale remake

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own... brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

Review:

I have adored fairytale since I was a little girl. I love the magic and the romance. When I heard about Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross I knew I had to get my hands on it. A reimagining of fairytale? Sounded like a YA version of “Once Upon A Time.” I am so glad I read it. This is a fun, delightful tale that fairytale fans should get ahold of.

Mirabelle is the main character, and I have to admit that I was somewhat irritated by her in the beginning. The way the sneaks off and some of her actions in the beginning were off putting. It took a little while before I was Team Mira, and even then I questioned some of her decisions. I’m also not a huge fan on insta-romances, which was what I felt like when it came to Mira and Felix. Honestly? I liked Blue much better.

Cross’ writing, though, makes up for the character flaws. I adore the way she words sentences. The very beginning set the mood for the story, making me feel like I was reading a fairytale. There is this incredible, one page introduction to the story that just swept me away. I fell in love with Cross’ writing in a single page – I can’t say that frequently about a book I’ve read. I also marveled at the way she intersected so many fairytales in one novel. Not only did she modernize them, but she kept it all from getting jumbled and confusing for people who might not be as … fanatical about fairytales as I am.

If you’re a fan of excellent writing, definitely grab this one. If you like fairytales? Grab this one. If you’re just in the mood for a good, original story? Yeah, grab this one.

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