A Kiss in Time

This is a charming book. I didn't know if I was going to like a retelling of Sleeping Beauty or what to expect but I loved it! It was so much fun for her to travel in modern times and for Jack to end up waking up a kingdom on her vacation in Belgium with his friend. It just gets better and better. A lovely story.

A retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale set in modern times, this story alternates narration between the princess Talia, who has slept through the last 300 years, and the definitely-not-a-prince Jack, who had the misfortune of waking up her and her entire kingdom. Will Jack and Talia fall in love? Can Talia and her kingdom adapt to living in the 21st century? To complicate matters further, neither characters' parents are too keen on the situation and the witch that created the curse isn't satisfied with it's outcome. Both characters start out as aimless and bratty teenagers but grow through the story by seeing themselves and their actions through each others' eyes. Despite their bratty starts, both characters are likable and have distinct voices (a feat not all authors attempting dual-narration successfully accomplish). I laughed out loud a number of times (the scene at the modeling agency was great!) and enjoyed this Flinn offering even more than her previous fairy tale retelling, Beastly. Definitely recommended.

Talia is a spoiled princess who has seriously overslept...oh, by about 316 years. Jack is a jeans and t-shirt guy from Miami who just wants a break from another lame European museum tour. When Jack kisses Talia in this re-telling of Sleeping Beauty what readers get is a series of hilarious situations coupled with a sweet, it-can't-possibly-work romance. This is my favorite book by Alex Flinn and I hope she's hard at work on her next 21st century fairy tale! --Reviewed by Michelle Delisle

A long time ago, a European kingdom called Euphrasia welcomes the birth of a princess named Talia. At Talia's christening, a group of fairies offers gifts of beauty, grace, musical talent and intelligence. However, a certain witch wishes revenge on the kingdom and casts a spell on young Talia. The spell states that before her 16th birthday, the princess shall prick her finger on a spindle; the entire kingdom will fall into a deep sleep, and then fade away into the forest from view. The only way to reverse the spell is for a prince to discover the princess and awaken her with a kiss. Every citizen of Euphrasia works together to keep the princess safe; all spindles are banned in Talia's vicinity. As Talia's birthday celebration approaches, everyone begins to think they've thwarted the curse, but the witch wins in the end. The kingdom falls into a deep sleep, and the forest creeps around to obscure it from the rest of the world. Three hundred years later, 17-year-old Jack is in Europe on a month-long tour. Most American teens would jump at the chance to travel to Europe with a best friend, but Jack and Travis are bored out of their minds with every minute roped up in museum tours. Plus, Jack knows his parents sent him on this trip to get him out of their hair; he has barely heard from them all summer. And life after the tour doesn't promise much improvement, as he'll probably be stuck at a boring job in his father's office, being hounded about college and a career. Jack is confused about plans after high school. He knows he doesn't want his father's life, but also is aware that his father would never approve of his interest in landscaping. The one thing he does know is that he loves the beach, so he and Travis decide to ditch the tour and look for a great beach to visit. Unfortunately, they get lost and never find it. But what they do stumble upon is the hidden kingdom of Euphrasia. Jack and Travis are puzzled by their discovery. The village looks as if it is a tourist spot highlighting the life of long ago, like Colonial Williamsburg, plus there's the strange fact that all its citizens appear to be sleeping. After a bit of exploring, they discover the beautiful Talia. Jack can't explain his intense yearning to kiss her, but he does, hence breaking the curse and awakening the entire village. In the mass confusion of realizing they've been asleep for 300 years, the king takes his anger out on his daughter. Talia convinces Jack to take her with him to America. Talia is a spoiled brat, and Jack is a lost wondering soul, but together they make an awesome team. Jack introduces Talia to modern technology, like indoor plumbing, airplanes and cell phones, and Talia shares her gift of communication and helps him find a direction in life. And then they start falling in love. But will two teens with such vastly different backgrounds be able to find their happily ever after? Especially since the witch feels her curse has been cheated and now wants the prin

Alex Flinn has really hit her stride with fairy tale retellings! I loved Beastly and I love A Kiss in Time! This sleeping beauty is an amazing character, who goes believable from spoiled brat to true heroine as she wakes up in the 21st Century and copies with everything from air travel to Jello shots in a matter of weeks. What I like best is that this one features a really great love story, where the love is not about a magical kiss but a true friendship. Like Beastly, this one features a really cool witch who has real depth and lots of tricks up her sleeve.

When Jack escaped for the summer on a trip around Europe, he never dreamed he would be pulled into a real-life fairy tale. His main goal in agreeing to the numbingly dull tour of European museums was to avoid an even more boring summer working in his father's company. Both his father and mother think he is a lazy slacker without any real interests. What they don't know is that Jack has an interest, but he knows that as the son of a successful business family, they will not approve of his future plans. After weeks of museum tours, Jack and his friend, Travis, decide to skip out on the tour group and head for the beach. They take a wrong turn and end up sneaking through a thick hedge hoping to find the illusive beach, but instead they end up in a strange place that seems lost in time. As they explore, they stumble across some of the residents of the area, only to find them fast asleep. When they arrive at the main gates to a huge castle, they begin to wonder exactly what is going on. Inside the castle they find the same situation - everyone is fast asleep. Life seems to have suddenly halted for these people, leaving them in the middle of whatever activity or task that had kept them busy before their sudden slumber. Jack and Travis find their way to an isolated area of the castle and are surprised to discover a beautiful young girl sleeping peacefully. Travis is more interested in returning to the throne room and snatching the crown jewels, and Jack gladly sends him off. Jack is fascinated by the sleeping girl whose beauty is astonishing. He can't help himself. He bends and gently kisses her soft lips. Suddenly, she's awake! By now readers will recognize the similarities to Sleeping Beauty, but what they don't know yet is that they are in for some great adventures. Imagine being awakened by a stranger's kiss and learning you've slept for three-hundred years. The world doesn't even know your country exists, and you don't have a clue that things like cars, buses, airplanes, cell phones, and televisions are now the norm. Princess Talia believes Jack must be her true love, but at seventeen, he's pretty sure she must be wrong. Alex Flinn, author of YA books like BREATHING UNDERWATER and BEASTLY, has a new treat for her fans. She puts a unique twist on fairy tale retelling - by connecting the past and present as Jack and Talia struggle through problems created by their strange meeting and their own personal family struggles as young teens trying to find their own direction in life. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"