Beauty Sleep

I wasn't sure at first when I started reading the story, the beginning was very wordy and almost felt overwhelming. Once I had a feel for the author's way of writing, I couldn't wait to read more. It was one of those 'I'll just read one more chapter...' and then all of a sudden I was reading the epilogue. I love how the short fairy tale I grew up with could be expanded in such depth without losing me in the descriptions and details. For me the book is definitely a keeper. I've already purchased more of the 'Retelling' books.

I want to admit right off that I have become rather fond of this series (Once Upon a Time) and Beauty Sleep has just become my second favorite in the series (Before Midnight being my favorite). All the stories in this series are short (this one coming in just over 200 pages) and Beauty Sleep is sweet with a romantic bent (i.e. happily ever after) yet it offers a number of fun, new twists on the classic fairytale we grew up with. The Aurore of this version is not a helpless, spoiled princess; she is an independent, vibrant young person with a passion for life, a genuine curiosity about the world around her and a penchant for getting herself in trouble. Because Dokey's version focuses on Aurore...her personality and her life (how she has to live as a result of the curse) rather than on that of those around her and while the curse hangs thick around her, very little of the story line is given over to the "evil fairy" and almost nothing is given over to her "nap." I also enjoyed the development of the "Charming" character...it was a nice twist on the original storybook character with echoes of traits seen in some recent movies (think Shrek), but which still manages to be original and it was interesting to see his character develop. I have to admit some disappointment with the ease with which I was able to figure out the "twist" at the end, but overall the story was very enjoyable and quite original (based on my reading up to this point). I give it 4 stars and two thumbs up! I'll definitely be picking up a copy of this for my permanent collection! Also, I want to point out that while the stories in this series are short and simple...they can be quite entertaining and enjoyable for adult readers as well...especially if you LOVE fairytale adaptations (as I do).

For years the king and queen had despaired of ever having a child so when Aurore arrived, the whole kingdom rejoiced. Well, almost everyone. There was one forgotten, embittered woman who resided at court who seized the opportunity to curse the sleeping baby and then disappeared. Aurore grew up with the curse overshadowing all of her days. Her parents were determined to protect her and so limited her activities to those that did not involve any sharp, pointed objects. Forbidden princesslike tasks of embroidery and sewing, her parents tried to interest Aurore in painting and weaving, both of which Aurore hated. But she hated her cousin, Oswald, nicknamed Charming, because he wasn't, even more. Until Oswald persuaded her parents to let her roam outside, then she loved him. Aurore was content to live her life the way that she grew up, carefully avoiding anything that would trigger the curse, but the backlash of magic that her avoidance cost her kingdom was too high. Aurore knew that her only chance was to run away to La Foret, the forbidden forest and hopefully take the magic with her. Unbeknownst to Aurore, however, was the fact that time moves quite differently in the forest. So when she meets a handsome stranger, nicknamed Ironheart, who has come to the forest to rescue a fair princess, she knows that he cannot be talking about her, can he?This was an absolutely charming retelling of Sleeping Beauty that should delight young adult readers and adults everywhere. Aurore was a great character - headstrong, but she loved her parents so much and tried so hard to be what they wanted. I loved the description of her art and her lumpy rugs! The author has so many little touches that she adds throughout the story to make the characters come alive and to breathe new life into the old fairy tale classic. The ending is a big surprise and there are a lot of plot twists along the way, but, although difficult to accept at first, I find that I really enjoyed the author's creativity and unique adaptation of this fairy tale. I look forward to reading more by her!

This book is extremely funny at some points and very sad at others but it is completely worth reading. I suggest this book to all people even adults. I think anyone would enjoy this and learn the true meaning of life. As an avid reader I can honestly say that this is a really good book.

The story begins pretty much like you would expect a retelling of Sleeping Beauty to. The whole once upon a time, the king and queen longing to have a child, finally have a beautiful baby girl, forget to invite someone to christening, forgotten someone curses child, and so on and so forth. But this only takes up the first couple of pages. Everything that follows turns the beloved fairytale upside down and inside out...Aurore is the spunky and very much awake "sleeping beauty" and the narrator of the tale. The main focus of the book is not about the long sleep or the kiss or anything you might at first suspect. Instead it focuses on what is was like growing up with such a threat looming in the not so distant future. Aurore has always known what the future held in store for her, but it has not kept her from living her life to the fullest. She works beside the common people, helping them, and loves to explore the outside world that was forbidden to her for a long time by an overprotective mother. But when she turns 16, the year she is destined to prick her finger, the curse begins to show itself in the weather and in the animals with opposites seeming to war with each other, even as the curse and the anti-spell of sleep instead of death war within Aurore. When Aurore decides to run away to the enchanted forest to protect her people from the curse she carries within herself, Aurore finds her destiny ...and her true love, in something entirely unexpected...I always say that any story can be turned topsy-turvy with a couple of what ifs...and this book has convinced me that Cameron Dokey believes that too. What if the person who cursed sleeping beauty was not essentially evil? Could living with the the fear of the curse be the real curse? What if sleeping beauty met the man of her dreams before she pricked her finger? What if sleeping beauty took her destiny in her own hands? Can you changer your destiny...do you really want to? Can love stand the test of time? But enough of that...you get the picture. Just so you know...it does end happily...