Interesting twist on women in fairy tales ( )

This is a book that ended up redeeming itself. For about half of the book, I was amused but wasn't invested in the characters or the stories. Yes, it was fun that Snow White was basically the antithesis of a Disney princess, and I liked that this focused on what happens after "and they lived happily ever after." But the characters didn't really come to life for me until well into the story.

But what really bumped this up was the ending. This is not a happily ever after. This is a book about following your heart, doing the best given circumstances, and friendship--and when friendship isn't enough.

I loved that this book did not take the easy way out. And in the end, the three princesses are each following their own lives, separately. ( )

3.5... can't say I *really* liked it... but I did like it.

Spunky take on happily ever after... in letter form... revolving around Snow White (Bianca), Cinderella (Ceci), Sleeping Beauty (Rory) and Rapunzel (the titular Zell).

Unicorns and pink bunnies aside, it does get a bit sordid in parts and I found their forays into Disneyland hilarious.

Be forewarned though that they whole thing is written in letter form, so if that isn't your thing then steer clear. But honestly, if you're looking for a fairy tale retelling that isn't all sunsets and roses and a bit more spunky. Then give it a whirl.

I do have to admit that I couldn't go through the book all in one sitting, you do have to keep in mind that this has a slice-of-life-ish type of thing going for it so be prepared for the mundane.

Huhu. ( )

I received this book for free at an Amazon/47North event at WorldCon.

Letters to Zell is smart chicklit that deeply integrates fairy tales and classic fantasy literature. The four central women of the book are nuanced and flawed in very realistic ways, but the supporting cast is just as vivid. Griep really does a fantastic job of confronting the dilemma of "Happily Ever After." What does that mean? People have different dreams and desires, and the "happy ending" of a tale or movie means those characters still have a lot of life to live.

I had a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who for the first quarter of the book, since names are a weakness of mine, but soon enough I was able to keep everyone straight. I really felt for Rory, whose Sleeping Beauty life was much more tragic than anything depicted by Disney. I also loved CeCi, Cinderella, whose husband is so supportive he smothers her as she wistfully dreams of being a professional chef. It's a fun and fluffy read, but there is also tremendous depth. It's a story about four very different women who also happen to be princesses and best friends, and how they rejoice and bicker and endure life together when their futures are governed by manipulative magic. This book has it all going on, but it works. It works very well. ( )

Reimagined and updated versions of Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel struggle with the choice between sticking to the fairy tale versions of their life stories or risking it all in the real world. ( )