The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury // A Memorable Retelling

The Forbidden Wish, by Jessica Khoury
Publication: February 23, 2016, by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

My Thoughts: 

That was honestly a beautiful retelling that I could never have imagined that I would end up reading. Jessica Khoury's novels have stayed with me since the start of the my blogging career and when I began reading YA. Her novels, Origin and Vitro both stuck with me since the start with their unique, dystopian flairs. THIS BOOK HAD ALL OF THE GENIE THINGS THAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO READ ABOUT AGAIN SINCE I LET GO OF ALADDIN BACK IN THE DAY. As you may have already figured out, I am the BIGGEST fan of Disney flicks. Without them, I cannot imagine what kind of person I would have turned into. Minus Jasmine (for whatever reason), the fabulous Jessica Khoury placed together a new romance and story to tell from the perspective of the hottest fictional character I have read about in a long time. 

"'This,' I say, gesturing at myself, 'this isn't me. This isn't what I look like. This body you see belonged to someone else, long, long ago, and like the monster I am, I stole it. It is a mask. A lie." (189)

50 Reasons Why You'll Adore The Forbidden Wish (and why it is calling out to you):

Jokes.

This cannot be fifty reasons or you all would have left after reason number five. So, in that sense, let us just keep it at five.

•The cover, duh. I think that it is self-explanatory, but I am sure that you see the beauty in it from first sight. My ARC has the different, more pastel cover that has not been published, which I also love, but the colours and design on this one have that extra touch that just conveys readers.

•The nice take on Aladdin. I always dreamt of Aladdin flying up to my balcony or doorstep with his magical carpet and making me be Jasmine. I honestly think that was every little girl's dream. Now, for the first time ever, I suppose, readers are brought into the world of Aladdin once more. THIS STORY HAS A TWIST AND IT IS PRACTICALLY THE BEST RETELLING EVER. Aladdin actually falls in love with a genie named Zahra who gives Aladdin three wishes, and the novel is about him deciding what to do with the wishes and realizes what is happening with his life as he falls in love with Zahra, possibly making him choose the forbidden wish, letting her free of her being a genie. Instead of the blue genie we watched in the animated feature, readers gain a deep, mystical love story that shines. It is different from the rest and in those kind of books, that's what readers remember the most later on. It is nothing like the movie, which charms me even more. 

"Part of me feels shriveled and rejected. I am the weed cast out of the rose garden. I am the crow chased out of the dovecote. I am where I belong, and shouldn't that be enough? Doesn't that merit some sense of happiness or at least, fulfillment? Haven't I won the more important prize—freedom?" (237)

•How fast-paced this became. This is not your average retelling. Readers are honestly taken on their dream magic carpet ride through the streets of Agrabah. This time around, Aladdin is basically treated as royalty. It is an interesting twist, though we do see the accusations of him being a thief, which is really noted in the movie and makes his romance with Jasmine really shine. Anywho, I would say that this is extremely worth it to read. The plot moves quickly for the most part, and I expected that, coming from Jessica Khoury. Her books always have and I bet always will have that dash action-movie-like feeling that makes readers' hearts beat extra quicker. 

•Zahra. She's a jinni, and not the blue guy who somehow fits his way through the magical gold lamp. Zahra takes different figures and is very self-conscious about herself and her identity. I like her unsure-personality. If we had a confident jinni who overused her powers, I do not suspect that this novel would have been as good as it was. Zahra struggled with who she was and I somehow felt like she had the most best personality that I have read about in a while. She was fabulous.

•The wishes and ending. Aladdin continued to make good choices throughout the whole book... and all of this basically made the ending great too, since his decisions affected his fate with Zahra and all of that. I especially loved the take on the ultra-glamorous wedding at the end of the novel that Aladdin is interestingly part of. One thing I forgot to mention—Jessica Khoury added rivalry and evil characters who made the story ten times better. 

So my point here is that this book is unforgettable. Y'all need to pick it up as soon as possible or as soon as your car moves you to the bookstore. YES.

Have you ever read a book that retells a movie? I think that Jessica Khoury has done a first! Does this book captivate you somehow?

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff // I Guess I Could Only Read Contemporary Middle-Grade?

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, by Liesl Shurtliff
Publication: April 14, 2015, by Knopf BFYR
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

Jack has always been told that giants are not real. But if that’s the case, how do you explain the huge, foot shaped pond in the yard, or the occurrence of strange and sudden storms in which the earth quakes and dirt rains from the sky? When his father is carried away in such a storm, Jack gives chase in the only logical way: by trading the family cow for some magic beans that will give him access to a land beyond the clouds. He arrives to find that the giants themselves have giant-sized troubles. With the help of an overachieving little sister, a magic goose and a chatty cook (who is not interested in grinding human bones into bread, thank you very much!) Jack sets out to save his dad and save the day.

My Thoughts:

I used to be an avid middle grade fiction reader. That is what actually led me to discover the genre of young adult fiction and have me blogging. In fact, I am sure that I still have a few middle grade books on my Goodreads shelves, which is weird. Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk is not true. It is also not a great middle grade novel, in my opinion. But at the same time, it could be enjoyable for many, and depending on the whack of middle grade you usually read, you could seriously enjoy it.

I am not the craziest person about retellings. An author must perfect the retelling and make it nice for every reader, even for those who have heard the story hundreds of times. I kind of know the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" inside and out, and I would not even call this book a retelling of it, except for the fact that it uses the same name (Jack) and the same beginning. After that, Jack and his sister? go on an adventure together to save the ones they love. Yes, this is a fairytale, and impossibilities are possible, but COME ON.

This book was okay, it was certainly not the most irritating read out there. Jack's perspective is found throughout the story, and readers just head in a simplistic, one-way direction where we read the slow paced story for what seems like forever. The book is based simply upon fear, survival, and giants, if that makes some kind of sense. For people (and kids!) who enjoy that base of familiarity of children's stories that feature confident, bright protagonists who could be the age of the children who are reading this, this is perfect. Every reader is bound to find something in Jack that could have them relate to everything. 

The world building is actually extraordinary. The descriptions of the giants, the storm that started it all, the world above the clouds... I was mesmerized. It turned out to be difficult to let this book and its characters go for that reason. It is a fresh story, something that could give readers of other contemporary, perhaps, a change in scenery, just as if one were to head out of the fantasy genre and into romance, per se. 

It's not that this was not well written. I am a teenager, and because of my stubborn, selfish self (we all are, in some way!) this is not the kind of book for me. Others could enjoy it, I am in no way gearing people away from reading this. Shurtliff did manage to shock me in the end where I did produce some tears somewhere inside of me. The character relationships were part of it—that is the only thing I could spoil.

Jack is a good brother. In this case, a boy is doing something great for his family and is defying the stereotypes, being there for his sister and not pushing her away because they have no relationship. My heart is smiling. I promise.

Depending on your usual take on middle grade fiction, this could go either way for a reader. All in all, Jack was a cute story that boosted my energy, gave me smiles and left a message and moral, as most fairytales do. In this case, it was a story that could make a little kid and adult dream about the endless possibilities that our world has and how we could defy the impossibilities. I found myself bored here and there, but the pacing changes for all. I will not openly recommend it, though.

*A finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*

Do you like retellings when they are very similar to the original fable? Would you prefer a completely different interpretation?

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel // A Peter Pan Retelling... Gone Right?

Second Star, by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publication: June 2, 2015, by Square Fish
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Retelling, Fantasy
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy's journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove's charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward his nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of J. M. Barrie's classic tale, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up—and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

My Thoughts:

Since my childhood, I have always been the biggest fan of Peter Pan. The story, its themes, its message, everything about it made me so sure that I would never want to grow up. I guess these days, kids do not get the ability to hear and recognize the story, and it will never make sense to them what this story by Alyssa B. Sheinmel is really talking about. Second Star was a very more modern take on the story that J.M. Barrie brought to life with Disney, taking place in California, about a girl who has her future all set out, until her two brothers go missing and her life collapses before her eyes.

Second Star had a rough start with me. I found it so unbelievable, when fairytales should seriously seem real and believable for everyone, including adults who decide to pick this book up. Wendy Darling is going to Stanford. STANFORD. THE STANFORD. A three percent chance acceptance rate where there is no proof or descriptions that she has worked hard for this. Yes it is a book, and yes it is fiction, but because it is referencing a real legit educational institute, at least follow the details, please. That, as well as some other things, like when Wendy meets Pete, seemed unbelievable and cliché. I did not think that this book would ever be at a good finish. Thankfully, it did.

So Wendy Darling is our protagonist of course, and instead of the Neverland woo-hoo crazy plot world that Barrie created for us in his story, we have a modern day thing. There's surfing, there's partying, there's drugs and alcohol. I am pretty sure that none of that is associated with pixie dust, and I don't remember discovering any of the characters to be similar to Tinker Bell, now that I think about it. I spent a big chunk of the story trying to reconcile characters and think about who could be who. Some of the names were obvious, while others were weird. Some of the qualities also were not there, but it was not like I paid so much attention to that.

"Pete shakes his head. "You can't bring all of that with you here." He taps the board. "Worries weigh you down. You need to be light enough to fly."

You see that reference? There are so many parts of the novel where I felt like it was so connected to the original story. This is what I am looking for in a retelling. It does not matter whether it is a modern take on the beautiful story or if it is fantasy and all of that mixed in. If the author's writing is great, addictive, and straight-up using some of the original traits, then it is fantastic. This is a real take on the reality of many teenagers or people, perhaps those with a different take on the world than the average person. Wendy experiments drugs to get her out of the grief, stays by herself, and imagines that she is loved when there is nothing left for her, or at least, that is how she feels.

Although Pete was really great, I connected with Jas. He's so hot, he's so bad, and it just makes me squirm when I read his lines. He's a drug dealer (and not that I would ever want to be with someone like that), he's convincing. More convincing than Pete. At least he and Wendy had some kind of chemistry, right? The best thing was that Wendy was torn between a love triangle with the two guys, and I was shocked to see the way things turned out.

You see, the ending came out and made me so scared. It is abrupt, and it came out of nowhere. Wendy came back to reality, and I was completely shocked with the way things turned out for her. She was not supported by anyone, including her best friend, Fiona, and her parents. 

"Did I take the drugs because I was so grief-stricken and then manufacture this world, or did I manufacture this world because I was so grief-stricken and take drugs to keep the illusion alive?" (227)

I am extremely satisfied with this novel. Books have not been going well for me lately and it is the perfect, quick read to throw you out of any slump that you have been experiencing. It is vivid, wild, but also light and easy to read in a matter of hours. 

Second Star is fantastically written with all of the detail and specialty that the original Barrie story incorporated for millions of imaginative children. It is a nice modern take with original concepts of contemporary and romance, mixed in with a love triangle that I do not have enough of. 

Have you ever read about a Peter Pan retelling? Would you give a modern retelling of a good story a chance?

ARC Review: A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

A Whole New World (Twisted Tales #1), by Liz Braswell
Publication: September 1, 2015, by Disney Press
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: BEA
Rating: 

Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie? 
When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.
What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

My Thoughts: 

Disney is honestly the best franchise in the entire world. Everything about the movies and the theme parks just makes me smile like a little girl, and even adults love the stories that make it up. Aladdin has always been one of my favourite stories of them all, and it carries the best characters: Genie, Jasmine, Abu, even Jafar. The world setting is extraordinary, and I love that Liz Braswell has twisted the original tale with her own retelling that readers will adore, especially as we move on closer to the release date. You'll all be obsessed, I promise.

What if an evil villain won it all? What if the whole tale was completely changed to make evil things happen? What if... What if... those are the possibilities that people keep in their minds after watching a great fairytale film. Evidently, the original ones are made for kids originally and they can't just let Jafar ruin it all and get it all because yet again, Aladdin wouldn't be the hero of the story. Aladdin and Jasmine (the best power couple ever) still are main characters and they actually have to fight for freedom and for the people of Agrabah, who are in jeopardy when Jafar finds the magical lamp first. This isn't too similar to the original story as some have noted. Instead, it's its own glorious differentiated plot.

"Whatever happens next—whether we save the city or it falls into a pit in the earth and is lost forever—I would never, ever change a moment of our time together. You are the best—the only good thing that has happened in my life." (ARC, page 256)

The romance, the action, the social status and politics... everything had its own importance that played throughout the whole story and to be honest, I wouldn't change a thing to make it different. Braswell throws readers into a magical world that's very different from our own, but it's not a simplistic world to create. It's like we're stuck on our own personal magic carpet, going back and forth until the resolution is present. 

We all want to go for a ride.

The plot is basically what you can think of: a twisted tale. What's the worst possible turnaround of the original story? The villain getting the lamp and wishing to be king and rule Agrabah—Jafar. With tweaks and hints of what we once knew, Braswell must've had tons of research needed to get the things right and to know what she was writing about. We obviously cannot have a whole new storyline where the characters' personalities and attributes are messed around with, Aladdin needs to be a Street Rat and Jasmine needs to be royal in her turquoise adorable outfit. Abu was there, too. All of the facts that needed to stay as facts were complete and present.

What honestly made everything wonderful was the new characters. There were a bunch, too, and I guess you can say that they all helped Jasmine and Aladdin solve the issue that Jafar created. At first, these bunch of new roles seemed a little too far off from the story and I disliked them, but boy was I wrong. It's great to be introduced to another female character who could relate to Jasmine and help her out with her newly-improved social status—a thief. Because hey, who can deny that she wasn't one with the whole apple incident? Readers grow to understand her situation and life. But where does her one mistake of running away from home lead her to? Hell. Her dad dies and well... Agrabah turns to the worst possible situation of its standing. The gorgeous Arabian city we once knew about has violence and poorness occurring. Of course our two heroes want to help!

"He didn't call us traitors or revolutionaries or insurrectionists. He said, 'Death is my friend in the war for Agrabah.' He thinks it's a fair fight. He thinks we're at war. As equals." (ARC, page 235)

Would I have changed my experience with the actual story? That's a sure "no." Readers are able to tell that Braswell is an experienced author who writes retellings. She actually has written The Nine Lives of Chloe King, which a humungous set of paranormal novels that I read back a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. I actually never recognized her name until I searched Braswell up in Goodreads, and my expectations just blew over the top. I expected this awesomeness, coming from my past experience of enjoying her previous work. She's such a talented writer who makes it so easy to feel like you've indulged in her writing from page one. At least, that's what it felt like for me.

We are so fortunate to have a great group of characters as well. Aladdin was the person who brightened up the story (and who I had tons of sympathy for) where I almost died of pity. The thing is, these Disney characters are so happy with their lives, even if they live in poverty or have to beg and steal things, like Aladdin was raised with. It makes a happily ever after even more likely to produce because you know that from the great achievements that they make, they'll have to be even happier by the end of their story. Jasmine was kick-butt and the life-changer person. Although her personality seemed to be off from the original (she was kind of mad all of the time), the relationships that she created with others is significant to the whole story. 

THE ROMANCE? THE LOVE? THE ATTRACTION? Yeah, the story would've been horrible without it. I can't even imagine this moving story without Jasdin. (Ship name alert!) It's insta-love, I'm warning you, but for some reason it works in this book, although it doesn't click every time. How are you not supposed to fall in love when it's meant to be? If you are so against insta-romance, then I recommend leaving right now because you're not allowed here. Jokes. I'm kidding, heh. But really, I just want to cry when people choose not to read a book because the characters have a nice relationship. It's a fast-paced story, what are Aladdin and Jasmine supposed to do when they meet each other? Smirk and leave? No, the initial meeting is a crazily awesome moment that brings the whole story together. Okay? Okay.

What about the ending? Well that made me cry and feel like an idiot because I thought that it'd be some kind of suspense. Thank goodness the Genie did... you know. *doesn't spoil* But overall, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES. DISNEY PRESS, YOU GUYS RULE AND YOU NEED TO HAND IT TO ME RIGHT NOW. Please please please let it be The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast and I'll hug you guys for the rest of eternity. I'll even walk from my house all the way to New York if I could get it. I guess from these few statements, you can tell I'm some obsessed Disney fangirl. It's life, and Aladdin and Jasmine created a well-known story into something twisted, but one that does end with a happy ending. If you don't like those, then you don't like Disney.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so so much!*

What's your favourite Disney movie/story? Please please please tell me that you're going to pick this pretty up!

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1), by Renée Ahdieh
Publication: May 12, 2015, by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Retellings
Pages: 388
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

My Thoughts:

When I close my eyes, I see a thousand and one stars shining right in front of me. Renée Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn was mesmerizing and my head is full of illusions... I just can't stop thinking about it and my life is now complete with yet another retelling, the first of A Thousand and One Nights that's hit me. Arabian Nights? Horses? Daggers and awesome weapons? This book honestly has it all and it killed me of perfection, I'd read it for another thousand and one nights just to be with Khalid and Shazi.

Can we just talk about the hype and what everyone's talking about that has to do with this book? I was so afraid that I'd hate it and it'd all be over-hyped and exaggerated. And that's the kind of thing that was hitting me from the start—I was confused. But let's just forget about that for now and speak of the wise writing which Ahdieh presents to readers. This surely can be classified as the best book I've read this year, and although I know I say that in every 5-star review that gets handed to me, this is something else, and a new experience for me coming from fantasy. A year ago I probably wouldn't enjoy it all, though my horizons have now expanded to see the dawns ahead of me. I apologize for my olden-days talk... I just can't let this one go.

"Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable... and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power." (Hardcover, page 77)

I just love the mood which this book presents.

I've never read A Thousand and One Nights or really heard of its premise... so I barely even had an idea of what this book is about. I bet that this is completely different from the real story, to be honest. From the first moment when I saw the cover, I was in love. And then I wanted an ARC so badly because I couldn't wait to read it, and that evidently didn't happen or else a review would've been out in the wild a long while before. When I finally got a copy of this book, I decided to read An Ember in the Ashes first because it reminded me so much of this book and I kind of wanted to save the one I was more excited for last. The whole idea of Shazi choosing to stick up for Shiva, her best friend who Khalid had killed (one of his brides) was absolutely amazing and one of the first reasons and things that led me to adore this book even more.

Shahrzad is a sixteen year old whose best friend gets killed by Khalid, the eighteen year old Caliph who kills every bride with a silk rope wrapped around their throats. When Shazi volunteers to be Khalid's next bride, she wants to kill him and show justice and faith to all of the other families who lost their daughters in the past. But when Shazi gets to know the Caliph, she falls in love with him and can't try to do anything as she discovers the truth behind the whole cursed story. 

WOW. Okay. So beforehand, I'm letting you wonderful individuals know that there's a glossary in the back of the book. Honestly, I wish that publishers actually let everyone know this on the cover or the first few pages or something. If I hadn't gone and checked the extra excerpts and acknowledgments in the back when I had just begun reading, I would've died and got super confused. I already was so confused in the beginning, and that saved my life. Thank you Penguin and Renee for adding that there. You're life-savers. 

RENEE'S WRITING IS SO SHARP AND SPECTACULAR. Everything is so descriptive and imaginative, and I want to gobble up the whole setting and everything it has to give to readers. When Ahdieh describes food, colour, just about anything, I get this perfect clear picture in my head and I fall in love instantly with it all. There weren't any issues with her writing or with anything, for that matter, and I totally get why everyone's obsessing over some lyrical quotes and all, I totally get it. 

"How can I desire him? After he killed Shiva? After he killed so many young girls, without explanation? What's wrong with me?" (Hardcover, page 170)

Including Khalid. Yes.

Nothing's wrong with you, Shazi. You're the utter-most kick-ass protagonist that I've read about in a loooooonnnnngggg time, and I praise you for being a great Calipha. The characters ended up being like friends to me, and they each had such stellar distinctive attributes that made them "them." Readers usually suspect someone like Shazi to always do the right thing, but she actually always had the right thing to say back. Her playful attitude with Khalid was so freaking adorable, and her fearlessness played to so much of the novel and its events. She had so much common sense in her mind, my my. She's a fucking queen bee of all YA heroines. THANK GOODNESS SHE STOOD UP TO TARIQ, THAT LOSER. I can relate to her struggles so damn much, her emotions are so conflicting but the empathy is real.

So when reading, I suspected that I was the only one who shipped Shazi and Khalid together so much. And then I read reviews (I didn't want to spoil anything beforehand!) and found that everyone's with the Shalid OTP anyways. They're a couple who have so much passion and hate for their actions, but when they love each other, nothing matters anyways besides that. Their kissing scenes got me so teary and gushy that I had to basically fan myself of pride for their affection. AND THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY MADE FOR EACH OTHER! *passes out* Brace yourself for running into the sunset all the way to dawn searching for Khalid. If someone thinks that he's a villain, they are so wrong. Wow. I love bad guys, but Khalid has a reason for everything and that shocked me.

"She was a dangerous, dangerous girl. A plague. A Mountain of Adamant who tore the iron from ships, sinking them to their watery graves without a second thought. With a mere smile and a wrinkle of her nose." (Hardcover, page 328)

Again with the descriptions. *fawns* Okay, so there's a love triangle present, but it's an annoying one and there's a couple that obviously rules. (I hate Tariq so much, ugh.) Which reminds me that Tarazi might become a thing in the sequel, WHICH I NEED RIGHT NOW. RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT NOW. And I'll go hunt down a signed copy of this book too, because I'm afraid that I'll need every single edition in my bookshelf. I'm not an obsessed freak, I promise, I'm an obsessed freak, I know.

So the truth is that this book prohibited me from getting more beauty sleep to make me as gorgeous as Shazi, but I didn't give a Tariq. (You know what that name stands for!) I DIDN'T CARE, because I would've stayed up all night, every night (I didn't, I had to finish it this morning) to get another chance to be with my ultimate boyfriend and OTP, seeing more action, more perfection, more of this epic read continuously. Coming from a beautiful world set with imaginative details, characters who are like my close friends and action, Ahdieh writes like she's witnessing this on the street. How I WISH I could live in the Arabian Nights... Give me a time machine, and that's where I'd head first. The Rose and the Dagger is going to change lives, including mine.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU'VE BEEN SO OBSESSED WITH A BOOK LIKE THIS?!

The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz Review

The Isle of the Lost (The Descendants #1), by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication: May 5, 2015, by Disney Hyperion
Genre: Middle-Grade, Fantasy, Retelling
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ½

Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world.
But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?
Maleficent, Mistress of the Dark: As the self-proclaimed ruler of the isle, Maleficent has no tolerance for anything less than pure evil. She has little time for her subjects, who have still not mastered life without magic. Her only concern is getting off the Isle of the Lost.
Mal: At sixteen, Maleficent's daughter is the most talented student at Dragon Hall, best known for her evil schemes. And when she hears about the dragon's eye, Mal thinks this could be her chance to prove herself as the cruelest of them all.
Evie: Having been castle-schooled for years, Evil Queen's daughter, Evie, doesn't know the ins and outs of Dragon Hall. But she's a quick study, especially after she falls for one too many of Mal's little tricks.
Jay: As the son of Jafar, Jay is a boy of many talents: stealing and lying to name a few. Jay and Mal have been frenemies forever and he's not about to miss out on the hunt for the dragon's eye.
Carlos: Cruella de Vil's son may not be bravest, but he's certainly clever. Carlos's inventions may be the missing piece in locating the dragon's eye and ending the banishment for good.
Mal soon learns from her mother that the dragon's eye is cursed and whoever retrieves it will be knocked into a deep sleep for a thousand years. But Mal has a plan to capture it. She'll just need a little help from her "friends." In their quest for the dragon's eye, these kids begin to realize that just because you come from an evil family tree, being good ain't so bad.

My Thoughts:

Disney has always been part of my life, whether it's the movies, stories or morals related. Since Beauty and the Beast as well as The Lion King, my two favourite movies to this day, I’ve bene obsessed and I won’t ever forget or set aside the stories that brought my childhood together and taught me so many things. After discovering that Melissa de la Cruz, one of my all-time favourite authors, will be releasing a prequel to a coming Disney movie that’s all about the children of the villains that every kid knows about today, I WAS STOKED. I still am stoked, feeling excited and so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read such a fabulous novel.

Before reading, or in your *points to review reader* situation, I recommend thinking about your likings of books. This is middle-grade, by the way, but I firmly believe that anyone will like this, young or old. ANY DISNEY LOVER will become obsessed, just saying. *giggles* Do you enjoy some fantasy associated with goblins, dwarves and plain spells and magic? If you’re okay with that (because I know I am) then you'll totally love this. Get ready for a true enjoyable read.

“This was the Isle of the Lost. Evil lived, breathed, and ruled the island, and King Beast and his sickly sweet billboards cajoling the former villains of the world to do good had no place in it. Who wanted to make lemonade from lemons, when you could make perfectly good lemon grenades?” (Hardcover, page 21)

No one knows Disney better than Melissa over here. Just saying. I can imagine the amount of research and awesomeness needed to be put to make such a complex novel like this! And really, the storyline may seem simplistic and all,  but there’s so much to it. Kids have to be interested and have weak attention spans these days, so shouldn’t this be full of details? *nods* AND THERE WAS. Where can I simply begin on the subject of plot and all? This was fabulous.

But before I get head of myself, let’s talk about my personal synopsis for you. :) It all begins with the story of each child, Cruella de Vil’s son, Carlos, Maleficent’s daughter, Mal, Jafar’s son, Jay and the Evil Queen’s daughter, Evie. They’re all thrown into each other’s life somehow, and at first, things don’t work well, but as their island and home is put at stake, they realize that they have to work together for peace, and to maintain their reputations, as well as discovering who they really are. And finding the Dragon’s Eye, of course. But, that’s an adventure that you’re going to have to take this time around, heh.

I feel that the Descendants movie that’ll be premiering on Disney Channel this summer’s going to be a hit. Think of Camp Rock, but for this generation of kids. *thinks of my sister* And of course, there’s all of the Disney live-action retelling films that are releasing now, like Maleficent and Cinderella. Everyone wants to see the children of the villains that we were grown to be scared of, no? It’s a new way to see Disney, and this was a perfect retelling. I mean, I bet not every kid’s going to pick this up and read it since it’s what happens before the main events of the movie, but it’ll always be there to hand a background story over to readers and give them a twist on the usual Disney that comes to mind. Right? Right. 

This was the ultimate twist on Disney. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS THAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH WHEN WE WERE KIDS ARE BACK. You’ll see flashbacks and moments with Ariel, Cinderella, Belle and the Beast, just to name a few. And you know how the princesses were all teenagers when their main story occurred? This is after the ever-after, and then you’ll get to read about what they’re up to now, and more on where they live and their kingdom. How did I not know anything about their USA? *lets everyone know that it’s not America* WOOT. The world setting was unlike anything I’ve read of before, filled with evilness and classes that are made according to your EQ (like your IQ, though all about how much evil you have inside of you). It’s a magical isle, I must say.

Evie had to be my ultimate favourite character. She had to deal with so much, and her mother’s manipulation and her forcing of Evie having to be the fairest literally broke my heart, but it made it so much better because there was an outside issue that the characters had to deal with. And just to let you know, things did get better for her and her self-esteem. CONFIDENCE IS THE BEST REPUTATION TO HAVE. And she grew stronger, not letting some stupid evil girl get in her way out of jealousy. *coughMALcough*

And then we obviously had the other three main people: Jay, Mal and Carlos. (By the way, Belle and Beast’s son, BEN also makes appearances!) They pissed me off, just saying. I’m not sure if they were supposed to be really annoying and snobby, or it was just me and THE EVILNESS that they portrayed. Ugh. That sure was an issue for me, and I kind of dreaded when Mal’s POV and perspective came along because she annoyed me to the full extent. Huh. *sits grumpily in the corner* That could possibly be JUST me, just saying.

Was there romance? No, this is a middle-grade. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t ask me that question. Hah. But there was some crushy-cutesy related stuff happening with Evie and Carlos, possibly. Thankfully this wasn’t one of those unrealistic middle-grade fantasies where anything can happen, even though this is pure Disney. IT WASN’T PREDICTABLE, SO THAT’S A GOOD START.

All in all, I was really REALLY impressed with this pretty. It’s actually unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I normally don’t ever read middle grade unless I’m sure of it and know that I’ll like it and that it’ll be perfectly okay and fine for me. In this case, it certainly was and I ended up being the proudest person alive. Since I borrowed this from the library, I’LL HAVE TO grab myself a copy and get my little sister to read it, if she’s okay with goblins serving coffee. Hah. I want to live on the creepy island, the Isle of the Lost!

What are some Disney-like books you've read?