The Wide Awake Princess (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty)

            While fairy tale retellings written by people like Gregory Maguire and GThe Wide Awake Princess.

ail Carson Levine are written for adults, or at least a slightly more mature audience, there is something amazingly wonderful and almost Disney like about most of the retellings. Often written at the middle grade level, they are quick and easy one sit reads, and sometimes that is exactly what I want. Such was the case when I read

            I got this book on my kindle coming off of my Alice in Wonderland retelling high, in fact I think I bought some ten new books, all retellings after reading Death of the Mad Hatter. This is a twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale, only the main character isn’t Sleeping Beauty, or anyone from the classis tale, but rather her younger sister Gwen. After the magical bestowing on Annie (Sleeping Beauty), the King and Queen were worried that their new daughter would have a similar fate of sleep and death put upon her. Hearing their worry, the Blue Fairy gave Gwen the one and only magical gift she could ever have, the curse/blessing of being impervious to magic.

            Gwen grew up normal, with normal qualities. She did not have charm, beauty or grace granted upon her, but more than that, when ever someone who had been given a magical blessing (or curse) was around Gwen their charms would start to fade. This made Gwen an outcast in the royal court, but handy around the guards, cooks, and their children who never had gifts. Gwen was able to stop evil witches and sorceresses who attempted to attack the castle, and with the prophesy of Gwen’s 16^th birthday sleep near, Gwen made numerous rounds with the palace guards.

Of course, no matter how much time Gwen spent with the guards and away from her family (because no one wanted their beauty, age, charm, etc to fade) no one can change destiny. When the castle falls under the spell of sleep, Gwen sets out to find the one true prince to kiss her sister and awaken the kingdom. But who will it be? As Gwen travels with one of the palace guards who was making rounds in the village when the spell went into effect, they collect an interesting string of princes all hoping to deliver the perfect kiss of true love. Will it be Digby, the self-centered neighboring prince who Gwen had a childhood crush on? Andreas who loves to play games and make people (especially proper princesses and noble) uncomfortable, the bear who claims to be a prince under a spell, or maybe someone living in secrets and lies of his own making.

Gwen not only is on a mission to save her sister and the kingdom, but find herself along the way. Although, she is so focused on her mission she misses the hints and clues the seemingly simple guard keeps dropping. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a quick read, an adventure staring a strong minded female character, Sleeping Beauty, magic, and of course retellings of classic tales.