Once Upon a Dream

February 15, 2016
What if Disney's Sleeping Beauty never woke up? Princess Aurora endures endless days of useless boredom in the surreal, post-apocalyptic confines of Thorn Castle, whose shellshocked inhabitants survive only due to gracious Queen Maleficent's powers. Slowly the princess realizes that she is trapped within her own dreams, an alternate reality horribly twisted by the evil fairy after her dragon form wasn't completely slain. Familiar characters from the film (and some intriguing new ones) help Aurora in her struggles to awaken and save her kingdom, but her greatest enemy is her own overwhelming despair. Greatly improving upon A Whole New World (2015), the first in the Disney-authorized series, this story starts after the movie's end, fleshing out its tissue-thin archetypes into likable (if fallible) personalities: the fairies become more otherworldly, the villain more magnificently evil, and the prince downright endearing in his unflagging cheerfulness and dogged devotion. Since nearly the entire narrative occurs in Aurora's subconscious, her character is the most deeply explored--in a daringly faithful depiction of chronic depression, with all the loneliness, listlessness, and self-loathing that entails. Hundreds of pages of Aurora's pain and passive futility may be even harder to read than the brief, grisly interludes of Maleficent's viciousness, but the dreary slog is redeemed once the princess finally reclaims the intelligence, courage, and compassion that are her true birthright. A surprising and clever twist on a beloved tale. (Fantasy. 13-18)

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January 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-What if Sleeping Beauty never woke up? This work asks readers to rethink the classic Disney version. Prince Phillip throws his sword at the dragon version of Maleficent, but when he approaches the sleeping Princess Aurora and kisses her lips, he, too, succumbs to the sleeping curse. Meanwhile, Aurora is alive and living a normal life, or so she believes. Maleficent rescues the kingdom and princess from her neglectful parents, taking the crown for herself. When Aurora overhears a confession of truth from Maleficent, her world begins to crumble. She has been asleep this entire time. The world she thought was real has been a construct of her dreams. Her escape from the evil fairy's grasp leads her to Prince Phillip, who, in her dream world, becomes one of her few allies in her attempt to finally defeat Maleficent. The princess is the ultimate hero of her own fate. She is a strong, intelligent young woman who struggles to find and trust her own skills. Switching between the real and the dream worlds may confuse readers at first, but those who stick with the jumping narration will be rewarded with a fun, fast-paced adventure. Readers' possible confusion mimics Aurora's own grappling with reality vs. her dreams. Aurora finds her voice and becomes the queen she was born to be. VERDICT For fans of the original story who are ready to see a self-reliant, take-charge princess emerge.-Carrie Fox, South Park High School, PA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Revisioning Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Prince Phillip fails to awaken Princess Aurora. Instead, both are caged in a sinister dream world by Maleficent. Aurora must overcome physical and mental obstacles to save her dream-imprisoned subjects. Despite the book's pandering to hardcore Disney fans, its witty banter, inventive plot, and subtle references to other movies make this more compelling than A Whole New World, Braswell's first reimagining.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)