CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge (Illustrated by Andrea Dezso)

Publishing Details

Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Genre: Magical Realism/Poetry
Age Group: Young Adult-15+
Recommended For: Readers who enjoy Lemony Snicket or Jackson Pearce

Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis


Once upon a time, a strung-out match girl sold CDs to stoners. Twelve impetuous sisters escaped Daddy’s clutches to jiggle and cavort and wear out their shoes. Bluebeard's latest wife discovered she'd married a serial killer. And Little Red Riding Hood confessed that she kind of wanted to know what it's like to be swallowed whole.

You see, Ron Koertge knows what really happened to all those wolves and maidens, ogres and orphans, kings and piglets of fairy tales, and he knows about the Ever After. So come closer--he wants to whisper in your ear.

Review

Gory, dark, and captivating, Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses is not for the faint-hearted. What immediately captivated my attention was the gorgeous (and kind of creepy) cover, as well as the fairy tale retelling side of it (for which I have a total Achilles Heel for.) Written in free verse poetry, you'll come across old favorites like Cinderella and The Ugly Duckling (retold in the sickest ways you can ever imagine) and several other not as well known stories like Bluebeard and Godfather Death. (Though it was interesting, those who have read the original fairytales might enjoy the obscure retellings a bit more.) Like any anthology of short stories or poetry, several stuck out (my favorites were The Stepsisters and The Princess and The Pea) while others melted into the gristly atmosphere that clung to (and sometimes overwhelmed) the short, 80-ish page book. For those who won't run from the beautiful but bloody illustrations, I think that there is a story in here for everyone to enjoy, gawk, and even scream at, if only you dare.

1 comments:

Lucie

Hi,
Thanks for your great review, now I want to read this obscure fairy tale...
Enjoy your Holidays,
Lucie
One of your new follower from Goodreads
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr/

Post a Comment

Appropriate comments, don't reveal your private information, etc., etc.! You know the drill. Thanks. :)

The KAJA