Review: Kill Me Softly

Title: Kill Me Softly
Author: Sarah Cross
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
Publisher EgmontUSA

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

Holy WOW.
This book is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the BEST fairy tale retellings I've ever read.

Sarah Cross's concept of these modern fairy tale curses is so original and so unbelievably creative that I fell head over heels for the world of Beau Rivage.

I loved how Cross weaves together all these classic fairy tale stories and elements so that each of the characters could all coexist together. But if you think that these are your Disney happily-ever-after stories, then think again! These are dark Grimm brothers fairy tales--they're gruesome and slightly creepy and I freakin' loved every minute of it!

NOw let's talk abou the fabulous assortment of characters in this story. OH. My. Gosh. These characters. Well to start off, there's just about a character from every classic fairy tale present in this one book! The modern representations of Snow White, the Huntsman, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and the Beast were all spot-on in their portrayal while still giving them originality.These characters are all pretty cynical because of their respective curses/destinies, but I think that gives them all a lot of complexity. One the one hand, they want to fight their destiny, but they also know it's ultimately inevitable.

Mira, the protagonist, was a great character, though admittedly, it took me some time to warm up to her. The character that really stole the show for me was Blue Valentine. I totally thought he was your average cocky bad-boy, but never have I been so happy to be wrong! Blue is one of the most selfless, kind, swoon-worthy characters I've ever encountered!. After learning everything he'd been through, realizing the reasons for his actions, I just wanted to give him a big fat hug.

The only thing keeping this book from a 5 star rating is the 3rd person narration. It kept me from really connecting with the main character, but I will admit that this gives the story a more fairy-tale-esque vibe. With regards to POV, I think it's just a personal preference kind of thing. The diction was just absolutely beautiful and there were so many passages I marked to quote!

Rating: 4.5 stars!!

All in all: LOVED this book. The concept of the interconnected fairy tales in the modern world is just fabulously written, and I can't wait for a companion novel!!