| Title | : | At Midnight |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 125080602X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250806024 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 496 |
| Publication | : | First published November 22, 2022 |
Fifteen celebrated authors reclaim classic fairy tales for a new generation:
Dahlia Adler, “Rumplestiltskin”
Tracy Deonn, “The Nightingale”
H.E. Edgmon, “Snow White”
Hafsah Faizal, “Little Red Riding Hood”
Stacey Lee, “The Little Matchstick Girl”
Roselle Lim, “Hansel and Gretel”
Darcie Little Badger, “Puss in Boots”
Malinda Lo, “Frau Trude”
Alex London, “Cinderella”
Anna-Marie McLemore, “The Nutcracker”
Rebecca Podos, “The Robber Bridegroom”
Rory Power, “Sleeping Beauty”
Meredith Russo, “The Little Mermaid”
Gita Trelease, “Fitcher’s Bird”
and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert
Once upon a time . . .
At Midnight Reviews
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What if I told you Hafsah Faizal's story is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling about a heist with a hijabi MC
Because I'm screaming rn -
I will read this but I am unsure as to why the toxic Russo is mixed in with all these other (to my current knowledge) non-toxic authors
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So excited to have ARCs for my newest anthology out in the world! This collection definitely errs on the Grimm-er side (pun intended), so please know that in particular, parental neglect and cruelty are a running theme. There's also some fire, revenge, alcohol use, murder, homophobia, transphobia, and cannibalism, so do take care when reading!
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Pretty good anthology! I didn't read the original tales because I didn't want to, but it's neat that they're included in the back!
- Sugarplum (The Nutcracker): 2/5. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Not literally, but still. While I like the way that this played with narration (it's told in second-person present-tense and sort of in a list format, if that makes sense?) I was expecting the Anna-Marie McLemore story to be a fantastical (modern-day setting or not) take on the story of the Nutcracker, not a story about a girl who doesn't want to dance at her dad's boss's party and ends up reading The Nutcracker with her dad's boss's daughter. An extra star for the unique formatting but man...my dream idea of "Anna-Marie McLemore writing The Nutcracker" was nothing like this.
- In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher's Birds): 3/5. Good but nothing spectacular. A fairytale I was unfamiliar with, but a decidedly more dark and grim one.
- Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin): 4/5. I like it when girls are both gay and deranged. I did NOT see the ending to this one coming but I am so glad that we're in a timeline where
- Fire & Rhinestone (The Little Matchstick Girl): 4/5. I loved the historical setting and Firefly and her grandmother. It has a very different ending from The Little Matchstick Girl so if you're like a huge fan of that story then you maybe won't like this one? but it's very good.
- Mother's Mirror (Snow White): 5/5. AHHH THIS WAS AMAZING!!! SO GOOD OMG I have nothing else to add just that this was phenomenal.
- Sharp As Any Thorn (Sleeping Beauty): 5/5. Rory Power's writing is always beautiful. Loved the twist on the Sleeping Beauty Curse.
- Coyote in High-Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots): 5/5. I loved the narration and the framing in this one! The friendship between Nadia and Roberto was so cute <3
- The Sister Switch (Original Tale): 4/5. This was pretty good. I would've liked it more without the framing device, or if Albert has included a short story-length take on it in the back with the rest of the tales since the magic of the story was kind of tainted by the cynical narrator. The ending was good though.
- Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood): 5/5. A super unique and fun take on Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a heist! What more could you want?
- A Flame So Bright (Frau Trude): 3/5. Frau Trude is a tale I'm not too familiar with but I liked this one. The sapphic yearning was good but I just don't care much for stories set in this time period.
- The Emperor and the Eversong (The Nightingale): 5/5. LOVED the writing in this one, as well as the twist!
- HEA (Cinderella): 4/5. SONDHEIM REFERENCE SONDHEIM REFERENCE LET'S GOOOO although I think Gypsy is an apter comparison here than Into the Woods, Cinderella retelling nonwithstanding. This was fun, but also it sort of missed the point of Cinderella? But also I think that Asher being a rich kid with a decent to good family life who skips the ball to meet his prince was the point so I can't be too mad. An interesting take on the original.
- The Littlest Mermaid (The Little Mermaid): 4/5. Loved the writing style and the twist on the original (a human becomes the mermaid in this one) plus the way that the humans (called "termaids") are described by the mermaid MC was an interesting change of pace from usual mermaid stories.
- Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel): 4/5. Intense Sweeney Todd-esque take on the original tale with a brutal ending.
- A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom): 2/5. Loved the idea of this one but the framing device killed it for me. -
...have no clue what this is about, but I love at least 3 of the authors, so I'm adding it anyway
-
Even though I’m well into adulthood, I still enjoy a good fairy tale retelling, and I was excited to read this collection when I saw it included authors like Tracy Deonn, Melissa Albert, and Hafsah Faizal. They’re all such great storytellers, and I was eager to see what kind of fairy tale reimagining they would come up with. Overall, I liked most of the stories. They are unique and interesting, and so much more layered and nuanced than the originals.
Like many anthologies, this is one where you can pick and choose the stories you want to read. Each of the fifteen stories is a standalone reimagining of a classic fairy tale. So, we have the same tropes, but everything is totally transformed and modern. I like how varied the stories are and how well each was transformed into a contemporary setting with unique and diverse characters. Instead of the all-white characters we usually encounter in fairy tales, these include Chinese, Muslim, Apache, Mexican-American, LGBTQ characters and more. The stories also had much more depth, more detailed backstories, and new complications, struggles, and conflicts.
Of course, I enjoyed some stories more than others, especially since these are all written by different authors. The writing styles and voices are all different, and I particularly liked Sharp as Any Thorn by Rory Power, Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faizal, and Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim. I also liked that the book included the original stories at the end of the book. That way, if you don’t know the story and want to read the original, you can!
I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before reading the book. There are definitely subjects and situations that could trigger readers, including gore, death, abuse, and more. Special thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own. -
I love fairytales. I mean, if you look at the books I've read you will notice that a lot of those books are fairytale retellings. So when I discovered this story collection I knew I had to have and read it. I was therefore incredibly happy that I found this book on Netgalley and that the publisher, Titan Books, approved my request for a review copy. And the nice thing about short stories? It's easy to fit one or two stories into the reading schedule every day.
What I loved most about these stories is the modern feel of most of them. The authors found the themes and messages of the original tales and wrote mostly contemporary stories containing all the important elements and the same messages and themes. That automatically added a lot of diversity to this collection. We meet characters with all kind of backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences and it never feels forced or out of place.
Like with every story collection I liked some stories more than others. Sometimes it's simply because I don't like the original fairytale to begin with (the originals are included, by the way, which is amazing!), which makes it hard to appreciate the retelling. In other cases it could be the writing style that didn't click or the tone of a story. However, that was all personal taste. All stories are of high quality and are unique and worth reading. I'm certain everyone will have other and personal favorites.
I personally missed the magic a little bit. I understand that the power of this book is how realistic the situations of the characters are, how the themes of the magical tales still work in the real world where we're stuck, but for me magic and fairytales are always a little bit connected. However, in a way this collection also reminded me a lot of Tell Me A Story, a tv series that had two seasons a few years back. And when I say that, I totally mean it as a compliment! -
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: racism, classism, violence, and referenced implied sexual assault (in "Fire and Rhinstones"), transphobia (in "Mother's Mirror"), parental abuse (in "Mother's Mirror" and "Sharp As Any Thorn"), infidelity & themes of attempted incest/sexual assault (father to daughter) (in "The Sister Switch"), murder of own parents (in "The Emperor and the Eversong", cannibalism & child abandonment (in "Just a Little Bit")
4.2
This is a really great collection of fairy tale adaptations! These stories range from classic to more obscure, from tilts to full scale original stories. I think anyone with any interest in folktales or fairy tales will find at least something to interest them here.
I always judge adaptations by whether or not they stand alone, and if the original story adds anything, and I judge short stories by whether or not the moment shown feels important. Though there were some stories where I thought these things were a bit weaker, and a few I personally just didn't mesh with, by and large the short stories collected here worked perfectly with both those questions!
My favorites were, somewhat unfortunately, the ones that started the anthology. "Sugar Plum" is full of heavy, bitter emotion with a surprisingly believable and easy to invest in growing romance, "In the Forest at Night" takes a old, obscure story, and makes it terrifying and new while playing upon the chilling folktales ingrained in us, and "Say My Name" was just a lot of fun with my favorite brand of character- unlikable sapphics that are too smart for their own good.
We really live in a glorious time for fabulously brought together diverse YA collections! -
3.7 stars average
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
My favourite stories were Mother's Mirror and Sharp as Any Thorn!
Sugar Plum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4/5
Considering this is one of the shortest stories in the anthology, it was quite powerful. There were beautiful descriptions and a real sense of pain coming through the pages; it was easy to connect to the main character. I really want to read the original fairytale of The Nutcracker now!
In the Forests of the Night - Gina Trelease
4/5
I'd never heard of the original fairytale, so I can't compare it to the original, but I found this one to be really interesting, tense, and I felt nervous throughout waiting for the ending.
Say My Name - Dahlia Adler
2/5
My least favourite of the collection. This was confusing and messy, and I can't work out if it was trying to be satirical with the main character's name turning out to be Renesmee Carlie? Cause honestly it was just bizarre, why is she named after Twilight?
Fire & Rhinest One - Stacey Lee
3/5
I enjoyed the message, and the protectiveness of the main character over her grandmother and their close relationship but honestly it was kind of boring.
Mother's Mirror - H.E. Edgmon
5/5
Okay this was amazing! Such a great twist on Snow White, it had a beautiful message, it was incredibly easy to connect to the main character, it was the perfect length... Just so good!
Sharp As Any Thorn - Rory Power
5/5
Really freaky and such a cool twist on Sleeping Beauty. It was incredibly tense and I was filled with anxiety reading it, which tells me how atmospheric it was! That ending was also so freaky!
Coyote in High Top Sneakers - Darcie Little Badger
3/5
Maybe I needed to have known the fairytale version of Puss in Boots (guessing it differs from the Shrek version), but I just could not work out where this story was going or really the point of it.
The Sister Switch - Melissa Albert
4/5
This was a new fairytale, and it was freaky! I found myself quite confused at times, but with the way the story was playing out, that confusion only added to the atmosphere and tension. I also think this would be really cool as a full novel!
Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Hafsah Faizal
3.5/5
I enjoyed the concept of this, but it didn't have any sort of creepy aspect that I would've expected for a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It all just felt very convenient, the way it played out.
A Flame So Bright - Malinda Lo
3/5
I didn't really understand this one. It never seemed to end up going anywhere, and there was a strange age-gap.
The Emperor and the Eversong - Tracy Deonn
4/5
This was so interesting! A cool take on power life, and death, and I would really love to read a full novel version of this!
HEA - Alex London
3.5/5
I really liked the concept behind this and the commentary on the toll young fame can have on a person's life, but I think that the Cinderella aspect could've been amped up way more.
The Littlest Mermaid - Meredith Russell
3/5
A cool twist on The Little Mermaid, from the perspective of a mermaid, but it was really confusing and I don't understand how we got to the ending - it felt like I was missing a few pages.
Just a Little Bite - Roselle Lim
4.5/5
This was so creepy!! I found it to be predictable as to what the plot twist would be, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and tension and was desperate to see how it would end.
A Story About A Girl - Rebecca Podos
4/5
This was pretty cool. I enjoyed the buildup and the story, but it didn't feel as atmospheric as I would've hoped, possibly because of the fact that over half the story was the main character telling someone a story and we weren't actually involved in what was really happening. -
Anthologies help kick my reading slumps and this one is right up my alley! I like looking back seeing the little short stories and my reviews of them too.
I also love that they included the original stories these are based on too! So unique and a great detail.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
4 stars
Very short story about a Mexican teen being lowkey forced to dance a ballet at her father's rich boss's holiday party. She's crushing on the boss's daughter too so that was cute as heck. Interesting and complicated.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
5 stars
I really liked this one! The story was absorbing and the writing very well done and evocative. I read the source story right after and found it a faithful retelling with an Indian twist. It was really lovely!
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
4.5 stars
The petty roundabout high school drama was meh, but oh man the reveal of her name was excellent. I wanted to know more about the aftermath too! What happened? Loved reading the original story as well after. The detail about stomping the foot was amazing.
Fire & Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
5 stars
This was well written and I loved the plotline. It's definitely inspired from the original tale as well as an inspired take on an event in history. I really enjoyed the context with the author's note at the end. Loved it!
Mother's Mirror by H. E. Edgmon
10 stars
This story does have a trigger for transphobia and abuse so be aware. However, this has been my favorite so far. It hit me so hard in the feelings; as a queer Indiana kid myself. Knowing the Snow White story did help my understanding of the retelling and then refreshing myself with the original at the end was nice. This story is precious to me, and I definitely want to pick up books by H. E. Edgmon now.
Coyote in High-Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
4.5 stars
A bit of a stretch believability wise, but I liked the way the narrative was structured. I really liked how Coyote was both self-serving but also helpful. I haven't ever read Puss in Boots so that was really fun too!
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
3 stars
So far my least favorite, but still good. It's an original story, borrowing bits and pieces from all kinds of fairytale, but it fell short in my opinion as it was too short to really engage me. I didn't know what was going on and so I never felt invested. Nate was kinda a dick, the sisters were strange, and I just didn't care for anyone which also impacted my enjoyment of it. But it was haunting and spooky regardless.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
3 stars
Sort of a Handmaid's Tale-esque story about a girl, Obedience, who is not like her namesake and falls for the town's 'witch'. It was kinda cute but I didn't get super into it. It took the original tale, which was more of a fable, and make it gay. So I did like that.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
2.5 stars
Couldn't get into this one. The writing is nice and I liked the twist on the original, but it fell flat for me. I much prefer this retelling to the original anyhow.
HEA by Alex London
4 stars
Fun, contemporary take on Cinderella with a drag queen influencer as "Cinderella". I could have read a whole novel on this take as I found it interesting. Overall since the story is so short, it lacked substance and felt somewhat flat. I hope Ash got his happy ending tho.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
3 stars
I was confused for most of this. And I'm not sure what Aria's final transformation meant. It was cute and worth the read even if I'm left a bit disappointed and confused in the end.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
5 stars
I kinda loved it. If you're a fan of
The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1, this concept is familiar. I liked the reveal and how they dealt with their... problems. But it did seem rather easy for them to turn into murderers. Still enjoyed it!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
5 stars
Super fun twisty story-within-a-story kind of deal! I LOVED IT!
Overall, I really liked it! Total of 3.6 stars (53.5/75) but I liked the 4 and 5 star stories enough to justify rounding up! I feel like I accomplished reading a book finally! -
Trigger warnings:
A lovely anthology overall, with some surprising reads I loved! Full review coming soon on the blog :)
Thank you so much to the a author for sending me an ARC. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts & rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books -
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3 Stars
It is very hard to rate an anthology collection more than 3 stars because every story stands alone--and you're not guaranteed to like all of them. That was the case here. I enjoyed some more than others. A few I found delightfully gruesome (as all good fairy tales should be). Others fell rather flat, which was very disappointing. My biggest disappointment, though, was how short this collection ultimately is. I wanted more of it.
My full review will be available November 4th, 2022 at
Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own. -
I really loved the Dahlia Adler edited Poe retelling collection His Hideous Heart, so I was really excited to see this new set of fairytale retellings, also edited by Adler.
This collection is less consistently good than Hideous, which surprised me because the parameters for the stories allow for a lot more creative latitude here, but there’s plenty of great stuff that’s worth reading here.
Best of the lot:
Say My Name (Rumpelstiltskin)
Fire and Rhinestone (The Little Match Seller)
Coyote in High Top Sneakers (Puss in Boots)
The Sister Switch (original fairy tale)
Just a Little Bite (Hansel and Gretel)
A Story About a Girl (The Robber Bridegroom)
The last two, along with Melissa Albert’s original fairy tale, were my favorites.
Also worth a read:
Sugar Plum (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King)
In the Forests of the Night (Fitcher’s Bird)
Mother’s Mirror (Little Snow White)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Little Red Riding Hood)
The rest you can skip.
I really appreciated the inclusion in the book of the original fairy tales that these stories are based on. Many I’m already familiar with, but a few were new to me and it was so lovely to have them directly to hand in order to better appreciate the retellings.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.* -
I see Hafsah Faizal, I add
-
I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
I grew up on fairy tales and have loved them all, from the darkest Grimm to the over-cheery Disney! So I was beyond excited to read At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler with 15 authors contributing to the anthology. I was hoping it was going to be something like the anthology I read many years ago with a similar theme. However, I found that this anthology was much more on the lighter side of fairy tales instead of being like the truly sinister tales that they once were.
Its always hard to review anthologies, do I review the book as a whole? Break down each story into one/two sentence reviews? I've done both versions over my blogging years and always struggle with deciding what to do when there's an anthology that caught my eye and made me pick it up. I guess in this one I will break it down by stories.
I do want to put a bit of a forewarning before getting into the bulk of this review. Since I read it as an ebook, I did not realize that all the original fairy tales were also included in this book...in the very back. Now since I was familiar with most of these stories, it wasn't a huge deal but I did have a handful that I wasn't at all familiar with and wished there was some insight into what the original fairy tale was about. By having these fairy tales tucked away in the back I feel like you lose something as the reader. Why after reading 15 tales would you want to go back and "re-read" the original version...and not remember at all what the retelling was about? I feel like these original tales should have been placed before their retelling if that was their ultimate purpose...to remind you of what this new tale was based upon. Since this is an ARC, I can only hope that maybe the formatting and placement of these stories will be changed for the finished copy as I think it would flow better that way.
All in all, though I would say that this anthology was just okay. It wasn't all what I was expecting, I was hoping for something a bit darker in fairy tale tone I guess. What I got instead were more contemporary retellings that just left me feeling wanting. I felt like the magic and "grimness" of the original fairy tales just wasn't all there. Some of the tales did have that "grimness," but not all. Though I suppose if you enjoy fairy tales and contemporary reads then this would be a perfect read for you.
Sugarplum by Anna-Marie McLemore
This was a story inspired by The Nutcracker. Though I was somewhat familiar with the story, I wasn't really feeling those vibes from this story itself. Yes, it was Christmas and there was a ballerina involved though she hated dancing. Oddly, the story was told in second person point of view. It's very rare that I come across this point of view type and I'm reminded why it's rarely seen, as it makes for awkward reading.
In the Forests of the Night by Gita Trelease
This was a retelling of Fitcher's Bird. This was a story I knew nothing about sadly. It involved a young girl who was trying to discover the mystery behind the missing girls of her village. Everyone thinks it was tigers who were taking them into the forest. She though suspects the enigmatic teacher may have something to do with the disappearances.
Say My Name by Dahlia Adler
This was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I quite enjoyed this one! It definitely did what I was hoping to find within the anthology, took a well-known fairy tale and let it play out basically the same way but differently. Needless to say, this one has a modern twist involving a girl with a very unique name--one that had me rolling over with laughter once revealed--who is trying to impress her crush by getting back at the girl who took her place on a coding team. Our Rumpelstiltskin virtually blackmails the nemesis, and promises everything will all go away if she can only guess her name.
Fire and Rhinestone by Stacey Lee
This was a retelling of The Little Matchstick Girl. This was pretty different from the original tale if memory serves me correct. This one, oddly, seems less dark, but still pretty dark. This involved a young girl known as Firefly, who with her grandmother, sells matches and later drawings outside a theater. Along the way, Firefly learns some shocking news about her parentage. It was a little bit of an odd tale to be honest. I mean it was interesting for the most part, but felt like it was lacking something as well. There was an interesting historical note at the end that helped to tie things together.
Mother's Mirror by H.E. Edgman
This was a retelling of Snow White. This was a very different kind of retelling and it was heartbreaking all the same. Not exactly the vibe I was looking for, the sadness part. Yes, fairy tales were meant to be dark and grim, but not this depressing kind of sadness. This was a story about a teenager who was born a girl, but identified as a boy. He soon called himself Hunter and changed his lifestyle, much to his mother's dismay. His mother just could not accept her son for who he was. So Hunter found himself a new family of sorts. He joined a chat group, met 7 other friends dealing with the same thing and fell in love with performer who went by the name of Charming. It was sweet in some respect, but still very, very sad.
Sharp As Any Thorn by Rory Poer
This was a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Here we find the darkness of fairy tales that I was looking for, yet it was still done very differently. Two sisters grew up on the edge of forest with their parents. Though Aurora looked up to her older sister, Mel, Mel didn't always feel the same way. When Mel turned 17 she ran away and for years Aurora wondered what happened to her. She thinks the forest took her and it's not until she turns 13 that she learns just what the dark forest was hiding.
Coyote in High Top Sneakers by Darcie Little Badger
This was a Puss in Boots retelling. This basically was about a boy named Roberto and how he came to meet a coyote who could talk to him. The coyote had him do things that were for the greater good and led to good things happening to Roberto. My little knowledge on the original tale fell line with what was happening here, I just didn't get all that excited about the tale sadly.
The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert
This was Melissa's brand new fairy tale and was probably my favorite of the collection as the ones leading up to this one just didn't meet my fairy tale retelling standards. Though it did make it somewhat more complicated to follow. It was about a boy named Nate who was in a dying relationship with Miriam. One night, he, Miriam, their friend Case--who Nate was in love with, and a new boy named Kevin attend this magical party. The party is something of a rarity, never happens the same night/time/place kind of thing, so finding it is a treat. At the party, performers play out a tale much like the fairy tales we know of a king who had two beautiful daughters. When his queen died he was saddened and didn't look upon his daughters until they were of the marrying age...and well, you can guess what he wanted to do. The princesses, aided by their maid were able to escape but had to separate. The partygoers were then enticed to wear masks that made them play a part in the new play...one that was playing out very much like the fairy tale they just witnessed. It was an odd sort of tale, but still very intriguing and definitely had the darker themes I was looking for in my fairy tale retelling.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Hafsah Faiza
This was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This was perhaps one of the odder of the retellings as I struggled to keep up at times. Red was basically working with a mysterious guy named Wolf, but what she thought was going to be doing something with architecture led to a robbery of sorts. I feel like I got lost along the way with this story. There were still some clear nods to the fairy tale along the way which was nice, but overall I just felt confused with what was going on.
A Flame So Bright by Malinda Lo
This was a retelling of Frau Trude. I virtually knew nothing of this tale and having the later knowledge that the original in back just upset me afterwards because I would've read that one first before reading the retelling. I honestly was confused with this story as it seemed to take place in a Puritan village around the time of the Witch Trials and such. Obedience observes the beautiful new woman in town named Trude who marries off well. But then her husband dies a month later. The whispers start going around shortly afterwards. As I said, I did not know the original tale at all, or that it was within my reach in the same book. The story just didn't really seem to have a focus, but I guess if I knew what the original tale was about I would've made the right connections. Sadly, I did not.
The Emperor and the Eversong by Tracy Deonn
This was a retelling of The Nightingale. Another tale I wasn't too familiar with. This involved a prince who wanted to live forever. He was going to do whatever possible to escape Death. He ends up doing a handful of bad deeds, including taking a mystical woman hostage when she has a beautiful singing voice. Though, naturally, things were not as they appeared to be and the cruel prince learns a very hard lesson.
Hea by Alex London
This was a Cinderella retelling though it was very much turned on its head. For in this one, we have a social media star, Asher who longs to leave the limelight for a time and just be a normal teenager. The elements of the original fairy tale were there, which made it interesting, though it was kind of hard to pinpoint if Asher was meant to be Cinderella or Prince Charming or possibly both. For Asher falls for the handsome barista at a coffee shop and just longs to get the know the boy. Sadly, his stepmother has other plans for him.
The Littlest Mermaid by Meredith Russo
Naturally, a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Though this one was quite different as well. Several times I tripped up wondering if I was following the mermaid or the girl she fell in love with. It wasn't easy to decipher at first, for a story is being told to listeners about the mermaid meeting and falling in love with the human girl. Tragedy follows the story and it's ending, though revealing, didn't really provide me with the shocking answers I was waiting for. Needless to say, that this story too left me a bit confused with what was happening.
Just a Little Bite by Roselle Lim
This was a Hansel and Gretel retelling that was very easy to see and follow! This was yet another example of what I was hoping this anthology would be about. In this modern twist, brother and sister, Hank and Gigi are left on the side of the wintry road while their father and stepmother sped away, leaving them to freeze to death. They take shelter in the first building they see, a very elite and fancy restaurant. You can tell it's the snooty rich people type and when the hostess agrees to let them stay, if they would help the cook out who's shorthanded, they would not only get a hot meal, but a ride to the city where cell phones get reception to make a call to get a ride home. But they find out just why this restaurant caters to the rich and elite and just what's so special with their very expensive menu. This was a dark and sinister story that played out in just the right ways!
A Story About a Girl by Rebecca Podos
This was a retelling of The Robber Bridegroom. After reading this story, I realize I wasn't all that familiar with the original tale. Though it starts off intriguingly enough, I was dismayed when it took on a more of tell, don't show spin. Dani is forced to go on a "meet" with her dad's boss' boss' son. Yup, that complex. When she meets Alexsandr at this parents' house sans parents, she's a bit nervous. They get on a topic of likes, which leads to Dani's love for horror movies and then she tells Alexsandr a story called The Pale of Settlement. In it, she describes how a poor young girl was forced to marry a rich man...who had a terrible secret. She learns from his sister that he was a monster called a strzyga. The girl is able to defeat the monster and then lives happily ever after with the sister where they were said to run away and raise orphans together. It was a very long winded story really, that basically brought us back to the present and a very intense situation. In the end, it was exciting, but it just felt a little off with the story within a story.
Overall Rating 3/5 stars
At Midnight releases November 22, 2022 -
Rounding up to 3 stars, some of the stories were just not good. My favorites were: Mothers Mirror, The Sister Switch and The Emperor and the Ever Song.
I’m also counting this book as fully read despite not reading the original fairy tales. Just not interested in that. -
3.5/5
actually really loved most of these!! some fell a bit flat for me but it's hard to love every single story in an anthology so im cool w it.
5 star faves:
-in the forests of the night by gita trelease
-coyote in high-top sneakers by darcie little badger
-the sister switch by melissa albert
-once bitten, twice shy by hafsah faizal
-a flame so bright by malinda lo
-a story about a girl by rebecca podos -
A collection of fairytales reimagined by authors Melissa Albert, Tracy Deonn, Hafsah Faizal, Brigid Kemmerer, Stacey Lee, Roselle Lim, Darcie Little Badger, Malinda Lo, Alex London, Anna-Marie McLemore, Rebecca Podos, Rory Power, Meredith Russo, and Gita Trelease!
FAIRYTALE RETELLING ANTHOLOGY!!!
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Thank you to Flatiron for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
I have been looking for a good spooky season read, and this one definitely filled that spooky void in my heart! I love how creepy some of the stories were, how they ended up all having the same overall vibe, the same depth and character to them.
My favorite thing about this book was how diverse all the stories are! As someone with a degree in German literature, it makes me ecstatic that we are reclaiming fairy tales and making them into stories of the people, and not just one certain people either. It was so amazing to see so many different minorities and marginalized groups represented in this book and given a place to tell their stories.
If you're looking for a very spooky fall vibe with tons of diversity and depth to match, this is the book for you! -
Absolutely love these retellings!
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*Thank you to Dahila Adler and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC of "At Midnight" in exchange for an honest review!*
I LOVE fairytale retelling, so of course this was on my tbr. I love how inclusive and diverse this was! I think anyone who loves Fairytale Retellings like I do is in for a treat. -
General review: Some were unfamiliar with no solid theme. Each story is very different. some modern, some historical, accompanied with the original tales on the back. And to be honest I don't get what "midnight" in the title has to do with these stories… Overall rating 3,3⭐️
Individual review:
1. Sugarplum 3⭐️
Inspired by The Nutcracker
2nd person POV. Felt like there's a tiny fairy in my head telling me what to do. Sapphic. Winter festivities vibes
2. In the Forests of the Night 3,5⭐️
Inspired by Fitcher’s Bird
It was hard to follow the story at first but when the plot was getting intense I was immediately hooked. a quick mystery thriller about disappearance of girls in an Indian village
3. Say My Name 3⭐️
Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin
Ok that's what we called an "inspired" story. Modern high school rivalry between programmers which one of them tried to blackmail the other using a fake name. Would be fun if this developed into full length novel tho
4. Fire & Rhinestone 2⭐️
Inspired by The Little Matchstick Girl
Ain't understand anything. Only get the bit of sunslayer lore and it's set in China
5. Mother’s Mirror 3⭐
Inspired by Snow White
Queer modernized reimagination of a fairytale. About the struggle of a girl who was expected to be the younger copy of her mother but she didn’t even feel right in her own body. TW transphobic
6. Sharp as Any Thorn 2⭐
Inspired by Sleeping Beauty
If there’s no info about the fairytale inspiration I wouldn't know what this is about
7. Coyote in High-Top Sneakers 2⭐
Inspired by Puss in Boots
Story within story. The story jumped from scene to scene. I couldn't even make sense of what was happening. The only story related to midnight
8. The Sister Switch 2⭐
Original story inspired by some existing fairytales
The story failed to grip me. I remembered nothing
9. Once Bitten, Twice Shy 4⭐
Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood
Muslim reimagining where it's a red hijab instead of red hood, and the character is very pious. The original tale is still recognizable, so a nice story overall
10. A Flame So Bright 2,5⭐
Inspired by Frau Trude
I didn’t really understand what’s happening but ok I guess
11. The Emperor and the Eversong 5⭐
Inspired by The Nightingale
OHHH THIS WAS GOOD! The tale of an emperor who intended to avoid death only to draw Death’s attention closer.
12. HEA 5⭐
Inspired by Cinderella
CUTEE I LOVE THIS. Achillean reversed Cinderella in the modern era where the main character, Ash, was a famous content creator celebrity and for one night he just wanted to get away from the spotlight and have some time with a boy he just met.
13. The Littlest Mermaid 3,5⭐
Inspired by The Little Mermaid
So WE land people were myth in this story. Everything reversed, and it's sapphic. Interesting though, but the writing wasn’t the strongest aspect
14. Just a Little Bite 5⭐
Inspired by Hansel and Gretel
THAT WAS INSANE really effective reimagining with a familiar prompt from the original story. Love this it’s so thrilling
15. A Story about A Girl 4 ⭐
Inspired by The Robber Bridegroom
I thought this was just a story inside a story but is it though? The mystery was good. I liked it -
2.5 overall
I love fairytales, so even though I didn't love Adler's previous anthology of Shakespeare tales, I was still looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, only a couple stories really delivered for me. Plus, every narrator in the audio bugged me...
Sugar Plum / The Nutcracker- Anna Marie McLemore - DNF
I couldn’t stand how this was written and decided to just skip it.
In the Forests of the Night / Fitcher's Birds - Gita Trelease - 4 stars
Loved this! It was especially refreshing since I did not know the source material.
Say My Name / Rumpelstiltskin - Dahlia Adler - 1 star
I'm not sure how many texts by Adler I have tried to read, but after this one I won't be trying anymore. I just really don't like them. This story was dull and dumb.
Fire & Rhinestone / The Little Matchstick Girl - Stacey Lee - 3 stars
Solid story, but wanted it to be more in the end.
Mother's Mirror / Snow White - H.E. Edgmon - 1 star
An important story, but it wasn't for me. Besides names and an evil mother, there were very little illusions to Snow White.
Sharp as Any Thorn / Sleeping Beauty - Rory Power - 5 stars
LOVED this darkness.
Coyote in High Top Sneakers / Puss in Boots -DNF
I thought this concept was dumb and didn't want to waste time on it.
The Sister Switch / Original Tale - Melissa Albert - 4 stars
Melissa Albert is just a fantastic storyteller.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy / Little Red Riding Hood - Hafsah Faizal - 3 stars
I liked the idea of this more than the execution. This was still a great story, but not my favorite of the ones read so far.
A Flame So Bright / Frau Trude - Malinda Lo - 3 stars
An enjoyable story even though I knew nothing of the original tale.
The Emperor and the Eversong / The Nightingale - Tacy Deonn - 3 stars
I liked this in the end, but was also slightly bored.
HEA / Cinderella - Alex London - 1.5 star
I can't stand stories about influencers because I can't stand influencers/apparent celebrity importance/reality TV in real life, so this was just dead on arrival. Plus an actual emoji in the text? Cue eyeroll.
The Littlest Mermaid / The Little Mermaid - Meredith Russo - Didn't even try
I refuse to read anything written by this trash author. Not sure why they are still being published.
Just a Little Bite / Hansel and Gretel - Roselle Lim - 2 stars
Eh. This is only the second gruesome story of the collection and it didn't deliver what I wanted.
A Story About a Girl / The Robber Bridegroom - Rebecca Podos - 2 stars
I wasn't familiar with this original tale either. I think I was just done with this book and wanted to be over - this didn't grab me at all to change that mentality. -
An incredible anthology by 15 of the top YA authors, reimagining classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Rumplestiltskin. These fresh takes reflect modern times with representation and diversity. I also enjoyed how these tales gave the characters we already know and love interesting backstories to lend a different view to these tales. This book also featured an original story by Melissa Albert called The Sister Switch that drew on fairy tale tropes that continue to keep us reading them after all this time. This book also has a section at the end that features the original stories that allow you to compare and contrast the classics to the updated tales. I have greatly enjoyed the other anthologies edited by Dahlia Adler and I look forward to the next new takes on great stories.
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This was definitely a mixed bag- and unfortunately all of book club didn't enjoy the first story, which made it hard for some members to push through. We discussed story by story and there were definitely stories that we loved. HEA, Mother's Mirror, Coyote in High Top Sneakers, The Littlest Mermaid, Just a Little Bite, The Emperor and the Eversong, A Story about a Girl, and In the Forests of the Night and Say My Name were ones we liked or Loved. The ones we didn't particularly like were Suger Plum, Sharp As Any Thorn, and Once Bitten Twice Shy (we all found Wolf so much more interesting than the mc). I think the ones we didn't like so much were do to the fact that they barely resemble the story they're reimagining, and the Once Bitten story just had an unlikeable main character.
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As someone who has grown up on fairy tales, when I heard of this anthology, it immediately went onto my TBR. So many of my favourite authors were also featured in this, which made me so excited to read it. I loved the twists on the classic fairy tales that I grew up with and I also loved seeing the new fairy tales written in this anthology. All of the stories were really well done but if I had to chose one of my favourite, it's definitely going to be Tracy Deonn's story; I haven't stopped thinking about that one.
At Midnight is an anthology I will be recommending to anyone who loves fairy tales and retellings, but wants them with unique twists.
Thank you Titan Books for providing me with an e-ARC! -
At Midnight is an incredible compilation of short story retellings of fairy tales. Three and a half stars from me! I highly recommend this. My top three stories in the book were (in no particular order): Say My Name by Dahlia Adler (inspired by Rumpelstiltskin), The Sister Switch by Melissa Albert (an original) and A Story About A Girl by Rebecca Podos (inspired by The Robber Bride). This compilation also includes the stories each tale is based on, which I really enjoyed as well. I really appreciated how all of the tales were inclusive and diverse.
Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. -
This is a good collection of short stories. I like how Dahlia Adler includes the originals in her collections. Although I think that I enjoyed His Hideous Heart a little bit more, this one was still very good. My favorites were In the Forests of the Night, Fire and Rhinestone, Coyote in High-Top Sneakers, and A Story About a Girl. The only one I didn't like at all was Sugarplum.
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Taking well-known stories means it’s always going to be a tricky job to make them stand out. Some of the writers in this collection definitely do this better than others.
Each writer in this anthology takes their source material and offers a fresh take. My personal highlights were: Rumplestiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood and The Robber Bridegroom.
I found some of the stories hard to read, but liked the fact that we got to see quite varied approaches to modern concerns.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this. -
I love reimagined fairy tales and was excited to read At Midnight when given the chance. Overall, it was just ok. Some stories I loved more than others, which is to be expected with this type of book.
If you're a lover of fairy tales and enjoy seeing them remade in a different light, I would say grab this one and give it a read.
I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed herein are my own.
