THORNWOOD

It’s hard living beneath the looming curse of becoming the Sleeping Beauty; even harder, in this middle-grade fairy-tale retelling, is being Sleeping Beauty’s sister.

Eleven-year-old Princess Briony loves her older sister, Rosalin. Honestly, she does; she’s just so tired of being ignored while beautiful, doomed Rosalin occupies everyone’s attention. Yet when Briony wakes up on her sister’s 16th birthday in a castle turret equipped with spinning wheel and fairy godmother, she discovers the price of being “important.” Cypess turns her talents for delicate prose and dark, twisty plotting to exploring the characters often left at the periphery. The castle servants, villagers, even fairies—wicked and helpful alike—have their own personalities and agendas. Briony is a delight: spunky, snarky, and brave enough to admit she’s scared. The other characters are equally compelling: Edwin, the clever “village dolt”; Varian, the princely hero, with secrets upon secrets; the terrifying fairy godmother; and the even more terrifying eponymous thicket of thorns, domain of the vicious fairy queen. The heart of the story, though, lies in the utterly authentic relationship between the sisters, who squabble, tease, and hurt each other—and love one another with a fierceness that absolutely demands a happily-ever-after, which this fairy tale delivers, although not one anybody ever expected. Characters read as White by default.

Effervescent, thrilling, and practically perfect in every way.