Thornwood

Description

This middle grade debut is Sleeping Beauty like you've never seen it before, about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth. For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth--that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing--not even Briony--can stop its evil magic. You know the story. But here's something you don't know. When Briony finally wakes up, it's up to her to find out what's really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny. The first in a three-book series of fairy tale retellings, these are the stories of the siblings who never made it into the storybook.

Leah Cypess is the author of four YA novels- Mistwood, Nightspell, Death Sworn, and Death Marked. Both Mistwood and Death Sworn were on the Kirkus Best Books for Teens list, and Death Sworn was a Teen Vogue "Most Exciting YA Book" of the year. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. Thornwoood is her middle grade debut. Visit her online at www.leahcypess.com or follow her on Twitter @LeahCypess.

"The heart of the story 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. Effervescent, thrilling, and practically perfect in every way." -Kirkus, starred review "This retelling adds an original twist to a beloved classic and gives a younger sister a chance to earn a little of the spotlight. A fun, compelling story...recommended for younger siblings, fans of princess stories, and fantasy lovers." -SLJ, starred review "A fantastically dark and twisty Sleeping Beauty retelling, full of secrets, danger, fairies who are truly scary, and a complicated sisterly relationship that I adored." -Stephanie Burgis, author of Kat, Incorrigible "A compelling, delightful, topsy-turvy Sleeping Beauty retelling. Princess Briony is not one to wait for wake-up kisses, she'd rather head straight out into an adventure. Such a fun read!" -Sarah Prineas, author of The Magic Thief and Winterling "Incorporating surprising twists and subverting tropes to emphasize sibling bonds over romance, Cypess creates a fun tale with a strong heroine..." -Publishers Weekly