Twisted Dreams

Cover retrieved from
Goodreads page

Twisted Dreams is a YA Sleeping Beauty retelling.

My Goodreads review is here.

My Amazon review is here.

As per usual, anything that does not directly relate to the topic at hand will be written in this color.

One of the things that I really liked about this story is that the world building is authentic. There is a natural growth with the story, even though this is a novella. There's not a random jump of information; there’s no lagging part of the story as it is a tight plot and goes quickly.

In novellas, characters are sometimes underdeveloped or only have one or two defining characteristics. This is not the case here. Each of the characters builds up with what they are given and do not suddenly have more character or less character than they did in the previous chapter, thereby making them consistent and fun to read.

One of the things I really liked about this story was the fact that it is unique in two ways. First, there is an equal focus on the male MC, Will, and the female MC, Liesl. Each character pulls their own weight and does not rely too heavily on the other. They each have a part to play in the story and that shows well.

Another unique aspect of the story is that different parts of the original Sleeping Beauty story correlate with a different part in this story.  Because this is a novella, I can't give too much information because that would be spoilers, but I will say that it is a nice touch. 

Finally, I want another story with Matthew. He's amazing, and I love him, and I want more of him. This is my formal request for him to be the MC of another story.

The thing about novellas is that they are short, so there is difficulty being subtle with any moralizing/Bible themes in them. As a Christian, I have no problem with Bible verses in my stories. In fact, I like them being woven into an otherwise so-called secular story as it shows the author’s ability to tell a story. However, I would suggest that you not use the KJV to quote the Bible if you wish to have a moralizing/Bible theme in the novella. (The ESV and the NIV editions have the same copywrites as the KJV; they are both free to use and they are more like the sentence/speech patterns found in the story.) When that verse came up, I completely came out of the story. There had been no speech/writing patterns that matches the KJV so it felt shoehorned in and did not have the natural flow when read in the story. If the ESV/NIV had been used, it would have flowed more and not taken me out of the story.

I wished that there was more Will and Liesel just being a couple; I had no problem believing they were a couple as they are well-written, but the romantic/relationship side of things is skimmed over. Even having just a conversation about something simple about their daily lives could bring another layer to the story and go from good to great.

Finally, the ending. There’s plot A and then there’s plot B (anything more specific is #Spoilers). Both endings just kind of…happen. Are they badly written? Absolutely not. My issue is that the way that the plots are set up gives the impression that the plot is going a specific way, only to have the story seemingly just end. However, this is a novella so I understand the decision, but as a reader this was slightly disappointing.

Overall, this was a sweet story that I wholeheartedly recommend if you’re looking for a quick, fun read.

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Disclaimer as per my disclaimer statement: I have known Ms. Huneke since we were both 5-6 years old. I bought this book with my own money and these are my own thoughts and have not been influenced in any way.

Next week I'll be reviewing The Prior Quest and Deal. I hope you'll join me!