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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Fairy Tale Gone Wrong: Kill Me Softly

Kill Me Softly
by Sarah Cross
Egmont
2012
331 pages

read an excerpt here

Inspired storytelling, breathless and passionate, but evil and dark, terrors and shadows, whispered voices, monsters who lurk in the dark, this ya novel has it all. Take one part Brothers Grimm, add two parts dark romance, and a shake of an unhappy ending, and you have Mirabelle's life.

Just before her sixteenth birthday, Mirabelle invents a secret boyfriend in San Francisco and leaves "clues" that she's headed there to meet him. That is not where she's headed at all; Mirabelle is returning to her birthplace: Beau Rivage--a shadowy and tragic place where her parents died in a fire and her godmothers have refused to talk about. That's just too many secrets for Mirabelle. She wants to visit her parents' graves and find answers for herself.

Beau Rivage is a wicked town where fairy tales meet monsters. Two brothers--one good, one strange and dark--pull at Mira's heartstrings. She's warned to stay away from "good" Felix, but he's so charming--inviting her to stay in his lavish hotel suite, waiting on her every whim, wining and dining her, and offering to help her find her parents' graves. How could someone so charming be dangerous? And how could someone so rude and crude like bad boy Blue be the "nice" brother?

Mira visits a few cemetaries and comes up empty. It's like her parents never existed. Then, Mira meets some local friends of Blue's and realizes that no one is who they seem in Beau Rivage. Each person has a curse, a jinx, a fairy tale to live up to; they are what is known as "honor bound."

Freddie is "honor bound" to be Mira's true love, but she is crushing on Felix. She learns that Blue and Felix are Romantics --those destined to love by feeding off the lifeforce of their beloved until she dies. Mira finds herself sickened and hurries back to the hotel to see what Felix keeps hidden in the locked room she was told to stay out of at all costs (why does the heroine always have to look behind the locked door?)

Sometimes fairy tales come true; sometimes fairy tales are fractured; sometimes fairy tales are inspired; but this time, this fairy tale rocks! Girls who love a fairy tale romance with a handsome hunk and a clever, spunky heroine will fall in love with Kill Me Softly. Blue will have girls swooning and clamoring for more, more, more!

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature situations, Mira sleeps in Felix's hotel room, Felix kills young, beautiful women, some morbid situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

17 comments:

  1. Kill Me Softly sounds FANTASTIC!! Granted, this is probably far too dark for the younger crowd, but I still think it will be quite a hit with the older teens!

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  2. Pick Me! Pick Me!

    Lisa Hicks
    lisah@netexas.net
    Gunter High School
    Gunter Texas

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  3. This would be a great start to the YA section I am adding this fall.

    Sandi
    Arapahoe, NC
    sandi.prescott@arapahoecharter.org

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  4. This would be a great lead-in for my HS students to the other great retellings we have!

    Mary Zdrojewski
    Scio, NY
    Scio Central School
    mzdrojewski@scio.wnyric.org

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  5. Wee!
    Jennifer
    Bethlehem PA
    jbruch@bapl.org

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  6. This a book my students would adore. Fingers crossed!
    Sindy
    Rochester, NY
    Scunningham@normanhoward.org

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  7. Wow! Sounds very different and a hit!

    Wendi
    Northwood, NH
    wcolby@coebrown.org

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  8. This does sound like a couple of TV shows and, because of that, may really attract readers. Once word gets around it will fly off the shelf.

    Sue
    sue.buchanan@macon.k12.nc.us
    Franklin, NC

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  9. Many high school students who have mysteries in their pasts go looking to solve them. I think my kids will really relate to this story. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy! I'm using my home email for the summer.

    Jennifer
    Cloverdale High School
    Cloverdale, IN
    jensegner@yahoo.com

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  10. I remember reading about this a few months ago!

    Rachel
    Gulf Shores,AL
    rachelannthompson1291997@gmail.com

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  11. Sounds like something I am definitely going to have to buy for my library!

    Debbie
    drich@lincoln.k12.ar.us
    Lincoln AR

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  12. I know just who I will recommend this one to. Can't wait!!!
    Carolyn Roys
    Dwight
    IL
    Roysc@dwight.k12.il.us

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  13. Another good book for my reluctant readers!
    BTW, I grew up in Las Cruces!
    Leslie
    Dade City
    Florida
    lruttle@pasco.k12.fl.us

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  14. Sounds like it will make a great addition to my HS library!

    Lisa
    Portland, OR
    lisajust820@gmail.com

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  15. Nicole
    Eden Prairie, MN
    nvansloun@yahoo.com

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  16. Hi Pamela,
    I loved reading this piece! Well written! :)


    Wilson Peter
    matchmaker Chicago

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  17. I want to read this SOOOOO badly!!!!! Fingers crossed!!!
    Emily
    Summerville, SC
    eapasch@gmail.com

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