Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.


In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.


But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

My Thoughts/Review:

It was beautiful. It was imaginative, and full of betrayal and intrigue, and I loved every second of it. I couldn't put it down, for even one moment away from this book was torture. I loved how all the fairytales were inter-weaved, and it was particularly awesome how fairytales and endings are passed down. Didn't work right the first time? No matter, it will happen again. And again, over and over, no matter the last ending.

How do you think Snow White feels knowing that she's going to die, and which one of her friends will be charged with cutting out her heart? How do you think Beauty feels, knowing who her beast is, and that no matter how much she hates him, she will have to save him. How do you think they all feel? Their entire lives are mapped out for them, and the know how it ends.

It was very interesting to view all the fairytales in such a different way, because it always brought new twists and turns to the table. It also gave you a real sense of hopelessness, though. Some things should never be concrete.

I really liked the character of Mira, because she still thought that she could change her future, and that people can overcome their demons. Not everyone has that kind of faith in people, so it made her an especially memorable and amazing character. She never gave up hope that Blue and Felix could change, or that any one of the characters stories could be changed. And maybe they can. Maybe the future isn't concrete.

This book was bittersweet, sad, devastating, and through all that, it still managed to have a happy ending. It amazes me how one author could so drastically change all the original fairytales, yet make them still a thing of beauty, and something to be feared. It truly was dark and heartbreaking, and I loved every second of it.

Plus, I really loved Blue. :)


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Favorite Quote:I lost her. I destroyed her. But I never forgot her. I never let her go.