Review|| Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill

Synopsis: Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation. (Goodreads)

Ratings: 4/5

TW: Anxiety, depression, abuse

Review: The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful and also reflects the beauty inside. Fierce fairytales are retellings of some famous fairytales in poetry form ranging from Cindrella and Rapunzel to Peter Pan and Red Riding Hood. All the stories and poems were empowering and thoughtful and I enjoyed nearly all of them. They had themes ranging from feminism, abuse,mental illness, love, empowerment and she beautifully combines all of these in the book.

She has enabled to show a different perspective in all the poems and stories whether its regarding villains or heroes. This makes it a very delightful read because you get to read something different from what you have grown up reading and it is quite thought provoking and refreshing. I loved reading these stories and they will definitely fill you up with lots of positivity and warmth. So I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and especially to all the poetry and retelling lovers!

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the books:

She wears strength and darkness equally well, The girl has always been half goddess half hell

– Charming

Her mother told her

she could grow up to be

anything she wanted to be,

so she grew up to become

the strongest of the strong,

the strangest of the strange,

the wildest of the wild,

the wolf leading the wolves.

-The Red Wolf

If all girls were taught

how to love each other fiercely

instead of how to compete

with each other

and hate their own bodies,

what a different and beautiful world

we would live in.

-Two Misunderstood Stepsisters

They asked the gentle ogre who refused to attack children

who guided lost travellers on nights when the moonlight failed them

who no villager could bring even their fickle hearts to fear,

‘What makes you tender? What makes you so kind?’

And she asked them in return, ‘Is there any other way to be?’

-The Ogre

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on poetry books? Do you have a favourite you would recommend? Tell me about it !! 

Until Next Time, HAPPY READING FOLKS!!

 

 

 

 

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