Reviews

At Midnight: 15 Beloved Tales Reimagined by Dahlia Adler

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librarianlayla's review against another edition

4.0

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars.

A thrilling collection of reimagined fairy tales that showcase more inclusivity within their characters as well as twisting the stories on their heads.

I really appreciate that excerpts from the original stories are included in the book so that readers can see where inspiration was taken, and where the stories have evolved.

An excellent mixture of both heart warming and dark retellings.

agirlsnightbookbash's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a good collection of short stories. I like how Dahlia Adler includes the originals in her collections. Although I think that I enjoyed His Hideous Heart a little bit more, this one was still very good. My favorites were In the Forests of the Night, Fire and Rhinestone, Coyote in High-Top Sneakers, and A Story About a Girl. The only one I didn't like at all was Sugarplum.

kellhart16's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

nae20's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

d2390's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The 15 reimagined fairy tales of this anthology are creative, excellent and very enjoyable. Many of them, but not all, are queer riffs on stories from the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault. H.E. Edgmon's 'Mother's Mirror' pits a trans child against their narcissistic mother, in a wonderful twist on Snow White. Darcie Little Badger bases her 'Coyote in High-Top Sneakers', in which the trickster Coyote and a resourceful brown boy save their neighborhood from gentrification, on Puss in Boots. In Malinda Lo's 'A Flame So Bright' (based on the Grimm's witch tale, Frau Trude), a repressed Puritan girl falls in love with a mysterious widow.

Like many fairy tales before Disney, some of these stories lean into the dark. Rebecca Podos's 'A Story About a Girl', inspired by the Robber Bridegroom, uses East European shtetl life and Jewish folklore to send shivers down your back. And I defy anyone not to be chilled by Roselle Lim's riff on Hansel and Gretel, wherein two abandoned siblings get their own back.

There are spins on all the classics, from a wise cracking Cinderella to an Indian version of Fitcher's Bird, from the Little Mermaid to Rumpelstiltskin. This is a fun, high energy collection of short stories which portray a loving, modern homage to fairy tales. All with the added bonus of the original tales at the end of the book. If you like retellings of fairy tales, you will love this book.