I was really rather disappointed in How to Fracture a Fairy Tale. I'm a long-time fan of Jane Yolen, so had high hopes, but found this book of short stories and poems very uneven. I hadn't realized when I requested it from NetGalley that it was a compilation of stories from her long career. There were several that I enjoyed very much, but also several that I found rather pointless. Many thanks, nonetheless, to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

This is not your average book of normal fairytales. This is a collection of twisted fairytales that don't exactly end up right. I loved it. Each story the author touched became a funny, unique, sometimes sad brand new fairytale. I loved it!

Wow. This was a little bit of magic. I am a huge fan of retellings and loved the new perspectives of old fairy tales. I think Granny Rumple might be my favorite. Or Godmother Death. Heck they all were wonderful. I loved how Yolen broke these classic tales and breathed new life into them. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can read it over and over again for years to come.

Full review will go live on my blog two weeks before the release date.

I liked this a lot! As usual, I rated each story in the collection, and averaging those ratings you get 3.5 stars. I'm rounding that up to 4 stars for the official rating, because some of the ones I rated only one or two stars were super short and so didn't really drag down the collection, plus I like that the book includes some short commentary by Jane Yolen at the end about why she wrote each story and what she chose to change. Honestly, I wish these explanations were longer! I didn't really care about the poetry that was also included with the short commentary, so I wish they'd used that space for more talking about the stories.

As a Jewish fantasy nerd, I love that she fractures some of the fairytales with a Jewish slant (it's always nice to find Jewish representation where you didn't even expect to — although I should have remembered that about Jane Yolen!) Also, from the short commentary in the back, Yolen just seems like a super cool person.

In general, I just think this is a good collection. These retellings sit in that perfect cross-section of twisting without resorting to shock value, and there's a variety of stories, from serious with shades of violence or real societal problems to silly with wordplay or whimsy. I approve, and I should definitely read more Jane Yolen.

This collection of twisted fairy tales was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Unique and inventive with a touch of the stories I've heard retold again and again. There is something to be said for the ability to twist stories so well known and this collection makes it clear why Jane Yolen is considered to be one of the best! I enjoyed both the stories rooted in beloved stories and the ones I had no knowledge of. This is the perfect addition to any fairy tale lover's collection.

I have always enjoyed fairy tales as a child. And last year I tried to read some fairy tales from different places in the world. So I was very curious about this fractured fairy tales. I loved some of them, enjoyed others and a couple fell flat to me (maybe just in comparison). Some of them where so good in the fracturing process that I couldn't recognize the original story behind it. In others the tale behind the story was clear from the title itself but the new twists were fresh and original and clearly directed to a more adult audience than the classic fairy tales.
My favorite ones were The Foxwife, about an angry Japanese student and his mysterious wife, Granny Rumple, a religious take on Rumplestilskin tale, based of the true history of medieval Europe, and Godmother Death, because it's always good to read an origin story different from the others.
The only problem was the one I always find in short stories collections: the level of the stories isn't always the same and the reading experience is like going on a rollercoaster: you can reach incredibly high points, and there the stories are really, really good, and then go down and, in that point, the story is a little bit boring or predictable. Fortunately in this book there were more very few low points.
I really liked Yolen's style, for me it was clear that she had time to hone her craft and that there was so much study behind this process of fracturing classic fairy tales.
I think many readers could enjoy this book, maybe reading one tale at the time instead of all of them together.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fairytale retellings are one of my favorite reads. Finding a collection of it felt like I struck gold. Yolen's How To Fracture a Fairy Tale offers a large variety of fairy tales and folklore, both famous and infamous ones, that make readers reminisce and rediscover their love for old, classic stories.

This is my first time reading Jane Yolen's book and I can honestly say that I am impressed. Overall, the collection is a delightful and entertaining read. Some of them are really fast and short, while others are quite long. It is worth mentioning that in the book's introduction, the author describes her method and creative processes in writing these retellings. I was fascinated that it provided us, readers, a glimpse of how Yolen cleverly created her narratives.

Moreover, it is apparent that the writer really knows how to "fracture" a story. Each story has their own twists which give a feeling of familiarity and newness at the same time. I also like how every story has a different tone and mood as well as writing styles. It almost felt like I've been reading a collection of stories written by different authors. Also, just like the original tales, some of the stories aren't suited for the young audience because they contain dark and mature elements.

I enjoyed reading this book. If you are looking for retellings with dark, unique clever twists, I recommend reading this gem.

This title was not exactly what I was expecting, as I was expecting a Disney sort of remake. I enjoyed the authenticity of this title in its own light, but it was not my favorite of 2018.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Thank you Tachyon Publications and Net Galley for the free review copy. I love fairy tales, fractured or otherwise. Yolen is a master at fractured fairy tales, and her related poems add a little something extra to the stories. The wide range of fairy tales and creativity with which they're altered kept me reading. I couldn't put it down, and I was sad to reach the end of the book. There's something for everyone in this collection, from sad to humorous and everything in between. I definitely recommend this book!

I was thoroughly impressed with this writing. What a fun collaborative of writing. I love how the author made the stories included come alive.

Janet Yolen is one of the most prolific writers of our time and one of the things she handles best are fairy tales. In her new book How To Fracture a Fairy Tale, Yolen gathers fairy tales and changes them in ways that are often a bit on the dark side. 

The stories sometimes deals with concepts like child abuse or the end of the world. Others are small pieces of pure joy. One even tells the tale of The Billy Goats Gruff from the perspective of the bridge itself. Like most short story collections, some are a delight to read and some are just a quick read until you get to the next. If you like unusual stories with a touch of the familiar, this book is highly enjoyable. A few of my favorites are "Snow in Summer" and "The Moon Ribbon."

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale is now available from Tachyon Publications.

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale is an interesting retelling of many fairy tales, some that we know of, others that we don't. Jane Yolen recreates some of the most well-known fairy tales like Cinderella or Snow White and creates a completely new one. Unlike normal retellings, Yolen truly fractures the fairy tale and makes it an almost original one. I did find it really interesting to read stories that I know and love in a completely different way and to see it in a new light. There is a variety of stories from around the world and from different cultures that I've never heard of. It was really fun reading them, though I wish I had read the original before reading the retelling so I knew how it was altered.
All in all, How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen is an amazing compilation of retellings of legends and stories around the world. As an avid retellings fan, I found it an enjoyable read.

This is a fun book of short stories. The stories are all kinds of fairy tales retold. I wish some of them were full length novels because I feel like they'd make really epic books. This was such a fun read.

I read this book for two reasons: Marissa Meyer wrote the introduction, and fairy-tale retellings are one of my favorite things EVER.

WHAT I LIKED:

-Jane Yolen's writing is beautiful. I wish I could write like her. These fractured fairy-tales are written with a simplicity that stuns.
-There were several lovely, clever retellings. I'm not going to list titles because everyone will find different favorites but I'll just say that I really enjoyed many of these stories.
-Especially the ones involving the Jewish people because yessss.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

-There was some weird magic and worldview stuff. And enough inappropriate content for me to not recommend this book to young readers.

Overall, a sometimes enchanting, sometimes problematic read.

<i>I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.</i>

I love that Jane Yolen's works are being repackaged and presented for a new generation of readers, she's truly a master for people to discover and re-discover. Her endless imagination for new situations of established characters reminds me of the way Charles de Lint describes people needing to be "re-storied" at different times in their lives in order to return balance to their lives -- I would not be surprised if Jane Yolen inspired him to write that. While the original tales can open up new truths and new points in our lives, Yolen's re-framing can help us discover even more.
While there were a few new tales for me, as a longtime fan, I probably would not re-purchase for myself but would absolutely hand to younger women in my life.

A wonderful collection of fractured fairy tales by a master storyteller. Be sure to read the behind the story info at the end of the book for Yolen's insight.

I don't know how it's happened, but it feels like I've been reading a whole lot of different fairytale reimaginings and retellings lately, and it's fantastic. I've not read any of Jane Yolen's previous works (although my research since reading How to Fracture a Fairytale leads me to understand that she is quite a prolific writer) and this was a lovely introduction to her work through the familiar lens of fairytales.

This is, essentially, a collection of fractured fairytales - both the very famous ones and some of the more obscure tales - with a spin on them I haven't seen before. It also served to highlight just how few traditional tales I actually know well, because I was constantly having to look up the original source material to understand the changes that we made.

I have to say, my favourite stories were the retellings of The Three Billy Goats Gruff (from the Bridge's perspective) and the Cinderella retelling - which I would not have originally thought to be stories I'd gravitate towards but I ended up loving and am still thinking about them now.

If you enjoy fairytale retellings, this is definitely worth a look when it's released in November 2018.

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale fractures many stories, not just one. While there are several cute tales that offer a unique perspective, my favorite being the bridge's point-of-view in 3 Billy Goat's Gruff, there are others I was not so fond of and were a bit grim. What's fun about this book is taking the time to work your way through it. Read a story or two before bed, like you did when you were younger. It's a book you can take your time with and truly enjoy.

Jane Yolen delivers again! This collection of fractured, short, fairy tale retellings is sweet and fun. The characters truly seem realistic with outcomes that seem much more likely. I did find that a few of the stories moved a bit slow, which seems odd given that they were all so short. These delightful stories will entertain any reader who likes a bit of edge to their fantasy. I highly recommend her work.