I like alternative fairy tales, and YA fiction, so I was predisposed to enjoy this novel.
And it was enjoyable .... sweet, predictable yet a little unpredictable, with engaging characters.
Recommended.

A retelling of the sleeping beauty fairy tale with a twist!

A arrogant selfish prince who can only be king with a queen by his side rides off to claim the sleeping beauty and live happily ever after. But his evil cardinal wants him dead so he can be king and he has a secret, he's not a man of God he's a man of dark magic. Not long after the prince embarks on his adventure, his royal guard turn on him and try to kill him. Luckily, a mouthy peasant tom boy girl saves his life and agrees to help him complete his quest for the good of the kingdom. But what happens when the prince finds sleeping beauty but another prince turns up competing for her hand?

A fun and sometimes silly book, this book is great for anyone who likes fairy tale retellings and a light read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this re-telling of sleeping beauty very much. It was a nice twist to show this idea from the prince's side. The idea of having more characters than jyst Phillip and Aurora made a nice change.

This book was an okay adaptation of sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, none of the characters was compelling enough and the story did drag at times. I found it hard to muster the will to finish this book, but I did finally get around to it, that said the book is a run of the mill YA retelling and if you love your old Disney classics in book form then this one is for you.

I received an arc copy of this book form NetGalley, my opinions are my own.

*Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.*

Slumber by Becky Bird
4/5 Rating
Cover: Astoundingly eye catching!

If Disney ever decided to change up how Prince Phillip won the hand of Sleeping Beauty THIS would be it. I can literally see this being played out by Disney Pixar characters. Mind you, this isn't really about them.. this is about Prince Thomas and Lucy. The arrogant and conceited Prince and the tomboy orphan who are thrust together on a venture to wake the sleeping princess so Thomas can be King. It just so happens that Prince Phillip is also on his way to wake her.

I adore a good re-telling. By the end of this book I was grinning at the witty banter and loving how this tied into the original Sleeping Beauty fairy tale we all know. The book is full of empowering themes:

- Being more than what you think you are, you just have to desire to be more.
- Not conforming to the stereotypes of gender roles.
- Beauty is more than skin deep.

... among many others. I also need to take a moment to say that I frickin' LOVE Jack. Jack is the sidekick to Lucy. I consider him the metro-male of the group and the adorable PG comedic card.

I did struggle a slight bit to get into the beginning of this book. The author emphasizes Lucy's lack of adherence to being defined by her gender/appearance. Though I love a good empowered, nonconforming and sarcastic heroine; this one message was overused during the first few chapters. I feel Lucy's ability to be more than just a female with looks elegantly blossomed through the remainder of the story when it wasn't outright stated. My only other distraction occurred when the story changed scenes abruptly. One second we are in the thought process of Lucy or Thomas and the next paragraph we are looking through the eyes of the evil cardinal. It doesn't completely pull from the story though.

Overall, this book was a 4 for me. It's a tame and unique spin that has all of the best parts of a fairy tale we love: evil sorcerer, true love's kiss, prince and princesses, adorable sidekicks and the possibility for happily ever afters (maybe).

This will be a spoiler free review and thank you NetGalley for providing a free copy for review!

I’ll be honest, I mainly downloaded this book as a quick read to help boost my NetGalley Reviewer Rating. The synopsis sounded cute and I figured that it would be a fun read that I could read quickly.

Well, it’s been sitting on my Kindle for about a month now, but I did happen to just read it in a matter of hours. I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would, especially when I started it. It’s been so long (or at least it feels like it’s been so long) since I’ve been able to read a book and really just enjoy it. I was anxiously trying to anticipate what was going to potentially happen next. My heart was never racing, trying to leave my chest. It was just this kind of heartwarming, ridiculously fun, take on Sleeping Beauty. The feel of the story reminded me of the movie version of Ella Enchanted. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Everything I’ve read lately has been a pretty fantastic read, but they’ve required a lot of brain power, mental gymnastics and all my emotions. Slumber was kind of the opposite in the best way possible. It’s just a book you can sit down and enjoy and not go through an emotional gauntlet with the characters.

As for the characters, they were pretty fun! Prince Thomas is the one who goes through so major character growth, Lucy is your typical badass YA fantasy heroine, and doesn’t conform with the stereotypical norms for women. Her friend Jack was the comedic relief and mediator and just a fun and bit of annoying character. Aurora and Phillip – well, you’ll just have to meet them.

This book definitely takes the classic Sleeping Beauty (at least the Disney version) and kind of flips it on its head. There’s also this sort of meta element to this book, which weirdly worked. It’s not super prevalent, but some of the characters hint at things.

OH! This is also an ‘enemies to lovers’ sort of story, and in my opinion, it was pretty well done. You can tell that even when they (vague for spoiler-y reasons!) are going at each other’s throats, that there’s chemistry beneath it all.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book! When I started my review, I was going to rate it a solid 3, but I have to bump it up. The more I think about it, the more I genuinely enjoyed this book and everything about it!


*Review will be posted to my blog on September 12, 2019 at 8AM EST

I wish I liked this book.

I am a lover of fairytale retellings and the description looked so good. I'm sorry to say that this book was disappointing.

I opened this book thinking that it would be an interesting twist on Sleeping Beauty. I have to say that adding in Aurora and Philip and throwing in a sleeping curse does NOT make it a retelling.

Prince Thomas needs a wife to take the throne so he sets off to find Aurora in hopes of bringing her back to be his queen. After all, she is the most beautiful in the land and Thomas won't settle for anything less than perfect. But then he meets Lucy, the boyish orphan who can shoot a bow and arrow and fight better than any man. Problem is, she's not like all his other subjects. She's brave and straightforward, and just what he doesn't need to finish his quest.

One of the problems I found with this book is that the author puts in modern day lingo into a Medieval story. One example would be the "That's a nifty trick" line. I felt myself face-palming several times throughout this book.

Having said that, perhaps this book was geared toward younger readers and not for people like me. If that's the case, then this book is appropriate for readers 13+ for one part that includes nudity (non-sexual).

I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Anyone else go simply nuts for a classic Disney retelling? I know I do and Slumber was an absolute gem for me. I must admit, this book had everything my little nerdy heart could ever want in a retelling.


I originally requested this book so I could tell my best friend about it. She is absolutely nuts over Sleeping Beauty (shout out to Jill, love you boo).

I won’t go into too many details about this book, because this is one of those stories that is better to read it than read about it.


Lucy is adorable I loved her tomboy-eques know it all attitude. I feel it is something we haven't seen in a sleeping beauty character before. I also loved that we got to see this from Prince Phillip’s point of view (though I am still hoping eventually we get to see this from Jack’s perspective as well). I don’t think we get enough fairytale stories with a good prince backstory. Sure.. We know they are handsome and they save the princess, and will shower her with riches.. Etc.. but I loved that I got to hear more about them in this story. I love that the relationship aspect is between Jack and Phillip (we stan this all day every day).


I absolutely adored how this book ended. 2 princes, 1 princes, and one amazing love story.I cannot wait to see what else Becky Bird comes up with. I am watching you lady!


Special thank you to Becky Bird and Netgalley for allowing me to review this novel.

First, let me say that I am a sucker for fairytale retellings and this one did not disappoint. I loved that the author took liberties with the original version and put her own unique twist on the story. Her writing was so great and very detailed. For a debut novel, I think this was very well done.
The story is about Prince Thomas who after his father dies has to find Sleeping Beauty and marry her so he can follow in his father's footsteps. Unfortunately for Thomas the Cardinal has plans of his own and they don't include Thomas. In fact, he plans to get rid of Thomas and place himself on the throne. Along the way, Thomas stumbles upon an unlikely ally, an orphan girl named Lucy. She helps Thomas on his journey to find Aurora and even helps demonstrate what a "true loves kiss" should be like. When Thomas awakens Aurora the question now is whether or not the between Thomas and Aurora was what actually broke the kiss. If you're a fan of fairytale retellings then I would definitely recommend Slumber.

This was a cute read, I liked all the bickering between Prince Thomas and Lucy. Lucy she has lots of spirit and heart and she was just what Prince Thomas needed. Prince Thomas was a bit of a spoiled brat until Lucy. I guess what they say is true opposites attract.

A twist on Sleeping Beauty, Slumber starts off a little like the movie Ever After, which is a take on Cinderella. I found my mind wandering a lot through this book but overall thought it was a good read.

Price Thomas has to find a princess to marry so he can be king. in his journey to find one, his guards turn on him to attempt to murder him in the name of the Cardinal. The Cardinal is married to Thomas' mother and obviously wants him dead to take the throne, Thomas runs away and crosses paths with Lucy, who is running away for an entirely different reason. Along with Lucy's friend Jack, they keep trying to evade the guards... and eventually find Princess Aurora. But she is being wooed by Prince Phillip.

Honestly this book was quirky and fun, but I can't say that I found it that deep or riveting. It's a nice story built around an old classic, though, so if you like that kind of thing, you will like this.

I received this book in exchange for review.

If you're a hardcore retellings fan or love Sleeping Beauty, then I think you will enjoy Slumber. While Sleeping Beauty isn't one of my favorite fairytales, I still like to check out retellings because I like to see what they offer that's different and I usually enjoy them. Slumber was enjoyable and not the same as the original of course, but it was still a pretty basic plot. I absolutely love the cover as well. 💖

*Copy of this book given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I wish I could have loved this book. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite fairy tales, and I really enjoy reading retellings.

Things I enjoyed- There were a few lines of dialogue that had me grinning. I enjoyed the slight twist on the classic fairy tale, and how there was a rag tag group that became a friend unit. I love a good friend group!

Things I didn't really enjoy- This book seems like it should be targeted at a middle grade audience. The story is told very simply, with a lot of details being skimmed over. If the author had taken time to expand on some of the concepts, it would have been a more enjoyable read. The characters are flat and almost cartoonish in how over the top and dramatic they are. The writing seems like a first draft, or maybe something written for a school writing class.

I would recommend this book to a young person who wants a nice, short, fairy tale retelling that's not too complex, with a little bit of cartoon humor thrown in.

I was given this book free an exchange for my honest review through NetGalley. I really enjoyed this short story. It was an intriguing read.

3.5/5 stars
This book is about a commoner named Lucy, and the prince of her kingdom, Prince Thomas. Faced with the recent death of the king, Prince Thomas is to find a princess to marry so he can become king. However, the prince does not make this easy, and finally finds a princess he would be willing to marry, except the catch is, he has to go on a quest to find her. Oh, and another catch, she's been asleep for a hundred years and only true love's kiss will wake her. Last catch, the cardinal working at the palace is actually plotting to kill the prince so he can become king. What can go wrong?
While Prince Thomas is facing this struggle, Lucy and her friend Jack are faced with the struggles of leaving the nunnery they live in because they are orphans. Faced with an ultimatum by the nuns, Lucy packs up and runs away, not without her friend Jack though. A chance encounter in the woods brings Prince Thomas, Lucy, and Jack together to take on the quest to find Princess Aurora so she can marry the prince.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a sweet, simple read. Lucy's character is hilarious, with her snarky and sassy comments, and her adamancy on being herself regardless of what others think she should be. There is so much growth with these main characters, and it is enjoyable to read and go through that growth with them. This book made me laugh, smile, and feel anxious with the characters. I love how the author incorporated Princess Aurora and Prince Philip without making them the main focus of the book. It was a well-done twist on a classic.
The only issue I had with the book is the transition from the characters points of view. It did not flow smoothly for me, and I found myself losing track of which point of view I was reading. The book is cheesy, but in a well-done way that just warms your heart. I really enjoyed it.

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Thank you NetGalley for my copy of Slumber! I love retellings of fairytales and this one did not disappoint! Magical quick read with characters you will love!

Not really a retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty, maybe more of a different approach.

Prince Thomas just lost his father and in order to rule as King he has to marry. Unfortunately all the princesses he’s introduced to, don’t speak to him. When he’s sent on a quest to find the sleeping beauty Aurora, he’s running for his life and runs into tomboy Lucy (who hates the royal) and her best friend Jack.

Together they find Aurora, but a Prince Philip wants her too. They must let Aurora decide, but Prince Thomas needs help from Lucy to get onto Auroras good side.
Sparks fly, swords fly and rats. Lots of rats run behind the lot.
This was a fun read and even though there were a few mistakes, I would read another book by this author.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Becky Bird for providing an e-copy of Slumber for me to review.

Everyone knows that the market for fairy tale retellings is hot right now and, as such, is becoming saturated. However, Becky Bird comes at the story of Sleeping Beauty from a completely different angle: what if "true love's kiss" which breaks the spell isn't that between the Prince and Princess?

Slumber was a slow burner for me personally. Initially I agreed with previous reviews that the novel would be considered middle-grade rather than YA but my opinion did change about half way through the book. In my opinion, this was when the author 'settled in' to the novel and truly developed the characters into ones the reader could relate to and find themselves rooting for.

This was also the point where it became clear Becky Bird was challenging a number of stereotypes through her characters: the Cardinal is a man of God but this does not necessarily make him good; Lucy is an orphan but this does not make her weak; Jack is a boy but this does not make him brave and, finally, Thomas is a Prince but this does not make him charming! This humanised the characters for me and I found myself growing to really like them.

There are also a number of tongue-in-cheek references to fairy tales which I really appreciated. Phrases such as "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo" and Jack running for the trees every chance he got added an undercurrent of humour throughout the novel.

Unfortunately, there were moments where I got frustrated by the novel skipping between locations and characters- sometimes mid-event. Separating these by chapters or even page breaks would have made this an easier read. The start of the book especially also seemed to be a tad "over written" with references to a literal river of tears and a croissant described as a "creamy delight".

Overall Slumber was a quick and easy read with a really great concept and endearing characters. It possibly could have benefitted from some suspense as all the Cardinal's motives were revealed right at the start of the book but nevertheless it was an enjoyable read.

The story of a prince searching for his bride and them living happily ever after is always a great fairytale! However, Prince Thomas doesn't quite have the easy road to finding his true love. An orphan, Lucy, is a girl who is fearless, courageous, and doesn't allow her gender to get in the way of being who she is and having what she wants. The two characters are amazing and the author has written an amazing story! I hope to see more in the future because fairytale are my favorite!