I tried so hard to get into this book but it never grabbed me it a DNf for me but maybe one day I will reread it and enjoy it but it doesn't have a grab yet

I was highly intrigued by the premise of this book, even though the summary kind of turned me off, because retold fairy tales are some of my favorite things to read. Unfortunately, I did DNF this around the 30% mark - I think I might be too old for the story. XD I've recommended it to a few teens and they seem to enjoy it, so don't let my review stop you from picking it up to try it yourself.

I wanted to love this book because the premise and plot were intriguing but the last third of the book was a bit of a mess with its pacing issues and ending Bitsy's story. I also felt the characters needed a bit more background because we mainly got names and the kingdoms they were associated with. The world-building could have been great and it starts off moving in that direction and feels like the writer ran out of steam to finish off describing this wonderful world, the kingdoms within, how they got to where they are, and Bitsy plus her army's ending.

The story did start off giving me high hopes but then it started to get confusing because of how it contradicted itself and meandered a bit before jumbling together for a supposedly "epic" ending. I really thought Bitsy was going to be more and have that epic ending but it just fell flat.

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

This is an interesting premise. I really enjoyed seeing how things played out and piecing together what was going on. The setting was cool and really helped set the tone of the story. I did want more background on certain aspects of the story and the magic system. It felt like it could have used a little more fleshing out but it was also still an enjoyable journey and overall I like the book.

This was a really unique take on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a little on the fence about this one as on one hand there were some enjoyable elements of the book, and others that I didn't really like. I also couldn't get behind the characters name, and it feels as though it's for a much younger audience than YA.

This was everything and nothing like I imagined it being from the synopsis. The dark academia vibes were there as well as some really nice fun moments which I really appreciated. The characters were super interesting and I never felt bored by their conversations with each other and the dialogue was also capturing my attention. It was a pretty fast read and I loved the plot so much!

A dark and twisty Sleeping Beauty retelling that hits all the marks - unique, unexpected, and pays homage to the original. I absolutely love retellings and struggle when they read like a repeat of the numerous ones available, but this wasn't the case with this book at all. It was a unique story unlike anything I've read before.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Dark and gripping retake on Sleeping Beauty - not your children's story for sure. Beauty falls into a dark world where everything is a trial and nothing is real. Is there a happy ending? A prince to save the day? Does she want to be saved? A fun twisted tale

“Creeping Beauty” will capture the attention of anyone who loves fairytale retellings.

The premise is essentially the princess pricks her finger (sleeping beauty-style) and ends up in an alternate world. While this premise is exciting, the book itself felt like it struggled with wanting to be dark and edgy but also youthful. As a reader, it felt like the author wanted to explore too many paths at once and that detracted from the overall plot.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the chance to review this one.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I am always us for a good fairytale retelling. This is one that is Sleeping Beauty inspired. The concept is that instead of falling asleep Bitsy pricks her finger and goes to a different world where her fate is in her own hands. The book left me very confused and I am not sure what to say about the end. It left me feeling that there should have been more at the end of it or a second book but that does not seem to be the case. It says The End when the story is done. It has been awhile since a book has left me this confused and unsatisfied.

I LOVE IT when authors take fairytales and turn them on their heads into something darker or more sinister or just unexpected and that is what this was and it was BRILLIANT!

Thank you netgalley for the book.

Creeping Beauty is a beautiful cover. The story is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty.

The plot was a little confusing to keep up with and I felt like I had to reread to keep up with the characters.
The writing was a little middle school for me, especially when Bitsy would say "Dear Reader".

Definitely could use some work unfortunately.

DNF at 20%. Everything contradicts itself and is illogical. The writing is for a much younger audience than I was expecting and is not to my taste at all. Poor world building and lacklustre characters.

A very interesting tale. A rebellious princess turns into a slave, then a trainer and finally a great leader in order to return home. In the process she turns everything on it's head. On the others side of reality, princes are flocking to kiss her awake, proving that they are Prince Charming. Being turned into an amphibian is the their price for failure. Once she's back, she's offered the change to leave again for the place that had reshaped her.

The dark and deadly world of Heartless meets the empowering twist of Cruel Beauty in this thrilling, unpredictable, multigenre retelling of one of the most beloved fairy tales: where instead of falling asleep to await her prince, this sleeping beauty finally wakes up.

I really enjoyed Creeping Beauty. I'm a suckered for fairy tale retellings and this one was really clever. I especially loved all the various settings throughout the book. The character development was stellar even for some on the lesser characters. Finally, Bitsy is a strong, fearless FMC throughout the entire novel.

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsch for allowing me to review Creeping Beauty.

I almost don't know what to say about this. Creepy Beauty was just painful to read. I can count on one hand the number of books I've DNF'd and still have fingers to spare, so when I say I wanted to put this down a couple chapters in, you know it's bad. Initially, I thought it was because I was reading it while I was sick and just not in the right mood or headspace, but I looked at the other reviews and saw that, for once, I'm not in the minority opinion. I honestly had to force myself to get through Creepy Beauty, and even then, it was one of the most painful reading experiences I've had. (And as someone who doesn't DNF books often, I've had my fair share.)

All I can say is Andrea Portes tried.

She tried to make it funny and edgy and original and progressive. Unfortunately, none of those things actually worked.

The book is broken up into sections that open with entries from the king's "diary," something he does begrudgingly because he's a Man and only writes about his feelings out of love for his wife who's forced him to do so. It's supposed to be humorous and a little "down with the patriarchy!", but it's just forced and cringe and feels like a really bad, prolonged dad joke. Then we have Princess Elizabeth "Bitsy" whatever her last name is, which really has to be some kind of bad joke because, Bitsy? Really? She is not like other princesses. She's plain and nerdy and has mastered the art of "creeping" (a word, that unfortunately, appears far too often in the book) so she can escape her dreadfully vain cousins to go read. She wants her servants to be her maids of honor and breaks the fourth wall because she's a modern woman trapped in a patriarchal society. I mean, Portes really tries to give Bitsy a distinct and unique voice. It just...doesn't work.

Bitsy is an extremely underdeveloped, one-dimensional character and just grating as a narrator. It's like that new Persuasion movie that I refuse to watch. There's a jarring disconnect of trying to be hip and trying to fit the tone of a period piece, and it just isn't handled with enough finesse to work successfully. Her character arc is so clumsily done. She goes from being a naïve, helpless girl to a clever and strong warrior in the span of a few pages. It's like reading a self-insert story by a thirteen-year-old. Like, we've all be there, but is that a story that needs to be shared with the rest of the world? Probably not.

Creeping Beauty wants to be a dark fairytale retelling, but the writing is too juvenile. The content makes it seem like it's geared toward an older audience, but the writing almost feels like it's written for a middle grade readers. One of the reasons it was so hard for me to get into the story is because the plot is barely there until things start to pick up around the 50% mark. (Even then, things don't improve significantly.) There's just no development. The chapters are incredibly short, so the storytelling feels super choppy. The worldbuilding is completely watered down, and there's no emotional pull from the story. The attempts to make Sleeping Beauty an empowered strong female character were sloppy and heavy-handed and hampered by the random bit of romance thrown in toward then end. (Not that they're mutually exclusive, but the romance really came out of left field and was abruptly dropped without any kind of resolution.) I honestly can't say whether the "twist" at the end makes sense or if I was just so distracted with trying to get through the book that I missed some important piece of information, but the climax and ending feels haphazardly thrown together.

I love fairytale retellings, but Creepy Beauty is unpolished mess of a story. I think Andrea Portes was trying to go for some kind of Sleeping Beauty x Through the Looking Glass dark fantasy mash-up, but it feels like she just took a bunch of random elements, threw it in a blender, and called it a day. Unfortunately, the only good this book was good for was trying to help me go to sleep.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

As someone who loves fairytale retellings, I was excited by the premise of this book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

The beginning of the book was great for me, I was enjoying it despite not loving the characters. From there onwards, it went downhill. Not a single character was likeable and the plot wasn't explored in a way I believe it could have been. I had to push myself to complete this book.

I was anticipating this book but sadly it wasn't for me.