Frankenstiltskin: Fairy Tales Gone Bad

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Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after. I think this is exactly the kind of book I’d give to and read with the younger people in my life, it had references to common fairy tales and stories but put a very fresh and unique spin on the plot that took me pleasantly by surprise. I loved how fun and engaging this one was, with it’s snappy pacing and funny dialogue. The descriptions were ridiculous in the best way and I will admit that the description of someone being ‘spaghettified’ made me actually laugh out loud.

In this retelling of Cinderella, Cinders falls down a flight of stairs (after slipping on some dog poo 💩) and becomes a Zombie Princess, but can she still enjoy the ball and woo the Prince? The three fake sisters chopping off their own feet, in an effort to convince the prince that the foot belongs to them, is very reminiscent of the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale, where the sisters chopped off toes and parts of their heels in an effort to make the slipper fit.

Por ejemplo, ya todos conocemos a Cenicienta, esta chica que ha pasado toda su vida obligada a ser la servidumbre de su madrastra y hermanastras sin recibir nada a cambio. Pero en este primer libro de Joseph Coelho veremos cómo este popular clásico da un giro un pelín más sombrío donde nuestra protagonista se transforma en Zombicienta, una chica que muere al caer por las escaleras por culpa de sus hermanastras pero que al igual que la original es visitada por una hada, en este caso el hada de la muerte quien le dará la oportunidad de vivir tres noches de ensueño antes de caer en el sueño eterno. The opening words of Zombierella tells you everything you need to know. ‘This gory story has bugs and bogeys, slimy surprises, and more than a spot of revenge. And, yes…I’m afraid dear sweet readers, that there is DEATH.’ If you have a child who isn’t into dark books featuring a Zombie, Vampire, dead animals, and Death then you might not want to let them read this book. However, if they love a bit of gore then this is the perfect book. Se han preguntado alguna vez que pasa con esos libros olvidados en las estanterías? Pues nuestros amados libros nunca mueren, de hecho hay algunos que evolucionan gracias a su capacidad de reinventarse para mantenerse vigentes. It's an MG novel in verse and I raced through it with total delight because it was so gleefully fun (even when it was, very intentionally, gross - this is the kind of book that some sensitive kids won't be able to handle while others will lap it all up with a spoon). It was hilarious, clever, and had a surprisingly sweet and satisfying ending. Zombierella is the first in a three-part series by Coelho, called 'Fairytales Gone Bad', which are retellings of classic fairytales, but with a gruesome twist!

Thank you to Danielle (agenuineopinion on IG) for sending me her copy of 𝐙𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 by Joseph Coelho to read. Don't you just love having bookish friends that you can swap books with?! When the town receives an unusual visitor in the guise of a prince whose culinary tastes are on the bloody side and whose bed is more wood and dirt than cushions and frame, Cinderella's life is about to take a dark turn. Yet whether life as a Zombie is as bad as it sounds is something for the reader to decide. The book is a little bit creepy and quite humorous at times too. It is a good length for a middle-grade reader and will keep them entertained for a while, yet, short enough that they could read it in one sitting if they so desired. My upbringing in Roehampton on the Alton Estate has been a huge influence. It was the eighties and me and my friends would regularly play out and make believe and have adventures, so I got to explore a lot, probably far more than kids get to do nowadays. There are settings in Roehampton that I return to in my work because they hold a certain fascination, a sense that magic could have been real there. I am also greatly influenced by family life and the realization that families like my own (single parent, working class) were so often left out of stories. I always wanted to visit Narnia, but bemoaned the fact I didn’t have a big house or a huge wooden wardrobe… Narnia felt closed to me. This adorable book revolves around Cinderella, who lives and works all day for her FAKE sisters and mother in the most tiresome way. One night, after her FAKE family goes out to the ball to dance with the mysterious prince, Cinderella slips on the stairs and DIES!! The death angel walks in then and revives her for three nights ahead so she could live and enjoy life for a limited time and dance with the prince! Things take a mischievous turn then that makes you wonder, did this fairy tale really go bad, or did the fairy tale go riotously right?Zombierella was longlisted for the UK Diverse Book Awards 2021, and with it being written by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho, and beautifully illustrated by Freya Hartas, I can absolutely understand why. Following the formula and story well known in the fairy tale, she must prove her skill to retain her breathing privileges - but why? What does the king want? And who is the little creature so keen to help her? I've read one of this series before, and really enjoy the dark way it's twisted to still be palatable and child-friendly, but with just the right amount of gleeful gruesomeness and morbidity.

Ya saben que desde siempre he sido una niña más bien rarita, así que estoy totalmente fascinada por esta versión de un clásico, ¿por qué acaso hay algo mejor que los zombies? Obviamente la respuesta es no y eso queda claro en este pequeño libro que sin importara edad que tengan va a conquistarlos de principio a fin. Fab idea for a series, and neither too babyish as a fairy tale or too mature in its subject matter. Just right.I especially liked the amusing twists on the classic tale, like Zombierella leaving behind a foot instead of a glass slipper. Not many children's stories feature taxidermists. It also manages to talk about animal conservation and grief, so really does cover quite a lot. A mysterious vaudeville storyteller with a magical top-hat and coat unwinds the true stories behind the happily ever afters, which are maybe not as charming as you remember! I was unsure what I was going to make of the book as it opens with one of Cinderella’s pets who was old and infirm dying and her having to bury it. But then the book came alive. It was an exceptional read. Very funny and cleverly written keeping all the main parts of the original Cinderella and making them grim, put it this way it’s not her shoe that Cinderella leaves on the stairs for the Prince to find!!

This is one of those books that will keep you along for the ride and make you want to read more. I really enjoyed it. Cinderella falls down the stairs one night and is killed whilst her ‘fake’ mother and step-sisters are at the mansion where a three-night ball is being held so that the new owner, the Prince, can find himself a bride. Half Moon is the UK’s leading small-scale young people’s venue and touring company. It is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from our base in East London, we specialise in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation. Our wide-ranging programme reaches 49,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including seven youth theatres. Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Fairytales Gone Bad is one of several productions that form part of Half Moon Presents, the producing arm of Half Moon, supporting the promotion and development of theatre for young audiences at a national and international level. I think Zombierella is perfect for younger readers who like a bit of gruesomeness to their tales - those who like Horrible Histories will no doubt like this story.

Reviews

The Prince is smitten with Cinderella but every night at midnight she runs away. On the third night she leaves a part of her on the steps, but will the Prince ever find the woman he has fallen in love with? The first in a funny, deliciously dark, three-part series of twisted classics, written in verse by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Freya Hartas. The book Zombierella didn’t only look wonderful from the outside, but the story inside was wonderful too, with all the peculiar twists and turns in the life (or death?) of Cinderella written in the most amusing and comical way. It was literally the best twisted version of Cinderella I HAD EVER READ.