A Curse So Dark & Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

The Quick Cut: A girl with cerebral palsy finds herself transported to a magical realm where a prince has been cursed to become a beast unless he falls in love. 

A Real Review:

 Many girls at a young age imagine the fantasy of being swept off their feet by a Prince and marrying into a royal family. It's a common concept that almost never happens in real life. However, what would you do if it actually happened? Especially if it happened with a cruel twist of fate? That's the story centered around Harper. 

 Harper is going through a lot in her life. Her dad is already gone and left a wake of trouble in his place. Plus, her mother is dying of cancer and waiting every day for her death. Every day is the same traumatizing waiting game until she is transported to a realm called Emberfall with a prince under a dark curse. Can she get back home and escape the cursing haunting Prince Rhen? 

 This story is so powerful and unique for being a Beauty and the Beast retelling! Brigid has such a lovely writing style that I truly enjoy. The way she turns the curse into a deathly frightening impending Doom amps up the action with the constant waiting for everything to go awry. 

 There is also an added twist of Harper having cerebral palsy. While I loved seeing the neurodiversity crowd getting some much needed awareness, it's also a very mild representation of it. Having spent some volunteer time with this condition, I can't say it matches the experiences I've had (but I also don't live with it). The mild representation is unhelpful if it doesn't provide a realistic one. 

 I'm excited to see where this story progresses from here. The end makes it clear where the sequel will pick up, but I wonder if she'll continue to play with the B&B retelling. 

 An intriguing novel with a unique spin on the retelling subgenre. 

My rating: 4.5 out of 5