Book Review: Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer by Maureen McGowan & Giveaway

In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read! 

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is an entirely new type of fairy tale–one that will keep today's kids guessing and offer them hours of magical fun. (From Goodreads)
I have to begin by saying that I never really read choose-your-own stories, even in middle school. I was really indecisive, and would second guess my choices...I would ruin all of the stories for myself. But, the premise of this one sounded fun, so I thought I'd give it a shot. 

In terms of the origin story, Sleeping Beauty was my least favorite fairy tale. I mean, she basically sleeps through all of the action only to be awoken by true love's kiss...blah. I prefer my heroines to play some sort of role in their story, and I was happy to see that Lucette, as the title implies, did more than sleep. Ever since the vampire queen placed a curse on her, Lucette's father has been a tad overprotective. She's made to wear gloves (to avoid pricking her finger), and she's never gone down a flight of stairs unaccompanied. On top of that, her parents relationship is in shambles. So, life for this princess isn't all tiaras and ponies. Her mother, who is particularly prejudiced against the vampires, decides that her daughter can't sit idly by waiting for the curse to begin. It's up to the reader to decide whether Lucette should follow her mother's wishes and begin to train to be a vampire hunter. 

The vampire Alex was actually my favorite character in the book. He educates Lucette about what vampirism really is, and helps her to move past the propaganda her mother has fed her. Tristan, the other male character, wasn't as interesting as I hoped he would be. He certainly fulfilled his role in the plot, but I was hoping for a bit more...especially after the big reveal regarding Alex. The "love" triangle wasn't really drawn out, and no matter what you choose there's really only one choice left in the end.

While I do think this book is a middle grade read, I did enjoy it. It was a quick and enjoyable read with a main character that didn't play the damsel in distress.

Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer
By Maureen McGowan
Published by Silver Dolphin Books
330 Pages
Received: As part of Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
Rating: B

I'm lucky enough to offer a copy of this book to one lucky reader from the US or Canada (no PO boxes, please!). This contest will run until June 5, 11:59 PM EST. 


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