I started this book really hoping that it would be wonderful. I really enjoy Chris Colfer, and was excited to read his literary offering. As a writer, I really hate to write bad reviews. It makes me feel bad and a little bit guilty. As a trained librarian, I hate the idea of people picking up a poorly written book. So, I will present you with an honest opinion and let you draw your own conclusions.

First of all, let me say that the premise of this story is wonderful. The thought of actually falling into a book and exploring the fairy tales in their true (and sometimes scary) form would be awesome. The problem I have with this book isn’t the story it’s trying to tell. The problem is purely in the writing. I made it to page 86 before I gave up. In that 86 pages, I put the book down and walked away probably close to 80 times. The metaphors were plentiful, and usually just so “wait, what?” that I couldn’t stay in the story. I also don’t buy that the twins are in sixth grade. I actually just had to go back and look that up because I could have sworn they were in elementary school and not middle school. The dialogue is stilted and not very believable. Granted, I didn’t finish the book, however, the part I did make it through read more like a first draft than a finished novel. The language could have been much tighter and pared down into something quite enjoyable. I, however, do not have the ability to gloss over poorly written prose that makes it hard for me to suspend belief. Anyone who has looked at my list of read titles knows that I don’t read only highbrow literature. I read books in a lot of genres and age ranges, and I love well written books. Unfortunately, this book just doesn’t fit into that category for me.

I give Mr. Colfer mad props for finishing not just one novel, but several. That is no easy feat, and I applaud him for that. I will not, however, be recommending this one.