I liked the weirdness of the other world that Bitsy traveled to. It was a little of everything, parts reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and then the other parts reminded me of other fairy tales. To put it succinctly, everything in this book from the writing to the characterisation to the plotting leaves much to be desired. I felt that there were points in the book that weren’t explained at all and some that shouldn’t have been explained because there was no purpose to them.

Sadly this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I loved the concept of falling into a deep sleep and simultaneously into another world and the world building is the start of something great but the story and characters didn't quite connect for me. Peregrine was a character that I did not like at all in the beginning and was like who and what he was going to be to Bitsy, but I really liked how his character came out more and more throughout the book.It makes for a great fairy tale but I think it would be better pitched with less adult themes and moved into the middle grade category to suit the nature of the writing and the characters. Who ever thought of calling a princess "Bitsy"? This cutesy princess is like some pet lamb with a baby-talk name that's thrown into a bloody world she can't navigate and has problems thrown at her that she barely handles enough to not be swept away by the mess. Bitsy is as lost in the world she's taken to as a naïve lamb would be and ridiculously mismatched to the "creepy" atmosphere of that world and its mad king. Not to mention the plotline is so haphazard that it ends on a major cliffhanger (and bear in mind this book doesn't have a continuation, "The End" is written right there at the end, like in some Looney Tunes skit), and it all leaves you dissatisfied and confused. Now, the reason this is 3.5 ⭐️, leaning more towards 3 ⭐️…two things….first, the romance. What on earth! There was a very good romance going on there and I just have no words for how that never really happened or ended, it just fizzled out and left me disappointed, severely disappointed. But the ending…the ending is an open ending, and I do enjoy open endings, but the implication of this ending makes no sense! Bitsy goes from listening to her parents all the time, to being her own person, to allowing another person to influence her and to do what!? I won’t say what it is, but it makes no sense! This was seriously going to be a solid 4 ⭐️ until that ending and how the romance just never played out. I cannot express my disappointment in both of these situations, and I have great ideas as to how that could have turned out differently! From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Misfit comes a subversive and feminist take on Sleeping Beauty, sure to appeal to fans of Damsel and To Kill a Kingdom. I enjoyed all the different characters that were in the book. I thought each of them were all different in their own way and it showed.

I'm not sure where to start with this review. I feel like I have a lot to say. Having read the synopsis of this book, I was excited for a fairytale retelling. For the most part, they've always proved to be fun. Unfortunately, this retelling was just not it for me. Due to the strange writing in the beginning, the abrupt ending, hardly any loose ends being tied up, and the slow-burn romance that left me wanting, I had to take away two stars from this review. Once I got past the bizarre beginning, I did enjoy the story, was laughing out loud several times, and was cheering for Bitsy to complete her quest so she could return home. The pacing, pretty fast, I will say, but I think it may have been more me rushing through it to get to the end rather than because I wanted to see where the story would take me. In a departure from their previous work, Cannonball approaches a satirical exploration of societal imperfections, infused with a touch of humor. The narrative revolves around a young woman ensnared by the enchantment of a manipulative prince, leading her into a confining labyrinth. The central question looms: will she muster the resilience to break free from his grasp, or forever remain a possession of his desires? Within our consumer-driven society, individuals, especially women, can be commodified and exploited by those driven by cynicism.VoiceGalley advance audio editions are offered here as an added option outside of print galleys and e-galleys. VoiceGalley advance audio editions save trees and cut down on screentime. A land where Bitsy’s fate and her future are solely in her own hands—and neither are what she expects.

Join me on Patreon to help me create, AND get advance access to ebooks, audiobooks, and more! https://www.patreon.com/kayedraper The writing felt like it would fit better in the middle grade zone, however the content is defiantly YA/NA so the two didn't flow so well.I think because of the style of writing and tone some may not enjoy this one but for me it was certainly entertaining and one I did enjoy, especially with the elements of other fairy tales. I did like the unique style but admit a few times I had to remind myself this was meant to be a sort of dream/alternate world. if you keep that in mind I think you will enjoy this one!

I hated that ending. It was anticlimactic, wiped away all character development for her, and was not what I wanted or what we DESERVED! It was terrible. The end.Im sure with some more editing and a way of this book 'finding itself' the concept could be great but as it is, I just couldn't invest in it.