Review: A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?
When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.
What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
This book was a quick, little delight. With the Aladdin live-action movie debuting recently, I have been hearing about all things Aladdin non-stop. So what better way to cure this newfound obsession then read a re-telling with a massive twist? Dare I say, I liked this story better than the original, well if not it came mighty close.
Retellings are like my equivalent of catnip. I am addicted and love them. A wicked twist on childhood classic makes it new and refreshing to my adult eyes. I loved the glimpses of classic Aladdin balanced with the harsh reality of Jafar ruling. The novel was a play on Murphy’s Law, look at the story and literally everything bad that could have happened…did.
The revolution, the rebellion, the sacrifices are what truly made the book. Fast paced, adventurous, and action-packed, the plot only seems to quicken as you read on. I didn’t want to put the book down. The characters, are complex and gritty, just like the world of Agrabah. While I didn’t like some characters tragic story lines, I do understand that not everyone can get a happily-ever-after in this harsh world. But my absolute favorite part of the story was the blossoming relationship between Aladdin and Jasmine, I will go down with that ship. The perfect, refreshing read to cure my Aladdin hype.
LINKS:
Goodreads| Amazon | Barnes & Noble
