A Spindle Splintered

This short story retelling of Sleeping Beauty was so fun. It created a modern day Aurora, while also establishing a whole multiverse, all in such a short book. Our main “Aurora”, Zinnia, has a rare disease that has a short life expectancy, and she isn't expecting to make it to her next birthday. When her best friends throws her a 21st birthday party, complete with a spinning wheel, she is exstatic. However, when she touches it as a joke, she is transported to a different dimension with another Aurora, but this one is like the full Medieval fairy tale story. What follows is her journey to make it back to her dimension, as well as survive without her medication in this other world.

I loved reading this book. It was touching and fun, while being short and to the point. I thought the characters were what really made this story shine. Also, getting to experience this well-known story, reimagined in a modern setting with a woman who would give anything to be in a fairy tale was very interesting. This book showed a sliver of what it's like living with a deadly disease and having a time limit on your life at a young age. I was definitely tearing up throughout.

I recommend this quick read to anyone that loves a good fairy tale.

TW: ableism, alcohol, death, homophobia, misogyny, suicide (mentioned), terminal illness