Book Review: Curse of Maleficent: The Tale of Sleeping Beauty-Elizabeth Rudnick ( Plus Bonus Review!!!)

 

Most of us probably know the tale of Sleeping Beauty, where a young princess is cursed to an endless sleep by pricking the needle of a spinning wheel. But what if there was more to the story?

In Curse of Maleficent: The Tale of Sleeping Beauty, readers will learn how a horned fairy Maleficent was betrayed by love and cursed Princess Aurora to a dark spell on her sixteenth birthday. But as the years pass ( and the princess hides in exile and  cared  by three useless pixies), Maleficent watches over her and eventually befriends her. Can the curse be broken and peace be restore to the human and fairy kingdoms?

Based on the new Disney movie starring Angeline Jolie ( see bonus review toward the end), Curse presents a different side of the famed Disney villain from the points of view of three different characters(love the last half of the book from Aurora's point of view. However, it at times feels like Maleficent is pushed to the side. Rudnick also wrote a Maleficent book for teens and adults that is darker but much better. Don't know if the library will be getting this book or not, but is available at most book stores). The illustrations are well done and very graphic novel-like, giving the reader an idea of  what to expect in the movie. A great read for those that love fairy tales and Disney movies.


Curse of Maleficent: The Tale of Sleeping Beauty by Elizabeth Rudnick
Age Range: 9-11
*** 1/2 ( 3 and a half stars)

Here is a fan-made trailer featuring the illustrations from the book ( warning: many spoilers featured!!)

 Bonus Review!! 

So I went to see Maleficent  a few weeks ago and it is AWESOME!! Jolie is wickedly fun as the famed Disney villain ( with a killer wardrobe!!) The scenery is very beautiful and enchanting as the photography by Annie Leibovitz , and the effects are amazing ( but might be  bit scary and intense for  children under 7 , especially toward the climax featuring a dragon!!) A must see, can't wait to get to see again on DVD!! ( I also saw that Disney Channel's upcoming TV-movie for 2015 is about the children of Disney heroes and villains, and will feature Broadway's Kirsten Chenoweth as Maleficent.)