A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.” ― Brigid Kemmerer, A Curse So Dark and Lonely

 So this is very young. It's also very fun.

Harper, a teenager girl with cerebral palsy is about to play the Beauty to the Beast. Her family is in trouble, and in trying to save them, she lands herself in a parallel world. Prince Rhen is cursed to turn into a monster, hell bent on destroying his own kingdom, until he finds true love.

I feel like there were parts of this that were really well thought out. Having the heroine have a disability, and combining it with a fighting spirit. I liked that Commander of the Royal Guard, Grey, was such a good friend to both the Prince and Princess. YA Romances sometimes get trapped on the love triangle. I feel like maybe having two guys fight over a girl sends the wrong message. Though his part in the story was small, I even liked that Harper's brother is portrayed as a gay gangster dating a black ER doctor. This book is inclusive, and we need more of that.

I feel like the world building was halfhearted... But we know the setting is an opulent castle, surrounded by forest, with quaint townships struggling unawares of the curse... The tale is familiar and I found myself imagining the setting I expected. I don't know that the characters really developed that much, so if you need character evolution this is really the wrong book for you. I found I just needed a little escape.

This book was quite a bit of fun if you're in the mood for a light-hearted book to take you somewhere new... Sword fights, magic, humor, teen angst, romance, and friendship...And hope. Which is something a lot of people are in need of right now, myself included.

They always put the best hopes in the YA Aisle.

4 Stars