Review for Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly
By Sarah Cross
Published April 10th, 2012 by EgmontUSA
Borrowed from Local Library
336 pages

"Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns." ~ Goodreads

Review

  Breathtakingly unique Kill Me Softly is pure genius. It is sure to take you on a magical journey that you won't forget any time soon!

Kill Me Softly can easily be compared to the show Once Upon a Time as they both feature a fairy tale town, quirky residents, and mysteries that seem to hover in the air. Cross goes old school by bringing back the original Grimm tales and yes, they are grim. A decision that I very much appreciated because it adds weight to the story.

 Mirabelle was not easy to get emotionally attached to as I found her to be mean (poor Freddie) and immature (she's fifteen after all). However, I liked her sass (especially with a certain someone) and the personal growth she underwent. The supporting cast made Beau Rivage come to life. It was entertaining trying to figure out which fairytale each one was from. As soon as they were introduced I played a little game with myself: who were they really? By far, though, Blue was the greatest person in the book. I loved him! There was so much more to him than snarkiness and blue spiky hair. He genuinely surprised me. Mira and Blue together sent butterflies to my stomach!

The world Cross created was something I've never quite experienced before. Writing from a different perspective than first person was a wise choice. As the reader I felt like I had been dumped in a strange town myself and had to slowly try to piece things together. Nothing was quite right, but no one explained things fully. I waited and waited for someone to tell me what was going on. And even after the big revelation the plot had a few more hooks. I was entranced, flipping pages well past midnight just to find out the truth behind the residents of Beau Rivage and to see how it all unfolded.

I highly recommend Kill Me Softly to fairytale fanatics and anyone who enjoys originality. I will definitely be looking out for any sequels!

Excerpt

"Okay. Well... I'm going to tell you something. You might not like it."

"About my... curse?" she said, still hoping that he would tell her no, she was mistaken.

But he nodded instead.

"Mira, you have what's called a marchen mark. Marchen is the German word for tale. As in fairy tale."

"What do you mean?"

"It identifies you. It places you in a role. It tells you what you're meant to do, or what will happen to you. It's like... your destiny. Your curse."