Infandous by Elana K. Arnold

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Infandous is raw, gripping readers with hideous fairy tales and myths, weaving them into Sephora's life.  Each of these seems unrelated to the overall story, but with each chapter narrated by Sephora, you can see how she is living them, to a degree. 

There are so many angles to this story that pull away layers of love, pain, truth, fear, and acceptance.  It's not a feel-good book that will make you long for the romance of it all.  It is a gritty look at what life is really like sometimes.  Sometimes you have no read choices; sometimes you're thrown into the storm that other people have cast around you and the best thing you can do is try to keep your head above water and get through it.

Arnold gives us an unapologetic look at the dark side of love.  Sephora has secrets that will hurt everyone she loves, but they hurt her most of all.  She can't see a way around the choices she (or anyone else in her life) has made.  And she can't imagine a life for herself that is separate from her mother's.  She does give us the courage to look at horrifying things and hope that they might be overcome, no matter the brusque tone of the narration, or the utter helplessness you feel as more is revealed.  For such a grim book, I was oddly buoyed by it.  I highly recommend you try it.

Infandous by Elana K. Arnold: Fantastic!  Available from booksellers and libraries in March of 2015.

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Cross has presented fans with another fairytale retelling that is replete with wry humor, complex characters and dark, twisted plotlines.  A companion to Kill Me Softly, Tear You Apart details the story of Vivian and Henley, who are under a Snow White curse.  We first met them through Mira and Blue, the main characters from Cross's previous book. 

Though it's hard to be sympathetic to either Vivian or Henley, their story is gripping.  Determined to overcome their feelings for each other, they both do everything they can to cause the other to hate them.  Despite all this, though, they can't seem to stay away from each other, even as they freely acknowledge that they will destroy each other in the end.  Vivian is sarcastic, ungrateful, and demanding of Henley.  He is alternately her doormat and just short of physically restraining himself from hurting her.  None of their friends can fully understand, even if they are under curses themselves. 

Cross's writing is sharp, delivering twists where they are least expected and expertly weaving together modern and antique.  None of the curses follow their fairytale predecessors exactly, and there is an overlap of stories.  The dual narration offers insight into both sides of this Snow White curse, giving readers an intimate view of what Viv and Henley are thinking and feeling.  Cross successfully blends hope, fear, despair, love, and darkness in this story, proving that, much like the originals, fairytale retellings can provide as much horror as beauty. 

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross: 5 out of 5 stars.