MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE reminded me of Coraline with a Burtonesque edge. The book really should have been titled, A Surprise On Every Page.

If you look past the exciting elements that make the story pop and come alive…

What elements are those you ask?

Oh, nothing much. Just unicorns, cursed magical kingdoms, talking frogs, a flying beast, and THE creepiest villain that would make even Jack Sparrow quake in his tall black boots. (And that’s the short list.)

As I was saying cut through the aspects that keep the pages flipping faster than French toast… (Okay, not sure how fast that really is but I liked the alliteration.) (Humor me.)

… and at the heart of this story is a girl struggling with choices she has to make. Her struggles beat through ever scene, every page, every crazy event that happens. It all comes back to Jenny. Jenny the Adventurer. And is that what she really wants to be.

And that is what elementary girls will find when they read this delightful but creepy unfairy tale.

Note to Tim Burton: Seriously, you should buy the options to make this book into a film. It’s your thing. Trust me.