Kill Me Softly

Mar 30, 2012 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fairy tale enthusiasts

Shelves: 2012-reads, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, best-characters, best-couples, best-endings, wowed-me, want-a-sequel, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, writing-to-which-i-aspire, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, stories-that-challenge-me, made-me-cry, stories-with-a-message, heroes-i-love-and-respect, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, reviewed

Nearly sixteen and sheltered for much of her life by two overprotective guardians, Mirabelle Lively decides to take destiny into her own hands by running away from home and to Beau Rivage, the site of her parents' deaths...and the place she has been strictly forbidden never to go. When Mirabelle arrives in Beau Rivage, she catches the attention of two brothers -- one prickly and hostile, the other kind and welcoming -- and finds herself caught up in the strange workings of a place she believes t...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Bonnie marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Expected Publication Date: April 10th 2012

‘Kill Me Softly’ was kindly provided to me by Netgalley.

Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!

I've been extremely interested in finding more fairy-tale retellings after I picked up 'A Long, Long Sleep' by Anna Sheehan and enjoyed it immensely. When I heard this one was coming out I pounced. I had huge problems with the main character and it really affected the story and how much I enjoyed it. I understand she's only 16 and therefore immaturity...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Mimi Valentine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gorgeous-covers, adorable-favourites, authors-i-want-to-meet, best-of-2012, 5-star, favourites, pure-awesomeness, boys-i-wish-were-real, would-marry-if-legal, reviewed

**MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2012!**
Warning: This will not be your average review. I loved it too much for that.

Kill Me Softly is Brilliant with a capital B, Adorable with a capital A, and PERFECTION in all caps! It's easily my favourite book of the entire year. I loved it so much that, when I went back to skim a few passages to write this review, I ended up re-reading the entire book! Let me just show you what my copy looks like right now:

Kill Me Softly

I never, ever put sticky notes in a book — I just never have...more

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Apr 08, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, supernatural-fiction, mythic-fiction, netgalley-arc, arc, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, reviewed, read-need-to-buy, ssh-ssh-family-secrets, you-call-it-love-i-call-it-hormones, inventive-and-original, pure-entertainment

Read This Review And More Like It On My Blog!

4.5 out of 5 stars. I loved this! It was unexpectedly charming and clever and just plain fun even when (especially?) at its most twisted. Kill Me Softly is a wholly engrossing and enjoyable read. This is one of those surprising books that went above and beyond my expectations; in fact, I passed this over a couple times on NetGalley because it seemed so been there, done that at first glance and I've been trying to control the amount of requests I make...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Julianna Helms rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-arc, bam-covers, stalk-the-cover-but-not-the-book, e-stuff, hall-of-infamy, mind-boggling-brilliant

Actual, full review: Original is here. (Note: Due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

It's always terribly depressing when you have to write a negative review for a book you have been so viciously anticipating, but candidly, in the case of Kill Me Softly, what started out as an intriguing and deliciously creepy dark tale quickly sunk below the level of no-return.

The focal point of my irritation for Kill Me Softly is its main character; when readers say a character can make o...more Actual, full review: Original is here. (Note: Due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

It's always terribly depressing when you have to write a negative review for a book you have been so viciously anticipating, but candidly, in the case of Kill Me Softly, what started out as an intriguing and deliciously creepy dark tale quickly sunk below the level of no-return.

The focal point of my irritation for Kill Me Softly is its main character; when readers say a character can make or break a story, it's true. Mirabelle is blessed with kindness and intelligence--neither of which she turns out to possess. She started out interesting, and she was even acting like how I would've acted in her situation, which made me instantly like her. But though the beginning and end of the novel were strong peaks in a typical genre, the middle was as frustrating as trying to split cement with chopsticks. (Bad example, I know. But hopefully you know what I mean.) She was constantly furious and acted extremely selfish, and was again and again endowed in insta-lust. No, not love, though she repeated the ILY enough times to make me headdesk just twice as much, but she was truly blind to the fact that it was lust she was trapped in. I mean, if you're buying a sexy nightgown the day after you meet a hot guy you don't even know, and then when some... really bad stuff happen, and you discover terrible secrets, you run back to him anyway and scream "I LOVE YOU!", do you call that love? Intelligence? Or perhaps lust and the incredibly narcissistic need to claim someone, even someone infuriatingly evil and insane, as her own?

Speaking of which, here's the other thing that contributed to the trickle-turned-waterfall of my unprecedented distaste: a ferocious passion for possessions that are so obviously dangerous, fatal, and frankly, completely unnecessary. For example: There's a pair of brothers in this book. When Mira falls in "love" with one of them, and then she sees the other one, she literally thinks that he's hers. Which begs the question: is the gift of loyalty truly misplaced in such a conundrum soul as Mira's? And another thing: "kindness." There's an incredibly chivalrous guy in the book, and Mira is a complete... to put it mildly, jerk, to him. And when she insults him in a way that makes me want to punch her, she feels sorry... for herself, because now whatever chivalrous act the boy was going to do for Mira, she's afraid he won't do it anymore. Ah, see, now I'm sick of talking about Mira the Beewitch, so I'll quickly address the last major problem I had with this novel before I go on to explain the one and only redeeming point that let me finish the book. This book glorifies death. Not a few pages go by does it not mention the beauty of death, and here's a direct quote:

"She'd never looked more beautiful, more perfect, than she did when she was dead"
-The very first page.

The problem with this is quite simple and moral: the glorification of death is often indirectly influencing the minds of unaware youth--that no, don't worry about death, it will make you beautiful and perfect. Such aggravatingly insinuating thinking just leads me onto one road: the road of not-wistful despise.

Yet through it all, there was one reason that I continued, and it's not my friend's vow that the ending will be worth all the suffering. In truth, I literally stopped and DNFed this book while I was 3/4 of the way through. But my friend urged me and I read on, and I discovered how I held on for so long when the book frustrated and angered me distressingly: the way the story is told. It's a dark fairy tale that rings as true and frightening as the ancient, authentic versions of Cinderella, where the sisters cut off their toes and heels to fit in the shoe, and Sleeping Beauty, who... well, don't read on if you're easily disturbed, but she was raped by the prince.

Yeah. I know. Glorious.

But that's what's truly innovating and solely successful about this book: that it's unapologetically messed up. And so, it's a book I definitely will not recommend for everyone, because not only is the main character a complete pain to force through, but the story is creepy and deadly and gory and brutal.

Yet that's what many seem to appreciate about this book, putting me in the minority. Who knows? You might like it where I failed to see its brilliance, and saw instead its disturbing and potential influence.(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: covergasm, 2012-faves, all-time-faves, creatively-original, faves, insta-love, made-me-smile, love-triangles, books-i-want-to-marry, deserves-the-hype, fairytale-retellings

This review is also available on my blog.

_____________________________________

A thousand thanks to NetGalley and EgmontUSA! <3

4.5 stars!

I ended this book with a satisfied sigh.

First of all, the creativity is brilliant. Beau Rivage is a town where dozens of people have fairy tale curses of their own. I loved that Sarah Cross put so many different fairy tales in, and they all blend together perfectly.

The characters are awesome. Mirabelle, our protagonist and Sleeping Beauty, I really like her....more

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May 10, 2012 Emilee the Hipster Kitty Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

This sounds like that ABC show "Once Upon A Time" in book form.

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May 01, 2012 Nan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-retellings, netgalley, no-longer-own, nook, postmodern, romance, young-adult

A long time ago, in the year 2000, I graduated with a Master of Arts in English. Despite the fact that there was no formal path for this at my university, I focused my studies on fairy tales--specifically, the literary fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and others. My interest in fairy tales coincided with a boom in scholarship about them. Jack Zipes, Maria Tatar, Ruth Bottigheimer, Donald Haase, and more were establishing that fairy tales were an appro...more

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Nov 27, 2012 menr rated it 3 of 5 stars

The title was fitting. The concept – fairy tales being not exactly as romantic in reality – was morbidly fascinating. And the characters, while sometimes annoying, were interesting enough.

There are just some things that didn't sit well with me. First, I can’t believe Mira’s stupidity sometimes. She easily accepts the truth about the fairy tale realm. So when others give her cryptic warnings – supposedly, they are NOT ALLOWED to explain the truth about the curse of the Valentine brothers – why is...more The title was fitting. The concept – fairy tales being not exactly as romantic in reality – was morbidly fascinating. And the characters, while sometimes annoying, were interesting enough.

There are just some things that didn't sit well with me. First, I can’t believe Mira’s stupidity sometimes. She easily accepts the truth about the fairy tale realm. So when others give her cryptic warnings – supposedly, they are NOT ALLOWED to explain the truth about the curse of the Valentine brothers – why is she hating on everyone? Duh, didn't she hear them the first time? The others were NOT ALLOWED.

Second, love triangles can be tiring, but a love square verges on overkill. I almost threw the book away in disgust – figuratively speaking, since it’s in EBook format – when that “square of a love” bit me in the face. Good thing some event towards the end justified the overkill.

Towards the end, I couldn't connect because expecting something to happen is not as satisfying when everything falls into place too quickly. There’s the feeling of urgency and haste in how things pan out. IMO, the characters were suddenly too accepting and predictable.

Lastly, I can't decide if it’s a good or a bad thing that Mari and Blue remind me of Clary and Jace from The Mortal Instruments. Mari makes an important decision that reminds me of Clary and, in retrospect, I guess she does have a hot temper like Clary. Blue is cocky and abrasive, a pained hero with his curse, which makes him somewhat like a nicer version of Jace. Mari and Blue’s conflicted relationship reminds me of the incest issue in The Mortal Instruments.

Anyway, I’m not saying it’s not a nice read. I liked it enough that I got to finish it in a few hours. But it left me with mixed feelings towards fairy tales. I kept thinking the Grimms brothers – and whoever else made fairy tales – must be pretty twisted to create mentally screwed up characters like Necrophiliac princes, a Hypochondriac princess, and a Paedophile king, to name a few. I even had the sudden urge to change my favorite fairy tale from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Beauty and the Beast, if only to restore my faith in childhood romance. Hah hah.

It’s worth a second read, but I probably won’t crave for a sequel.
(less)

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Apr 19, 2012 Nafiza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley, 2012, favourites

Oh, the writing in this is like silk. Or satin. Or something smooth that glides on to your skin and makes you feel all pretty. It just flows so prettily that I wanted to hold it in my arms and squeeze it tightly.

Okay, I’ll stop being creepy now.

Kill Me Softly builds a fantastic world. I love fairytales. I love them a lot so Cross’s portrayal of town inhabited by modern time fairytale creatures blew my mind. There are Snow Whites, Beauties, Beasts. It made me realize what fairytales would look li...more Oh, the writing in this is like silk. Or satin. Or something smooth that glides on to your skin and makes you feel all pretty. It just flows so prettily that I wanted to hold it in my arms and squeeze it tightly.

Okay, I’ll stop being creepy now.

Kill Me Softly builds a fantastic world. I love fairytales. I love them a lot so Cross’s portrayal of town inhabited by modern time fairytale creatures blew my mind. There are Snow Whites, Beauties, Beasts. It made me realize what fairytales would look like if taken out of their original context and placed in a contemporary situation. Imagine being a modern day Snow White, waiting to die/fall asleep for a hundred years. Gives a new spin to the story, doesn’t it? As you already know from the creepy beginning, I thought the writing of the novel was fantastic, the world building was just as amazing and the plot was clever.

I liked the characterizations and I hope, I really do, that this is a series because I would love to read about the rest of the people mentioned in the novel. All the other inhabitants of Beau Rivage. Kill Me Softly would have been a total winner with me except for some very essential (in my opinion) points:

1. The Parents. You will know what I mean so I won’t say any more about them.
2. The protagonist. If you stay with a guy whose very kiss is killing you slowly, you are a stupid head. No seriously, you really are. I understood the context and I understood the fairytale but it didn’t matter to me at all because I have a very strong survivor’s instinct no matter how dreamy the love interest.
3. The ambiguous feelings. I love him! No, I love HIM! No, no, I must love him. Yeah no.
4. I kinda liked the prince. Or the guy who is loved by squirrels. I really liked him. :\

Those are the only complaints I had with the novel but even if the main story didn’t gel with me all that much, it was a pleasure to read simply because the world Cross has created is so entrancing. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next. Recommended.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Demonic Circus Princess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: atmosphere, beautiful-cover, best-male-character, 10-stars-out-of-5, best-villain, better-than-expected, chosen-by-my-amazing-intuition, cool-side-characters, epic-climax, fangirling, give-me-the-book-and-nobody-dies, gore, have-some-dignity-girl, kick-ass-heroine, made-me-puke-rainbows-of-joy, moe-moe-moe, makes-you-really-think, obsessive-much, originality, shattered-my-heart, so-insanely-in-love-with, so-much-need, sounds-like-me, stupid-decisions, the-dreaded-love-triangle-strikes, top-3-in-the-history-of-forever, touching, unique, usually-hate-books-like-this-but, will-never-forget, warm-fuzzy-feelings, wanted-to-slap-the-heroine

(Very mild spoilers that you could figure out in the first 50 pages)

This is probably going to turn into a long, rambling review. So for those of you that don't have a lot of time or are looking for a just a short concise judgment of this book, let me sum up my feelings: This is the best book I have ever read. It is my absolute favourite story ever. Out of the hundreds of shitty and lovely things I've read, this is on top.

Where do I even begin?

For the past 5 - 6 months, I haven't been able to fin...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Pamela marked it as abandoned

Shelves: bizarre, ew, fairy-tales, offensive, ya

So is this what we have come to, authors, when we do fractured fairy tales? Or fairy tale mashups? Insta-Love (shouldn't this be trademarked by now?), the Sexy Bad Boy, the Heroine Who Makes Incredibly Poor Decisions, Big Secrets that you really can figure out in the first few chapters, and, my personal favorite, abusive men who are presented as love interests. That last one really gets me.

The "heroine" of this book, who's really "cursed" to be Sleeping Beauty (don't worry, not a spoiler, anyone...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Andrea Ika rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve always enjoyed fairy tales, but I will admit that I believe the genre has become a little crowded lately.

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross made me forget about the mediocre fairy tale crossover books I’d read in the last few years. The world Ms. Cross created in Beau Rivage caught my interest immediately and after the first chapter, I was pulled in completely.

Our heroine is Mirabelle “Mira” Lively. Days before her 16th birthday, Mira leaves her loving home with her two godmothers and returns to...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Cecelia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I learned an important lesson this week. Friends may know you better than the internet ever could. Particularly, real life book club friends have a better handle on the sort of story you’ll enjoy (or even simply find interesting) than a blog. I know that seems like an obvious conclusion, but I often trust blog advice above all else for book recommendations. And if I had listened in this case, I would have missed an interesting book – not to mention the chance to discuss young adult fantasy (in p...more I learned an important lesson this week. Friends may know you better than the internet ever could. Particularly, real life book club friends have a better handle on the sort of story you’ll enjoy (or even simply find interesting) than a blog. I know that seems like an obvious conclusion, but I often trust blog advice above all else for book recommendations. And if I had listened in this case, I would have missed an interesting book – not to mention the chance to discuss young adult fantasy (in person!) with a very smart friend.

Beau Rivage is a town on the shore where fairy tales (and those cursed by them) congregate. It’s a place where mothers disappear, fates manifest, and dangerous destinies await – and it is the town of Mira’s birth. She’s been kept away from it by her godmothers for years, but now, just before her birthday, she can’t take the mystery and loneliness and she makes good her escape. Once in Beau Rivage, Mira finds that it isn’t all she dreamed: it’s complicated and risky to be on her own. There’s also suddenly a lot of unfinished business (and romance?) waiting right around the corner. Mira will need to adjust fast, or face lethal consequences.

Doesn’t the description for Sarah Cross’ Kill Me Softly sound a bit like a trailer for the show Once Upon a Time? It’s very fairy tale/doom is waiting. The cover art is perfectly lovely, but it doesn’t strike me as menacing. And that IS one thing this book does exceedingly well (a menacing tone, I mean). It also has a FABULOUS concept. Bluebeard boy and Sleeping Beauty girl = doomed and fascinating. That isn’t to say the result is perfectly executed (it’s not), but it’s certainly enough to keep you reading.

As a character, Mira almost treads into infuriatingly naïve territory, but her motivations and conflict are well done and her choices understandable (if stupid). She’s a sheltered teen who has chosen to throw herself into a crazy situation, and the story reflects that. Of course this is also fantasy, so the reader must make allowances. The world around Mira is fairly well drawn, though the reading experience is hampered somewhat by the slow reveal of facts and the inclusion of a couple of characters who remain off page and yet are given extensive back stories.

The romance/involvement aspect is tame-ish, although there are hints of cliché that may annoy some readers. My favorite characters were Blue and Freddie, who have a funny good cop/bad cop dynamic to start and believable teenage boy dialogue. If you can get far enough into the book to hit Beau Rivage and Blue, I think you’ll be sucked in. From then on it’s all manipulation and secrets and must-find-out-how-this-ends, though you may have a clue (I did). But the concept! The concept was the thing that kept me reading this book.

When it seems like tragedy is the only possible ending to a story, it usually is, and that may be why this tied-with-a-bow ending felt like a cheat. There’s no way there’s a ‘waltz off with all the money in the vault’ ending in Mira’s future. BUT. This is a good start. Kill Me Softly is a solid take on fairy tales, and it manages creepy and complicated in spots. I’ll be looking for more nightmares and dreams set in Beau Rivage.

Recommended for: those who like YA fairy tale retellings and fantasy.(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Bayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales-retellings-and-the-like, princesses

Fans of Mercedes Lackey's 500 Kingdoms series will see a familiar theme here - the power of Tradition,as it's called in that series, or Curses, as it's called here. Fairy tales bestowed or inflicted on mortals. But this story is darker, Grimm-er. The stories are curses, branded in skin. The endings are written - but the characters inside them, those branded with the tale they are subject to, still have free will, emotion, desire - they worry that their story will go wrong, that it isn't what the...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Kaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The cover totally throws off the actual story. It makes it look like a murder mystery or something and while there's murder and mystery it's so much more then what it is. But you know, ~~don't judge a book by it's cover~~.
the book
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It kind of reminds me of the Sisters Grimm with a more grown up, harsher tone. Mirabelle runs away to find her parents grave and finds love instead. And not just love that consumes you but love that kills you. And a love triangle The Vamp...more The cover totally throws off the actual story. It makes it look like a murder mystery or something and while there's murder and mystery it's so much more then what it is. But you know, ~~don't judge a book by it's cover~~.
the book
Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It kind of reminds me of the Sisters Grimm with a more grown up, harsher tone. Mirabelle runs away to find her parents grave and finds love instead. And not just love that consumes you but love that kills you. And a love triangle The Vampire Diaries style because it's between two brothers. And surprisingly enough I didn't hate the triangle. It was so much more realistic then most. First she meets Blue and loathes him 100%, not attracted to him, no hints of more, just completely hates him. Then she meets his brother Felix and as a girl who is 15, grown up in a strict household where she couldn't wear make up or date (so probably hasn't been kissed or had crushes/returned crushes) she falls instantly for his charms. He puts her up in a room in the Valentine hotel/casino and she's gone.
The town she's come to reminds me of Ferryport Landing in the Sisters Grimm. A bunch of magical beings relating to fairy tales reside in secret in a town together. But here they are all cursed and marked to show what exactly their curse is. While the whole idea of the fairies and curses and marks didn't exactly appeal to me, I did enjoy the psychology of living a life that was set for you, from being to the end. That's what made Felix a slightly more three dimensional character rather then a cardboard cutout of a villain masquerading as someone charming. I just wish some of this angst that he fills had appeared when he tried to kill Mira.
But the rising action kind of deflated when the climax hit (Felix finding Mira in his Dead Girl Room--why is it that Felix's name is Felix but their mom named his brother Blue...one of these things is not like the other...). Because he doesn't hurt her and she tries to run like once and then they start making out but I wish it could've been painful--him stealing her love--because it kind of deflated the action. So she cuts her self with her spindle--a razor (Oh THAT's why her godmothers only let her use Nair to get rid of hair. That makes sense) and falls into her Sleeping Beauty sleep. Then Freddie and Blue show up and instead of a fight with Felix or something to drive up the action, they quickly hack through the thorns, find Mira and save her in like 30 minutes. Then there's a party, she saves herself from being without Blue and that's the end...C'mon there was so much more you could've done with that.
if only's...
I only wish that Mira's parents had made an appearance because the introduction to them just seemed like a device used for Felix to gain Mira's love/trust and to get her to town in the first place. She even gets their number and her guardians reappear at the end of the story but everyone's pretty much forgotten all about them. So there are some lose ends that need to be tied up. Especially because Blue foreshadowed that the curse (he and Felix are correspondents of a Bluebeard story except because they are Romantics, they kill the ones who love them by feeding on their love) wouldn't allow him to just let Mira live knowing about his collection of dead girls. Hopefully there will be a sequel in Mira's POV and then others following up the stories of Viv (Snow White counterpart), Rafe (a Beast counterpart), Layla (the Beauty counterpart) and the rest. I was actually drawn in by this world and there are some loose ends that need tying up.
All and all, an interesting read.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: christine, fantasy, young-adult

For some reason, I put off reading this book. I think it’s because I never actually looked at its summary, which is just silly of me. I liked the cover and then wrote it off as a thriller or suspense type book, which I usually don’t like. But no. It’s not. Well… it is. But it’s not. With me so far?

That’s right, it’s a rewritten fairy tale book! Oh my god, I LOVE THESE. Why didn’t someone tell me this book was out and about and being enjoyed by other people who aren’t me?! Traitors, the lot of yo...more For some reason, I put off reading this book. I think it’s because I never actually looked at its summary, which is just silly of me. I liked the cover and then wrote it off as a thriller or suspense type book, which I usually don’t like. But no. It’s not. Well… it is. But it’s not. With me so far?

That’s right, it’s a rewritten fairy tale book! Oh my god, I LOVE THESE. Why didn’t someone tell me this book was out and about and being enjoyed by other people who aren’t me?! Traitors, the lot of you. (I’m specifically blaming you, Caitlin.) Anyway. After I discovered the conspiracy to keep me ignorant of this book’s storyline, I immediately read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. So, hah.

It started off like most fairy tales do, with a girl. Right away, I knew there was something different about Mirabelle’s life. Who has more than one godmother looking after her ever since her parents died in a horrible fire? Suspicious lifestyle indeed…

My theory was confirmed once Mirabelle ran off to Beau Rivage, the town she was born in. She was different. But so were a lot of other people in that town. And that’s when this book got good. It was like stumbling into Grimm’s Fairy Tales. No one really hid the fact that they were different, but they also didn’t just come out and say it either.

Some of the characters were great. I loved Blue — you’ll figure out why — and Freddie was adorable, though a bit single-minded about his destiny. I really want to know what happens to the secondary characters after Kill Me Softly ends. What happens to Caspien’s story? How do Viv and Henley turn out? Does Layla redeem Rafe? What’s going to happen to Freddie? … So much left open-ended. If this became a series, I’d gladly read it.

Overall, I found this to be a strange book, but the good strange. It was darker than what you’re probably used to when it comes to fairy tales, but honestly, I like darker fairy tales. Sometimes the Beast should actually be a beast, you know? If you like revised fairy tale books, I urge you to give this one a try. Who knows? You might like the dark ones, too.

This book was reviewed at WhatchYAreading.net on July 3, 2012.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

As the year comes to a close, I have decided to participate in a New Years Read-a-thon and see how many books I can read till I ring in the New Year. The first on the list is Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross.
Are you a fan of fairytales? Love reading the modern and contemporary renditions of the tales? I have always had a thing for fairytale novels and especially renditions of not only classics like The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesy which was a 1950/1960's rendition of Jane Eyre but also of...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Eri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome, creepy, fantasy, intriguing, sweet

This book was amazing!I loved the plot and the characters. I've always been fascinated and intrigued by the original gory Grimm fairy tales, so it was really interesting to see a book that incorporated them in the form of curses. Though, you soon realize, there are few happy ever afters, in this illusory place, and the characters are extraordinary and unbelievable, yet relatable at the same time.
Mira was a great heroine because she wasn't a helpless damsel in distress and she had a lot of coura...more This book was amazing!I loved the plot and the characters. I've always been fascinated and intrigued by the original gory Grimm fairy tales, so it was really interesting to see a book that incorporated them in the form of curses. Though, you soon realize, there are few happy ever afters, in this illusory place, and the characters are extraordinary and unbelievable, yet relatable at the same time.
Mira was a great heroine because she wasn't a helpless damsel in distress and she had a lot of courage and curiosity. I didn't really like how she fell for Felix so quickly, but it made sense as the story went on. Of everyone in the story, my absolute favorite character, hands down, would be Blue Valentine. He was just amazing! When Mira first meets him, he is rude, abrasive, and downright mean. I couldn't blame her for disliking him, even though I know he had something special, because I just love when the bad guy? becomes good. You find out, as you read though, that he's just a broken boy who uses his snarky attitude to keep people from getting close and that he's really a sweet guy. I would tell you more about him, but then that would spoil the story, so I'm gonna stop.
(view spoiler)

FAVORITE QUOTES:
She wanted to be like that. Because that was how you found yourself, created yourself. You didn't hide. You didn't wait for the perfect moment to settle on you like a butterfly, like magic.
You went out and made magic. Made your own wishes come true.

You couldn't hide from bad things and pretend they didn't exist–that left you with a dream world, and dream worlds eventually crumbled. You had to face the truth. And then decide what you wanted.

(view spoiler)

Anyway, I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys fantasy, romance and the original Grimm fairy tales.

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Oct 21, 2012 Kimathy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Once Upon A Time Lovers

Shelves: awesome, favorite-books, fairytale

Mirabelle was raised away from her birthplace, Beau Rivage, a town more magical than it might appear, by her two godmothers. There is much beneath the surface of the town because there are those who live there that are cursed actually live out Grimm fairytales and the like. When Mira runs away to Beau Rivage to find the graves of her long dead parents she discovers her own fated role in this story. Unfortunately, fate is a funny thing and Mira is in love with the wrong boy, and her looming futu...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-retellings-owned

Kill Me Softly is my favorite fairy tale retelling of the year. In some ways it was a standard young adult novel, complete with clothes shopping, a garage band (Curses & Kisses), and a love triangle. But the world building! Swoon. I want to go to Beau Rivage as badly as I wanted to go to Narnia when I was ten--all the more because it felt familiar: I wonder if Cross modeled it after the Gulf Coast city of Biloxi, Mississippi, where if I'm not mistaken there's a casino called the Beau Rivage....more Kill Me Softly is my favorite fairy tale retelling of the year. In some ways it was a standard young adult novel, complete with clothes shopping, a garage band (Curses & Kisses), and a love triangle. But the world building! Swoon. I want to go to Beau Rivage as badly as I wanted to go to Narnia when I was ten--all the more because it felt familiar: I wonder if Cross modeled it after the Gulf Coast city of Biloxi, Mississippi, where if I'm not mistaken there's a casino called the Beau Rivage. In Cross' version, the casino has become Bluebeard's castle, and his evil key an innocent plastic hotel key. Genius!

I found myself poring over every word so I wouldn't miss even the smallest bit of fairy tale geekery. References like this one, which Cross sprinkled unexplained through the book, delighted me: "A dozen girls in party dresses walked barefoot through the parking lot, carrying their worn-out shoes--like they'd spent the night clubbing and were reluctant to go home." You only get it if you know your fairy tales. There was even one that stumped me: "There was a girl whose hair frizzed around her head like dandelion fluff, looking harried as she darted through the crowd, a strange wooden doll clutched to her chest." Is this Vasilisa the Beautiful? Maybe Sarah Cross will stop by here and confirm or deny (g).

The book wasn't without its flaws. It was odd that after planning her escape from her aunts in meticulous detail over the course of several months, Mira wouldn't have arranged a place to stay once she got to Beau Rivage. Also, she ran away from home precisely so she could learn more about her parents--yet later in the book, when Felix hands her some earthshaking news about them, Mira barely reacts. I was also disturbed by the casual teenage drinking in the book--so casual, I had to flip back to verify that Mira was, in fact, just turning sixteen. Yet Cross' vivid writing never disappoints, and her supporting characters shine. I was still thinking about Viv, Henley, Freddie, and all the rest a week after I finished the book. For anyone who loves fairy tale retellings, Kill Me Softly is a don't-miss.(less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Hylary Locsin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

All of her life, Mirabella “Mira” Lively was told by her two godmothers, Elsa and Bliss, that her parents died when she was a baby. Now Mira is fifteen, and the story of her mom and dad perishing in a terrible fire at her christening party isn’t adding up. Elsa and Bliss have forbidden Mira from ever returning to Beau Rivage, the town where she was born and where her parents were killed, but Mira...more Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

All of her life, Mirabella “Mira” Lively was told by her two godmothers, Elsa and Bliss, that her parents died when she was a baby. Now Mira is fifteen, and the story of her mom and dad perishing in a terrible fire at her christening party isn’t adding up. Elsa and Bliss have forbidden Mira from ever returning to Beau Rivage, the town where she was born and where her parents were killed, but Mira is determined to learn the truth. Mira runs away from home and finds herself in Beau Rivage without any money or anywhere to stay. Chance brings her to The Dream, one of Beau Rivage’s many elegant casinos, where she meets the handsome Felix Valentine and his younger brother, Blue. Blue quickly warns Mira that Felix is dangerous and that she should stay away from him, but Mira is enchanted by Felix’s kindness and the mutual attraction between them, so when he offers her a room at the Dream while she searches for her parents’ graves, she jumps at the opportunity to spend more time with him. As Mira gets to know Beau Rivage, she quickly learns that there is something very strange about the town. It seems that in Beau Rivage, fairy tales are a reality, and most of the inhabitants have been cursed to live out the fates of their literary ancestors. Mira has always wondered what the strange wheel shaped birthmark on her back means, and begins to suspect that she, like the rest of Beau Rivage, has a curse of her own. But what does her fate have to do with her blossoming relationship with the seductive Felix, and why does Blue, and everyone else in town, keep insisting she is in danger?

Set in the beautifully creepy town of Beau Rivage, where living a fairy tale isn’t necessarily a good thing, Kill Me Softly, the latest novel from author Sarah Cross, offers a new take on the classic “stories” we thought we all knew. As many readers who pick up Kill Me Softly might already know (or will soon find out), the original versions of most of the well-known fairy tales tend to be quite grim. From Cinderella’s stepsisters slicing off parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper, to the little mermaid suffering agonizing torture from splitting her tail into legs to be with her prince, there is usually very little that can be identified as “Disney” in these tales. What is, in a morbid way, so enjoyable about Kill Me Softly, is that the town of Beau Rivage operates on the gruesome versions of the fairy tales. After Mira arrives in town, she soon spots a set of sisters walking around with bandaged feet, one of her new friends is constantly coughing up flower petals and jewels, and the guy she finds herself falling in love with seems to have a very dark and deadly secret of his own. Readers will find much to relish in this book, from identifying the incarnations of their favorite fairy tales, to Mira’s quest to find out the truth about her parents. Be advised, however, that while this book is based on tales for children, it is suitable for the older teen audience, as there is a fair amount of cursing and sexual situations (particularly the romance between twenty-one-year-old Felix Valentine and the very underage fifteen-year-old Mira.) For adventurous readers, however, Kill Me Softly is an entertaining read that is sure to satisfy in many ways. A companion novel set in Beau Rivage is set to be released in the near future.

I love twists on classic tales, so Kill Me Softly was the perfect book to delight me! I really liked the author’s writing style, I loved how the story had elements of sweetness but also serious creepy undertones as well, and I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. My only small (kind-of) complaint was that I found the sexual relationship between Mira, who is fifteen, and Felix, who is twenty-one, to be strangely accepted by the other characters in the story (save for one mention of her being underage by the guy described as a “beast” throughout the novel.) Are there no police in Beau Rivage who wonder why a fifteen-year-old is buying slinky nightgowns to attract her pedophile boyfriend? I wish this aspect of the story had been either avoided by making the characters different ages, or explained a little bit better. Other than that, however, I really did enjoy the novel and would easily recommend it to older teen readers (and adults!) who want something original and fun!
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Sep 12, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastic-book-covers

Mira, Mira, on the wall, who's the smartest one of all? Well, honey, certainly not you. Good grief. I can't even... argh.

So, Mira is a sheltered 15 year old (pay attention to the age, it'll come in later) orphan girl (raised by godmothers.... wait, you don't suppose they could be fairy godmothers, do you?????) who decides to go off searching for her parents' graves. She goes about this rather cleverly, to be honest, but this is about as smart as she ever gets. Isn't it sad when children's brain...more Mira, Mira, on the wall, who's the smartest one of all? Well, honey, certainly not you. Good grief. I can't even... argh.

So, Mira is a sheltered 15 year old (pay attention to the age, it'll come in later) orphan girl (raised by godmothers.... wait, you don't suppose they could be fairy godmothers, do you?????) who decides to go off searching for her parents' graves. She goes about this rather cleverly, to be honest, but this is about as smart as she ever gets. Isn't it sad when children's brains plateau at 15? *shakes head*

Anyway, so she runs off to a casino (still not exactly sure how she got in there or why she went there in the first place. Last I checked, people typically aren't buried in casinos) and meets this rude, blue haired boy who tells her to leave (and this is where you should be thinking, "oh, but wait! This can't possibly be just some random rude boy, good golly, no! He must be some poor, heartbroken, damaged, only-a-girl-who's-dumber-than-rocks-can-possibly-fix-me hero who's really very sweet and caring on the inside! She's going to fall in love with him for sure!" It's such a shame when rude people can't just be rude anymore). So she does and then she meets his TWENTY ONE YEAR OLD BROTHER who gets her a room and whatnot.

Well, lo and behold, soon enough she's sharing a room with him (everyone though she secretly loves his brother, the rude one. it's okay, I don't quite understand it, either). Did I mention that she's 15 already? Yes, I think I did. Which is odd, because no one else seems to care about this teeny tiny little detail.

The twist here is that everyone has these fairytale curses, forcing them to reenact the fairytales, which is really fascinating concept. Too bad Ms. Cross couldn't quite back it up.

Plus, the ending was very unresolved. Sure, she and Blue got their fairytale ending, but what about Viv? Henley? Jewel? Freddie? The list goes on. And what about her parents?? (view spoiler)

Overall, rather yawn-worthy. Dumb heroine, rude hero, love triangle/square, heroine who is so sheltered but apparently feels perfectly comfortable sharing a room with a much older guy and flirting with everyone else under the sun. Been there, done that. Wish it could have been better(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 InkBitten rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sarah

Judged by the Cover: Compelling Simplicity
Wonderful color scheme, nice simple design, and really, really creative typography. Even if you don't know what the book's about, the rose is such a good symbol that could clue you in to the fact that there is something distinctly magical going on here. (Are you listening publishers? USE SYMBOLS! SERIOUSLY!) The only bad thing about the cover, is that the red stuff is obviously paint instead of blood, but you can't do much about that.

What's Up?
Mirabelle...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Bibliojunkies added it

Mira has never known her parents or much about her secretly shrouded past. When she runs away to Beau Rivage, the town of her birth, on the cusp of her sixteenth birthday, she’s hoping to find her parents’ graves and not much more. But she's stumbled into – or been drawn to the place where the Märchen, the Marked, play out to try to resist their roles. Here, Grimm fairytales come to life, curses and gifts are awakened, and Mira is destined to meet her fate, whatever it is.

Kill Me Softly is simpl...more Mira has never known her parents or much about her secretly shrouded past. When she runs away to Beau Rivage, the town of her birth, on the cusp of her sixteenth birthday, she’s hoping to find her parents’ graves and not much more. But she's stumbled into – or been drawn to the place where the Märchen, the Marked, play out to try to resist their roles. Here, Grimm fairytales come to life, curses and gifts are awakened, and Mira is destined to meet her fate, whatever it is.

Kill Me Softly is simply delightful! From the moment I started reading, I was glued to every page especially because the first few chapters provided some “what the heck?” moments. That's what makes this book so enchanting because you’re just following the breadcrumbs to get to the bottom of the story.

As describe above, Mira finds herself in Beau Rivage a few days before she turns 16. Since her past is a complete mystery to her, she decides that she will discover the truth on her own. Once in Beau Rivage, she encounters some pretty interesting personalities like Blue, an abrasive rocker and his best friend, Freddie. Blue insists that she yleave and never come back, convinced it's for her own safety. But when she meets Felix, Blue’s nicer, older brother, she plans on sticking around. Felix not only offers to help her find her parents’ graves, he also offers to put her up at the hotel casino that he runs – much to Blue's chagrin.

Over the next few days she comes to realize that many people in this town are fairytale characters, living out their fairytale in various forms. It's like the TV show Once Upon A Time except in Beau Rivage, these people know that they’re fairytale characters and are waiting for the transformation to take place when they are fated to live out their roles in whatever tale they’re in.

I was surprised that for someone so sheltered Mira didn’t seem too unfazed by all the people she was meeting and disturbing things she was learning. Her interaction with both Blue and Freddie are tense, fun and downright ridiculous. Her instant attraction to Felix will have some readers swooning. The focus of the story does change from looking for her parents’ graves to unraveling secrets and discovering the truth about these fairytales. And there are times when her stubbornness gets in the way of her seeing the big picture which honestly can be quite maddening. I mean, when someone tells you so many times that something isn’t good for you, don’t you think you should at least take them seriously, even if for a little bit?

Kill Me Softly is a darker take on some of the more famous fairytales. It may be a little twisted but it’s imaginative, and I had fun putting together the pieces to guess which fairytale was being played out that Mira had unwittingly immersed herself in ... oh and I guessed right!

~ Bel(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well it started out promising and Mira seemed like a level headed girl just trying to get some closure, but after that she just irritates me to the point I'm just wanting to yell at her that she is stupid like everyone is saying.

Character Brief

Mira: Annoying, slutty, naive, stupid, and SELFISH!
Blue: Noble, smart, funny, idiot for liking dumbass Mira.
Freddie: Brave, noble, funny, chivalrous, polite, loving. Too good for his fated lady.
Viv: Bitchy teenager with daddy issues. (You'll still like her...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Seanean rated it 2 of 5 stars

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Mirabelle has been raised by her godmothers who have kept her as safe as they can.

No boys. No riding with boys. No sharp objects, especially near boys. And no going to the town in which she was born, Beau Rivage (which is filled with boys).

But these aren't ordinary boys, as Mira finds out when she runs away from homes just days before her sixteenth birthday.

Beau Rivage is a magical town filled with fairies, half-fairies, humans, and curses. Some curses, li...more http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Mirabelle has been raised by her godmothers who have kept her as safe as they can.

No boys. No riding with boys. No sharp objects, especially near boys. And no going to the town in which she was born, Beau Rivage (which is filled with boys).

But these aren't ordinary boys, as Mira finds out when she runs away from homes just days before her sixteenth birthday.

Beau Rivage is a magical town filled with fairies, half-fairies, humans, and curses. Some curses, like their fairies, are good. Some curses, like their fairies, are bad. And not everyone there knows what's going on, especially Mira.

Now Mira needs to find out the specifics of her own discovered curse, as well as the curse of the brothers who both seem strangely attracted to her and attracted by her. Her birthday is coming soon and there is no time to waste.

Final thoughts: I WANT to like this. I want to give it a good review. It's a very clever idea and there are so many bright moments. I like Blue and I kind of like Mira, but the story is just poorly written. Show, don't tell. I wish more authors would get this and get this right. Cross has the show in Blue and Mira's relationship, but she tells us everything else. Mira thinks Blue is rude and annoying when they first meet (which Blue wants her to feel), so she keeps everything secret from him in the beginning, implying that she doesn't trust anyone enough to talk in the beginning. However, his brother shows up a few minutes later, and after just a moment or two of politeness, she's telling him everything and considering getting it on with him. We are told that she loves him, but there's really no reason why. Most of the fairy tales are cleverly woven, but everyone seems to think they have no choice in the matter. The guy with the Beast curse knows he's going to be a beast and even knows the girl who is cursed to try and save him, but he still believes beastly. He KNOWS and he doesn't even try to change it; could he not try being nice once in a while? It's so frustrating that everyone in the town who is cursed knows all the details and yet do nothing to fight it except for Blue. Even Mira caves. (less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Kysha Coates rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: shit-list

Terrible. Mira was the worst and she was a total bitch. She was suppose to be blessed with kindness. HA! I hated hated hated this book! She was crazy and she was 15! Yes, her 16 birthday was coming up, but seriously. Not to mention she was blindly chasing after a 21 year old MAN who was running the casino she was staying at. What a skank! Oh and EVERYONE (including the person who was fated to save her sleeping ass) told her and told her to stay away from him. As if the, "Hey if you keep seeing h...more Terrible. Mira was the worst and she was a total bitch. She was suppose to be blessed with kindness. HA! I hated hated hated this book! She was crazy and she was 15! Yes, her 16 birthday was coming up, but seriously. Not to mention she was blindly chasing after a 21 year old MAN who was running the casino she was staying at. What a skank! Oh and EVERYONE (including the person who was fated to save her sleeping ass) told her and told her to stay away from him. As if the, "Hey if you keep seeing him you're going to DIE" hints weren't enough to keep her away. Did I mention he's 21 and she's 15? What is wrong with this author!? Why would a man want someone so young!? Oh and they 'sleep' together the second night and he's ready to bang her! Good thing she's too pussy to go through with it. However, guess what this little slut does? She goes out and buys a sexy satin night gown so she's ready later. Da Crap, Sarah Cross. But instead of sexing Felix what does she do? Well in her Satin nightgown (she describes herself as being, "Sexy, dangerous, Free." by the way) she goes into the casino to chit chat with strangers! WHO WEARS A SEXY NIGHTGOWN AT A CASINO IN THE FIRST PLACE!?!? OH! And I CALL BULLSHIT! You have to be 21 to be in a casino with Table Games! I worked at a casino! I know my shit.

The biggest thing that bugged me was how she kept chasing Felix and from day one she put it in her head that her and him were an item. Which is why she tried to push her feelings for Blue away. Another thing that bothers me was how lucky she got. Other sleeping beauties had to wait for their prince to save them. And other sleeping beauties got SCREWED. But no. Miss Mira the spoiled runaway skank meets her hero the first day she's in town. Well what does she do? Tell him over and over how she doesn't like him. He's going to kiss her to bring her back from her coma. The LEAST she could do is NOT be a total and complete skanky ass whipe! TERRIBLE BOOK. TERRIBLE!

And shame on ANYONE who gives this book more then a 2! SHAME SHAME SHAME!!!!!!(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Miss Pippi the Librarian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytales, young-adult

I always look forward to reading a new fairytale story. I knew Kill My Softly was rewritten tales and the font captured my interest. The bloody rose did not inspire me to read the book. If you're put off by the cover, open the book and start reading!

Sarah Cross weaves together several fairytales, both well-known and obscure. Those who live the life of a fairytale character are marked with a sign. Nothing happens until they turn sixteen. On their sixteenth birthday, their tales begin to take shap...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Bo Baron rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book deserves a 3.5 rating. It is well written and beautiful. The story is refreshing and intriguing. I would have given it five stars if it weren't for one big reason--which is about to be explained more fully as reason number one.

There are two problems I have with this book:

1) The main character, Mirabelle is annoying. If it weren't for her and her unreasonableness, her confusing logic, her hypocrisy, and her fickleness, Kill Me Softly would now boast a five star rating from me. I like, p...more This book deserves a 3.5 rating. It is well written and beautiful. The story is refreshing and intriguing. I would have given it five stars if it weren't for one big reason--which is about to be explained more fully as reason number one.

There are two problems I have with this book:

1) The main character, Mirabelle is annoying. If it weren't for her and her unreasonableness, her confusing logic, her hypocrisy, and her fickleness, Kill Me Softly would now boast a five star rating from me. I like, perhaps love, ALL the other characters, even the bad ones. The only problem is that the protagonist is difficult to comprehend. Her motivations seem shallow and unrealistic. I cannot understand what exacly is so special about her. I cannot, for the life of me, grasp any good reason for any boy falling in love with her. It just doesn't add up! The problem lies in that I do not like her as a person. It's completely personal. There were times when I had thoughts of the troubling kind directed towards this young lady. I will not go into detail...

2) Where the F*** is the sequel?!!

I think this book deserves, no NEEDS, a sequel. There were so many issues that remained unsolved and I would really, really LOVE to see where the characters go from here. Even though I just finished complaining about Mirabelle, her story interests me (damn her!). I really liked this book and I do not feel the story really came to a close. Sarah Cross is a beautiful writer and I enjoyed the world she created and yes I want MORE!!! GIVE ME MORE!!!! ("That's what she said" ... Sorry about that, I couldn't stop myself. I should probably delete that...)

Important note: Even though the main character and I didn't see eye to eye, I still greatly enjoyed reading this book. It is really good. I like the tone, the style, and the story. I repeat the one thing I didn't like was Mirabelle. Everything and everyone else was bomb diggity. Sarah Cross has a gift for storytelling. She also has a beautiful imagination. I just expected more from the protagonist.My personal dislike of Mirabelle did not deter me from enjoying this book and I think you can enjoy it too. It is a fun read. Revisiting the fairytales I grew up with was a pleasant and exciting experience. I like the new perspective on the familiar stories.

You can find my full review on my blog: http://supremereaderpresents.blogspot...(less)

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