Girls: Life Isn't a Fairy Tale - Annet Schaap - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Annet Schaap

TRANSLATOR: Laura Watkinson

GENRE: Short Story Collection, Retelling.

PUBLICATION DATE: March 4, 2025.

RATING: 4.1 stars.

In a Nutshell: A short story collection containing retellings of seven fairy tales. Slightly more feminist than the originals. Not as funny as promised in the blurb, but still a collection worth reading for its unusual take on the originals. Will work even better if you know the fairy tales that inspire this work.

This story collection was first published in Dutch in 2021 under the title "de Meisjes". This English translation by Laura Atkinson was published in March 2025.

The seven stories in this collection are all retold versions of popular classic fairy tales such as 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Red Riding Hood'. Though the names of the original stories aren't mentioned anywhere, it's easy to guess which fairy tale is being retold, as long as you know your fairy tales. As with all retellings, you'll appreciate these new takes better if you are familiar with the originals wither through books or movies.

The tagline of "Life isn't a Fairy Tale" tells you what to expect from these stories. This isn't a collection filled with joyful narratives, though there is still enough positivity in them. Many of the stories are set in the contemporary era, but the presence of royalty and magic still infuses them with a fantastical charm.

Aimed at young adults, this collection contains a bit of comedy, a bit of tragedy, a bit of sarcasm, a bit of feminism, and a lot of emotions. The blurb promises darker and funnier versions of the originals. While the stories are indeed gloomy and even disturbing to some extent, the funniness is less farcical and more dark-humour in tone. There might be an undertone of absurd comicality to some events, but none of the stories are haha-funny.

The titles of the stories are almost plain, but the characters and the writing makes them special. I like how the retold story doesn't turn the lead characters into a direct contradiction of their traditional personality, nor does it necessarily use the same narrative point of view as the original does.

The stories are somewhat on the lengthier side, and some even have dual narratives. Every single story conveys the feelings of its main characters in a poignant way. This is what sets the book apart from most fairy tale retellings – the introspective tone that helps us get into the mind of the main characters.

I can't exactly call this a feminist retelling because all the women leads of the book are still living in a patriarchal world and hence suffer from the restrictions of their gender-assigned roles. They aren't your usual feminist warriors, just trying to do the best they can in the given circumstances. This makes their situations and reactions feel more relatable. That said, the girls in these tales don't always need rescuing, and when they do, they don't wait for others to come and rescue them.

The ending of each story is always at an intriguing point. I appreciate how these retakes don't force in a HEA just because they are inspired by fairy tales. Rather, each story gets an ending apt to its central emotion, be it hope or frustration.

The book is peppered with B&W illustrations sketched by the author. I did glance at them at the start, but they seemed only casually connected to the story, so I didn't pay attention to the graphics after a point. I don’t think they add much value to the book. Perhaps other readers might feel differently.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the seven stories, only one didn't reach 4 stars. So instead of presenting only my top favourites, here's a brief review on all seven stories:

💰 Mr. Stiltskin: The title tells you what story is being retold here. I liked the idea and the ending, but this story needed some more detailing, especially in the second half. - ⭐⭐⭐

🐺 Wolf: Never thought that a 'Red Riding Hood' retelling would make me feel equally sorry for both the girl and the wolf, each struggling with their own cages. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🍭 Biscuits: Loved this retelling of 'Hansel and Gretel'. It flows just like a fairy tale despite being set in the modern world. The ending is the icing on the cake. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🐸 Frog: 'The Princess and The Frog', but with a twist. Even with an outrageous premise, the story works well, especially if read as an allegorical take on modern relationships. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

☠️ Blue: One of the most unusual retellings of 'Bluebeard' I've ever read. Loved this take and the dual narration from two key characters. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🧵 Sleeper: An introspective version of 'Sleeping Beauty' without the magic and with a lot more heartbreak. I loved the choice of narrator. Leaves a few questions unanswered, else I'd have rated it higher. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌹 Monster Girl: Loosely based on 'Beauty and the Beast', this story stands excellently even on its own merit. I would have liked to know some more what's and whys, but even otherwise, this story is impactful. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

All in all, I quite enjoyed this collection. Being aware of the original stories helped me appreciate the author's take better, though the collection can be enjoyed even as standalone stories.

Recommended not just to young adults but to all fairy tale lovers interested in an unusual set of retold short stories filled with dark humour and hope.

4.1 stars, based on the average of my rating for each story.

My thanks to Pushkin Press for providing the DRC of “Girls: Life Isn't a Fairy Tale” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.