My first exposure to this book was a flurry of news articles, waxing philosophical left and right about the meaning of 'two princesses kissing each other.' How 'ground-breaking!' How 'Profound!' How 'Daring!'

What nonsense.

This book is a delightful masterpiece, a patchwork of two well-known fairytales with twists and turns worthy of the originals. The kiss is nothing more than the fulfillment of the parameters of those stories. Nothing more. Nothing less. --Somebody-- has to kiss the princess. Tradition demands it!

But at the same point this entire narrative is about subverting the narratives, about looking underneath the stories to see what lies unread and unsaid. And to take those unspoken consequences that arise from those hidden mysteries and make them very, very relevant.

This is a wonderful book and one I would recommend to any young adult on up to the oldest reader.