This adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" will appeal to teen readers who are interested in fairy tales with a twist. Johnston used the fairy tale as a stepping stone to creating a story which focused on how the curse affected the people in the kingdom, which was a refreshing approach. However, the ending came quickly, and I would have liked it to explore some of the other unresolved issues further.

An engaging, interesting, and non-European retelling of one of my favorites, Sleeping Beauty. If I have any complaint, it's that it feels almost mundane compared to the beauty that was A Thousand Nights. There's so much ground to cover so quickly that the extra companions get a little hazy and lost in the excitement. A Thousand Nights was smaller, but was thus able to stretch out a little more grandly in its language and ideas. But, if you had to take away its predecessor and judge it on its own, then it is a delight. Positively unique, and well worth the time.