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Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sophie who had lips as red as a rose, skin as fair as snow, and hair as dark as night. She rode into the forest with the queen’s huntsman, and when they stopped to rest, the huntsman took his knife and cut out Sophie’s heart.
It’s only with the help of seven mysterious strangers that Sophie manages to survive, but how long will her mechanical heart keep ticking before the gears begin to wind down?
Sophie knows of the rumors and whispers that said she was too kind and foolish to rule and that she would be a disaster of a future queen. It’s little wonder that her stepmother wanted her dead and out of the way, and perhaps it’s better for Sophie to stay hidden in the forest, to remain dead to her kingdom.
Her people may be faced with an even more terrifying enemy than the jealous queen, though, and it’s up to Sophie to fight the poisonous lies spoken against her and find the courage to save her kingdom and herself.
Poisoned is a new retelling of the classic Snow White fairy tale, and, like the fairy tale, it’s quite a bit darker than the cartoon we’re all familiar with. I loved the author’s previous fairy tale retelling (of Cinderella), and, like Stepsister, Donnelly adds her own spin to this tale as well, including mythical monsters and villains that personify fear and pain. However, I wasn’t as invested in this story or the characters, and with so much travel featured, I thought the pacing dragged at times. However, Donnelly has an admirable way of creating imperfect fairy tale heroines who struggle with emotions we all face, and the poignancy of that message and the character’s self-discovery makes this story a memorable one.
Rated: Mild, for two instances of moderate language and a few uses of mild language. While violence isn’t detailed, the tone of the story remains quite dark. Sophie’s heart is literally cut out (it’s not too graphic, but it might be unsettling for some readers) and characters are killed and punished with little remorse.
