EMPOWERED! That's exactly how I feel while and after reading Nikita Gills rendition of fairy tales. I was always a fan of fairy tales growing up and now that I think of it, almost all of them were sold on female leads (the princesses) but they were shown as weak and fragile, made of paper and waiting for their prince charming to save their lives. We never even got to think of the story from the other characters point of view because of how beautiful the princess and her dress was. Nikita Gill changed that for me. Not only has she rewritten the fairy tales from the point of view of other characters but also did an amazing job at questioning the age old norms and discussing taboos the way no one ever has. If you haven't read this book, pick it up because no matter your gender, you will finish this book feeling strong, powerful and moved. ( )

Thank you to by Nikita Gill, Hachette Books, and NetGalley for allowing me the extreme pleasure of access to an advanced reader copy of “Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul” for an honest review.

I am entirely gone, gone, gone on anything that has to do with fairytales and classic stories — whether it’s retellings, poetry, or new versions, I have to have them. I delight in the newest nuggets of gold pulled out from them, and these stories and poems were no different.

I loved the new point of view characters, and directions, these pieces were told from and I ended up rereading several of them (or returning later once something else had touched me, and drawn up its remembrance, connecting them in new ways). ( )

Began: December 2,2020
Ended: December 8,2020

PWW rating: 5/5
"Regular" rating: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5

[I]Disclamer: Reference to anorexia, slut-shaming, sexism, kidnapping, abuse, and other things that affect you. Please be advised before reading this book and my review for any spoilers.

I began to read this in search of more PWW books. This was a lovely book, from the art to the stories. I feel like my mind has opened more and put into words my truth. I will definitely purchase a copy to keep for my future children's library. I do wish there was a more comprehensive range of women of color referenced. The reference to goddesses, hypothetical backstories, and magick was exceptionally done. In a PWW education, this can be used as motivation and reference to remind us of our power. I enjoyed the stories of men, fathers, mothers, and family encouraging their sons and daughters to be better than them and use their voice. Feel instead of keeping it in and festering. Indeed a must-have for people on a different path. I want to be married and have children.. to be a wife and mother. This book loves that about us, but it also reminds us that its complications can hurt us turn us cold. The battles we fight and experience everyday are never easy. But freedom (whatever that means to you) is one of the real ways to happiness... to only be yourself and happy with it.

My favorite poems because...
Baba Yoga- Aging is beautiful
In Absentia: A Common Curse: I have this curse
A universal truth- We all need a reminder

Topics/Themes:
eating disorders
pagan, witch, Wicca
Athena
Hera
Mother nature
Ancestry
Relationships
Choices
Experiences



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What if we reframed the fairytales, and understood them from a different perspective? ( )

I would give Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill a 5 star review because, the author gives you a collection of poems and stories that you already know like Cinderella, Little Mermaid, and others and gives you a story that gives you a different perspective of them where they make you think, feel sad or happy, but also makes you love them. ( )