Control the story, control the world...
Nesta believes in the fairy tales - the true stories of powerful magical women who shaped and ruled the world decades ago. But the world has changed since then, and now, she is forbidden from wandering too far from the isolated woodland cottage where she lives with her grandmother.
Nesta longs more than anything to see the city that lies beyond the forest, and when her grandmother is abducted, she gets her chance, journeying there in the hope of rescuing her.
But once there, she is horrified to see her grandmother's warnings were true: girls are forced to wear certain clothes and punished if they don't behave in certain ways. The city's Authorities have rewritten history, replacing the fairytale heroines with weak girls who must rely on men. Worse still - everyone believes this is how the world has always been.
Only Nesta knows the truth. But truth is a dangerous thing, and suddenly she finds herself a target. Can she evade the Authorities long enough to rescue her grandmother and liberate everyone else, bringing magic back into the world?
Title : This Tale Is Forbidden
Author : Polly Crosby
Format : Physical
Page Count : 327
Genre : Fantasy Retelling
Publisher : Scholastic UK
Release Date : January 4, 2024
Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ .5
Micky's 3.5 star review
Headlines:
Dystopian YA
Feminist
Fairytales and their origins
This Tale is Forbidden was a really unsual tale, pretty unique in conception but with a familiarity that originated in fairytales and misogyny. The protagonist Nesta, was a rather naive 16 year old who had been protected and secluded from others her whole life. What ensued was a story of the real world hitting Nesta all at once.
The side characters of this story in her Grandma, Kit and Oswald were all likeable and endearing. Nesta had few people caring about her in this world but plenty of people wishing her harm. The misogynistic society was super interesting, with relatable traits of time gone by, with a slice of contemporary feminist issues. Those elements made for avid reading. The story visited some recognisable fairytales but gave a new perspective.
Nesta behaved as you might expect a headstrong 16-year old to behave under stress, so there were some questionable decisions along the way with lots of risk-taking. I like the idea that young adult readers of a similar age will feel incensed by the misogyny they see in this story and relate to Nesta.
Overall, this was an interesting story and one that felt wholly unique.
Thank you Scholastic UK for the review copy.
**All Micky's reviews will now link to a great independent bookshop in the UK called Blackwells which offer free international delivery**
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/This-Tale-Is-Forbidden-by-Polly-Crosby/9780702325601
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