Curses! by J.A. Kazimer

Title: Curses!
Author: J.A. Kazimer
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6912-6
Pages: 292
Series: F***ed-Up Fairy Tales #1
Type: Adult Humour
Source: Received for Review
Goodreads


RJ is no hero, in fact he is quite literally a card carrying villain. Until recently he was constantly plotting evil deeds and the downfall of young maidens but now a horrifying curse has shattered his dastardly life. Now, no matter what, RJ has to be nice. So when Cinderella is murdered and her not-so-ugly sister Asia calls on RJ for help he has little choice. Soon RJ finds himself in the kingdom of Maldetto trying to discover who (besides himself) would want a beloved princess dead.

This is one of those books that as soon as I heard about it, I knew that I would love it. I'm a big fan of fairy tales and will happily read pretty much any take on them so when I heard about a parodied version from the perpective of a villain cursed with niceness, I had to have it. The book is incredible and totally lived up to my expectations. The storyline is packed with twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming and I was glued to the page throughout.

Obviously humour is incredibly subjective and in writing this review I am aware that what I find hilariously funny may not be even slightly amusing to someone else. That said the author does an incredible job of twisting every fairy tale possible to give a fresh angle on an old classic. The three deaf mice (notorious cousins of the three blind mice), an entirely new take on the ugly sisters, a questionable Prince Charming and even villains using bluebirds as murder weapons. I laughed out loud multiple times and found the entire book to be outrageously funny.

RJ is a great lead character with a great perspective. The curse only means he has to act nicely so it's brilliant to be able to read his villainous thoughts and then see how the curse changes his actions. He can't even shake someone - it turns into a hug. Asia was awesome as the ugly stepsister who is also dealing with a curse of her own and potential love interest for RJ.

All in all this was a great read and I'll definitely be picking up a copy of the sequel (Froggy-Style) next year.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 46/50