How to Break an Evil Curse

August 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Cursed by a spell that means certain death if she's exposed to sunlight, Princess Julianna just wants a piece of freedom from her dingy dungeon. In order to be free from her curse, Julianna must meet and fall in love with a young man of very specific qualities; but as soon as the wizard who cursed her catches wind that such a young man, Warren, exists and is headed for Julianna, he makes it his mission to find and kill Warren. A fractured fairy tale, this novel is fun and modern in its style and prose despite a pseudo-medieval fantasy setting. Full of characters including a soulless twin, a romantic pirate, a sage ghost, and a no-nonsense feminist doctor, this story has something for every reader. Morrison punctuates her prose with charm and humor throughout, sustaining a familiar and rhythmic style accompanied by world-enriching asides in the form of footnotes. Despite its lighthearted tone, the book brings up a number of pressing themes-including an entire subplot involving workers' unions-for modern readers while carrying a main plot of lively adventure marked by high-stakes risk. VERDICT Bright and with plenty of dimension, this novel will appeal to fans of Alex Flinn's Cloaked and would serve as a solid addition to any young adult fantasy collection.-Abby Hargreaves, DC P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2020
A comic fantasy series opener. In the Land of Fritillary, evil wizards and kings exist side by side with pirates, cute coal miners, a budding feminist movement, and a cursed princess. Morrison aims for absurd humor, with an omniscient narrator who frequently points out fantasy tropes and breaks the fourth wall and plenty of vocabulary not usually seen in high fantasy (dudes, chicks, and thugs abound, coming across more tone deaf than modern). Unfortunately, the humor tends to miss the mark; it's often unclear who or what is being lampooned, although the monarchy comes off particularly badly. The plot spins in several directions, mostly concerning itself with the well-intentioned but spoiled princess as she sneaks out and begins to explore the world alongside the guy whose love can supposedly break the curse intended to keep her trapped indoors. Side plots concern a pirate named McManlyman who reads romance novels and longs for the love of a good woman, an ex-criminal who wants to write true crime and longs for the love of a good woman, and the evil wizard who longs for the love of a particular bad woman, plus lots of revolution on the rise. Unfortunately, the novel is reductive, with shallow characters and one too many plot contortions. Characters follow a White default. An ambitious effort that falls flat. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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May 1, 2021
Grades 7-10 Princess Julianna, firstborn child of Queen Lillian and King Conroy, suffers from a very peculiar curse: thanks to the evil wizard Farland, she cannot stand in sunlight or she'll die. There may be a cure, and while her parents are determined to find it, 18-year-old Julianna wants more than to wait around in a safe dungeon with only ghosts for companions--so out she breaks to live her life, at least at night. With a cast of delightfully comedic characters, such as McManlyman the pirate, Jane the doctor, and Warren the seafaring-traveling-theater-troupe-harpsichord-and-banjo-player (who is the key to breaking the curse), Julianna's eye-opening adventures into town are a wild romp of a fairy tale. Morrison, mostly a short-story writer prior to this, imbues this series starter with great whimsical humor that will appeal to fans of Obert Skye and Michael Buckley. Her humor, much of which is offered through cheeky footnotes, will land just right with younger teens. Purchase for any collection.

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