Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Paulson

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Publication date: 2015

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 211
My rating: 3.5 stars
Ages: 12+

When her Nan goes missing, orphan and local outcast Kate Hood is determined to find her. Her only clues are the frightening weavings of children in terrible situations. Her only companion is Jack, the other outcast from their village. Is Kate just walking into a trap? And what do her visions mean?

I think we all know by now that I love me some fairy tale retellings, and this one was pretty interesting, using characters that we are familiar with in a different way. However, the title is a little bit of a misnomer. I was expecting something really dark, but it wasn't at all. In fact, I don't think that *spoiler* there is a death at all in the book . . .

When I wasn't reading it, I couldn't wait to get back to reading it, but when I finished I felt a little unsatisfied. There was so much left hanging. What happened to Kate's parents? What about the queen and her daughters? It was too short and I feel like maybe to get it done, the author cut things that weren't necessarily important to the story, but there were things left in that made me wonder. The other option is that there is going to be another book that explores some of those things. I guess I'll have to see.

No language or sexual situations.

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