A Massive YA Success

Review for A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

4/5 stars

NO SPOILERS

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a young adult fictional novel published in 2019 by Bloomsbury. The novel is the debut novel for the New York Times bestselling Cursebreaker series, a fantasy series written in three different first-person points of view. The writing style of Kemmerer is easy to follow, though not so easy older YA readers would feel as if they are reading a children's novel. In this series debut, Kemmerer can capture the attention of a YA audience while structuring a plot that is clear and consistent with the fairytale fantasy genre. She effortlessly captures three voices and tells a phenomenal retelling from cover to cover. 

The genres of A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer are fantasy fiction and fairytales. The fantasy fiction writing style of the novel carries an exciting and adventurous storyline, allowing readers to experience the pressure and risks the characters take while not having the text be anxiety-inducing or littered with super intense topics. Being a YA novel in the genre of fantasy fiction, the graphic and gory details put into adult fantasy are less explicit. Still, Kemmerer's writing for the genre does not give the impression that no danger or harm is threatening the characters/content such as blood, combat, and death are present but are not the central theme of the novel, merely a tool to push the plot and make points clear to the readers. The fairytale content in the novel is based on the fact that A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer is a modern-day fantasy retelling of the classic Disney tale Beauty and the Beast. The fairytale is not childish, however. This novel uses fairytales to bridge children's novels to adult novels, considering the vital life changes and events happening in the reader's lives. Kemmerer utilizes these genres to create a complex and intriguing stepping stone from the classic tales we grew up with to the world of new genres and different book options. The effects the two genres have on the plot is a positive one. The genres are similar enough that the Content and themes are not forced but rather braided together in such a natural way that the two genres begin to read as though there is only one singular genre. By this happening, the plot is seamless, unaffected by genre hops in chapters or questions on how the novel will be read. 

The plot of the novel is simple but, at the same time, complex. By saying this, I am referring to the fact that younger readers of the YA genre will be aware of the topics discussed or the story's main plot points; however, older readers will be able to understand certain things not explicitly written but instead inferred. An example of this can be seen on the very first page. The male main character, Then, says, "There is blood under my fingernails. I wonder how many of my people I've killed this time" (Kemmerer, p. 1). These first lines to a younger reader set the plot up in a way that is not too intense or childish, as they are at a pivotal time in their life and reading journey and want to feel grown. These words will instantly capture their attention, getting them to ask questions about what will come. The older audience will have a similar reaction. Still, it may respond differently, thinking about more graphic possibilities such as "Who all have died?" "Is this character a serial killer?" The duality of how the book is written and how the plot reads makes it a success amongst many different ages who will read the book. 

This novel relies on three different first-person points of view. The characters we hear from are Rhen, the prince; Harper, the Belle of the story; and Grey, best friends with and commander in Prince Rhen's army. The three different points of view make for a seamless reading experience, understanding each main character's inner thoughts and not just the interpretations of one character. Kemmerer does an impressive job of writing in three very unique voices. Even if the chapters were not labeled with who is speaking, the reader could differentiate between Rhen, Harper, and Grey, again showing how talented Kemmerer is at her craft. Each character is different, creating a compelling and exciting way to tell the tale, allowing many thoughts to be heard and understood in one moment. Each character is different. They have inner conflicts, secrets, and struggles, allowing readers a wide range of characters to connect to emotions and feelings. 

The themes in A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer are perfect for a YA novel. The themes involve transition and change in home, mental health, found family, loyalty, and even disability. Kemmerer finds a way to fit different themes while ensuring they do not seem forced or appear to be lectured to the readers. Different-aged readers will be able to understand these themes similarly as they are central to the plot. These themes are conveyed mostly through internal monologue or dialogue, not so much through the characters' mannerisms or the things they do. This is an effective way to express the themes as it is easy to differentiate between the characters by looking at certain things that are most important to their individual selves. 

Brigid Kemmerer shows her talent in A Curse So Dark and Lonely as she writes a flawless Young Adult retelling of the classic children's tale of Beauty and the Beast. By bringing a children's story to the YA realm, Kemmerer is showing off her talents as she keeps similar themes and storylines, all while adding new themes for YA readers, such as found family, different types of relationships, and even disability. While keeping the original story in mind, Kemmerer can successfully write in three distinct voices, all in the first person, allowing for voice distinction and the reader to understand the more profound thoughts not said by the characters. Through her novel, Brigid Kemmerer hits all the essential parts that define a YA novel as successful. 

Citation 

Kemmerer, Brigid, et al. A Curse so Dark and Lonely. Bloomsbury YA, 2020.