What makes something a modern fairy tale?  I think of it as when a book has that quality of someone telling a bed time story.  What do Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and Sleeping Beauty all have in common?  There is fantasy, strange doings, a child in danger, but also hope.  These three books, while not for children, offer fairy tales for teens and adults that might make you stay awake, rather than sleep.  But that is what makes them so much fun!

1.  Lips Touch, Three Times by Laini Taylor.

After finishing the Dreams of Gods and Monsters series by Laini Taylor,  I wanted to try another one of her books.  This unique book contains three unrelated short stories, the critical element of each being a kiss.  The reader is invited to guess the meaning of each story through a graphic novel-like opening.  The stunning illustrations do not have words, but that is part of the fun.  These stories read like twisted fairy tales!  The main characters all seem to be teenage girls, but the settings, time periods, and circumstances are all different.  With themes of coming of age, sacrifice, and destiny, each story is creative and whimsical.   I could easily have seen each short story becoming a full length novel.


2.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman has a talent for creating eerie settings that seem like a nightmare come to life.  In fact, I think I had a few nightmares over the period when I read it!  A man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral and repressed memories come flooding back to greet him.   The nanny who seemed so kind to the parents, yet when Mom was not around was terrible to the kids.  The neighbors who appeared to be weird, yet were so kind when he really needed a safe haven.   Some of the man's recollections seem so unreal, he must be mixing up fantasy with reality.  Or did these things really happen?  Do we ever remember clearly what actually happened in our childhoods?  Or do we all create the version of recollections we need to be at peace with our past?


3.  A Monster Calls by patrick Ness

I read this after a fellow blogger, Chioma from Blue Books and Butterflies, said it was one of her favorites.  Well, you can add me to the list!  The main character, Conor, is a young teen taking care of his mother who has cancer.  If his mom dies, he will have to live with his cold, distant grandmother, or his geographically distant father.  Conor has a lot of anger and fear over the situation.  One night he is visited by a monster who says that Conor has called on him.  He begins a series of three stories that seem random and confusing to Conor.  After the stories end, the monster says it will be Conor's turn to tell his truth.  But can Conor face it?  Can he control his fear over the events looming in his future?  Could the monster possibly help him by curing his mother?  This a beautiful and heart wrenching story.  Some of the events touched me in a very personal way that left me bawling my eyes out.  But a good cry can actually be very therapeutic.  This story will stay with you for a long time.