Back of Book: 

A charming everyman and a mysterious something-under-the-bridge cross paths in a short fairy tale by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park and the Simon Snow series.

It’s fate when a man accidentally drops his phone off the bridge. It’s fortune when it’s retrieved by a friendly shape sloshing in the muck underneath. From that day forward, as they share a coffee every morning, an unlikely friendship blooms. Considering the reality for the man above, where life seems perfect, and that of the sharp-witted creature below, how forever after can a happy ending be? 

Book Number: One 

Genre:  Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Short Story

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

The first in the "Faraway" Collection, a series of Amazon original short stories featuring fairy tales retold in a modern way. 

A young man by the name of Adam comes across a troll creature under a bridge on his way to work and the two form an unlikely connection. 

This was a sweet short story that showcases loneliness, hope, and friendships that form under the strangest of circumstances. Though this one reads like a fairy tale, I feel it is a story that many can relate to. It definitely has a contemporary feel, but it set in some sort of magical world in which some sort of road seems to be king. Not exactly sure what's up with that, but intriguing. 

After a bit of research, I learned that this is a retelling of a popular Norwegian fairy tale known as "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." Though these stories have little in common besides that they each have a troll that lives under a bridge and a price that needs to be paid, I can sort of see the inspiration. 

I can't claim to know all of what Rowell was trying to do with this story, but I feel this one is a melancholic tale that is still beautiful despite the confusion it caused me personally. It comments on quite a few things, some that I've already mentioned, such as loneliness and unlikely bonds, and a few others such as global warming and the extent and consequences of charity. This is a lot for such a short story to conquer, but it leaves a lingering feeling of all these things a while after one reads the last word. I think if this story would have been longer it would have been more effective, but it isn't bad how it is. 

The overtness of Starbucks in this one is a tad strange. It sort of feels like a big Starbucks ad, but I think Rowell may have been trying to use coffee to showcase that the smallest acts of kindness can go a long way and/or that people bond over the simplest things. Adam does view himself as superior to the troll, though; one can tell by the way he talks about the amazingness of the road, how he acts as though he can save her, and how he constantly comments on how dirty and smelly her dwelling is. This ties a bit into the ending, so let's move onto that. 

The ending is mostly unsatisfying, but it could be worse. I think that it's good that the troll gets to do her own thing and not be controlled by Adam, but the ending is so ambiguous it sort of leaves me wondering, "What was the point of it all?" Maybe Rowell wants us to think about how fragile relationships are and how quickly the Earth can succumb to human evils?  I'm really not quite sure, but I'm definitely confused, nonetheless. 

Overall, "The Prince and the Troll" was an intriguing short story retelling of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." I'm not one hundred percent sure what I'm supposed to get out of this one, but I enjoyed the discussion it brings to the table about climate change, mental health, loneliness, charity, and so much more. It is a bit saturated for a short story, but it definitely left me with some lingering thoughts to try to digest. A decent intro to Rowell's work; I really need to check more out in the future! 

Audiobook Note: This one is narrated by Rebecca Lowman. I feel as though they did a great job of bringing this story to life. In my opinion, there is a correct way to read a fairy tale out loud, and I feel that Lowman did it masterfully. They also did a fantastic job of making the ending feel very melancholy and unfulfilled, which I think helped make this story quite a bit more impactful. Overall, a great narrative performance and I would definitely listen to more of their work! 

Back of Book: 

Two anxious young lovers lost in the woods. A beckoning mansion in a dark clearing. A short modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin.

It’s bad enough that Hazel and Gray have defied the demands of Hazel’s foul stepfather. The Monster has forbidden their romance. Now they’ve awakened in the forest, phones dead, hours past curfew. But not far away is a grand estate in the middle of nowhere. The door is open. In this short story about choosing your own path, the fury of the Monster that awaits them back home may be nothing compared to what lies ahead. 

Book Number: Two

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Short Story

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A modern retelling of "Hansel and Gretel" that take a twist that is somehow even darker than the original story's ending.

Hazel and Gray are in love, but they are also lost in the woods. Hazel's stepfather disapproves of their relationship, but that doesn't stop them from caring for one another or sneaking out to spend time together. When the two find themselves lost in the woods at night with only a strange mansion filled with scantily clad young women, they have no choice but to enter. What awaits inside is nothing that the two ever could have imagined. And a Monster that they have both been trying to avoid but now must face head on if they are to survive.

This story was certainly not what I expected. With Hazel and Gray lost in the woods and their names being what they are, I knew this was a "Hansel and Gretel" retelling almost immediately. Due to this, I presumed that they would come across some sort of house with a danger in it, and that was most certainly true. I wasn't expecting it to be a party filled with young girls wearing lingerie and other sexy attire. What an odd reading experience.

This horror house was truly creepy. I felt my unease rise exponentially throughout this story, and I give Stone much kudos for that. The scenes where Hazel reminisces about her family life and the disturbing way that her new stepfather looks at her also filled me with such dread. I was a bit scared that the worst was going to happen to Hazel in one timeline or the other, but she luckily makes it out physically unscathed.

This one does have a decently steamy scene in it, which I felt wasn't really in this story's best interest. I feel that the bond that Hazel and Gray shared was deep enough that they didn't have to make it physical in a thirty-page short story to show me this fact. The way that Gray stays by Hazel's side through everything is so sweet, and it's simple to tell that he would do anything for her. I don't know much about these two as individuals due to the nature of this story, but the bond between them is certainly more the point.

Once again, I think this one mainly suffers due to how short it is. Tackling a subject as huge as human trafficking in such a short story (especially one that is also fairy tale coded) is certainly no easy task. I think that this story could be taken the wrong way in so many ways, but if one doesn't think about it too hard and knows what to expect from it, I feel it is a decent read.

Overall, "Hazel and Gray" was a disconcerting retelling of the classic fairy tale "Hanzel and Gretel." This story was much spookier and sultrier than I first anticipated, but that's not exactly a bad thing. This story just felt way more mature than the last one, even though the characters are probably younger in this one than "The Prince and the Troll." It wasn't the most entertaining read, but it definitely made me feel a ton of different things. One definitely should be aware that this one covers some dark topics, so reader advisory is certainly advised.

Audiobook Note: Kimberly Woods is the one that narrates this story. I am actually familiar with Woods' work through some video game projects that she lent her voice to, so it was nice hearing her voice out of the blue. I personally think that Woods has such a unique way of speaking that I find to be just beautiful. She did a great job of narrating Hazel and Gray's story and building the suspense when needed. I honestly probably only enjoyed this one as much as I did because she was the one reading it. I definitely need to check out more of Woods' narration work in the future.

Back of Book: 

There are no happy endings for the Princesses of Chaminade High in this short, twisty tale of teenage murder games by the New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil series.

The victims are the most popular girls in school, each murdered and arranged in a grim fairy-tale tableau. To find the killer, rookie detective Callum Pederson has gone undercover where the Princes hold court. He’s found enough secrets among the bros to bring them in for questioning—but he could very well get lost in the games the Princes play. 

Book Number: Three

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Short Story

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

Touch the past or wash it away? Two sisters have a choice in this unforgettable short story of everyday magic and the power of memory by the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Ken Liu.

Gui is a professional cleaner at A Fresh Start, scrubbing away the unpleasant layers of memory that build up on the personal objects of his customers. Memory-blind himself, he can’t feel those wounds. Clara can, and she prefers them irretrievable. Until her sister, Beatrice, ultrasensitive to memory, raises one that could change Clara’s mind. For Gui, the past is gone. For Clara and Beatrice, deciding what to remember reaches to the heart of their shared history. 

Book Number: Four 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Short Story

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

The reviled villainesses of Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel team up to set the record straight in a subversively funny short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay.

Envious queen? Evil stepmother? Kidnapping hag? Elsinora, Gwendolyn, and Marguerite are through with warts-and-all tabloids, ugly lies, and the three ungrateful brats who pitted them against each other and the world. But maybe there’s more to the stories than even the Wickeds know. Is it time to finally get revenge? After all, they’re due for a happily-enough-ever-after. Even if they have to write it themselves. 

Book Number: Five (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | Short Story

Review: ?