Book Review: A Whole New World By Liz Braswell

A Whole New World By Liz Braswell

Goodreads | Amazon
Series: Twisted Tales #1
Release date: September 1st 2015 
Rating: Just, No

Text to a friend when I found A Whole New World on Goodreads: “FYI: I found a novel called A Whole New World based on Aladdin and approved by Disney.  It is almost 100% guaranteed to be terrible and I MUST read it."

I just counted.  I brought up reading this book six times in ransom conversation in the last week  just so I could complain about how bad this book was. Honestly, it would have been a lot more but I live in China and my linguistic skills are not up to literary criticism. 

Let’s set aside the weak prose for a moment.  Because… I just can’t. 

It felt lazy. Character development was nonexistent.  There seemed to be this assumption that all of the readers had seen the movies and already knew the characters.  Probably not an incorrect assumption but it is still necessary.  The lost opportunity here is staggering.  Seriously.  Jasmine had the potential to be a badass Warrior Princess/ Political Savior and instead I was mentally planning her overthrow.

Why is there no imagery?  Braswell had an entire imaginary Middle East Kingdom that has an animated movie that she could have gone to for reference and I felt as if every scene took place in a bare dark room

http://giphy.com/gifs/aladdin-jNhTiTwyWBOLu

Brace yourself.  I did not ship Jasmine and Aladdin in the book.  I wanted Jasmine to die alone possibly as a result of a revolution on the part of the “Street Rats”.  Aladdin, who I hated less, I vaguely wanted to end up with a random unknown character that was dropped into the story.

This is a book based on Aladdin without a sense of humor.  I have no words for the combination of bafflement and anger that I am feeling about that.

Braswell made a choice to try to make the story grittier.  Which shouldn’t be a problem in theory.  I can handle stuff!  But the blood and death never seemed real.  When familiar character were in peril I was more irritated than concerned. 

http://giphy.com/gifs/aladdin-WMoXQfGLfkhlS

I finished the book only because I was rage reading.

The plan for this weekend it to watch the movie again to cleanse my palate.  Also, I have Once Upon a Dream and it is taunting me with the whole, “it could not possibly be worse” thing.  I may give in a read it.  This is a sickness.