Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross
Release Date - January 27, 2015
Publisher Website - Egmont
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  384 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrificing the love that might kill her?

The world of Beau Rivage is like a dream. In some cases those dreams happen to be nightmares. Sarah Cross' books are as chilling as they are magical. Her fairytales tend to skew towards the darkness rather than the light and her take on Snow White is even more unnerving than expected.

Viv has always known a huntsmen would come to kill her one day. She's expected it forever, along the with the prince that is supposed to rescue her. The fact that her huntsmen also happens to be the person she is in love with only complicates the situation further. Viv and Henley's push/pull romance added an edge of danger and suspense to the story. It's a darker romance that created some real tension. This novel is a fairytale, but it also happens to be a well written suspense novel. I was breathlessly on edge waiting to see what Henley would decide, what Regina would do, and how Viv might find a loop hole to her curse. The thriller aspect of the novel is pulse pounding and just as strong (if not stronger) than the fairytale elements. The fate of everyone involved feels uncertain and that allows for real stakes.

This novel blends together the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale with the Snow White fairytale. There is even an dash of Rumpelstiltskin added into the mix. This novels blend them together effortlessly so that they compliment each other and weave together seamlessly.

These fairytales are almost twisted beyond belief and turned into something much more sinister than the tales of your childhood. In Beau Rivage Snow White's prince may prefer his princess more comatose and therefore drug her. A single spoken word could mean death for one girl's brothers. Murder is overlooked if done in the name of a curse. These curses are normally looked at as a blessing but Sarah Cross adeptly shows that they tend to cause more pain and offer little to any benefit. The happily ever after destined to be is not always what is promised. The notion of making your own fate, even if it is not a blissfully happy one, being worth the freedom is shown and present a more modern, realistic take on fairytales.

The characters are flawed and imperfect. This includes Viv. She and Henley have a tumultuous relationship where neither of them treat each other very well. Viv is always pushing the boundaries and testing the limits when it comes to Henley's heart.  Both of them try to make the other jealous. However, it's clear that they love each other and that it was built on a solid friendship that the curse is destroying. Regina is more than a caricature villainess. She has layers to her that were unexpected. The novel shows that everyone involved is a victim of the curse, and bittersweetly shows you how different things could have been without it.

Sarah's version of a fairytale ending is not the sweetness and light one might expect from a fairytale. Her inspiration tends to be the more sinister versions of the fairytales, and at most the endings are bittersweet. This ending is laced with a sadness that prevents it from being the typical happily ever after.

A darkly seductive, twisted fairytale that blends together multiple inspirations flawlessly. Sarah Cross has truly created a spellbinding, magical take on the Snow White tale that inspires and entrances even as it leaves you feeling unsettled.