8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf

In a tongue-in-cheek approach reminiscent of James Finn Garner's Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times, this satirical rendition of Snow White is a new kind of bedtime story—one intended for grown-ups (or young adults, as it were).

Most adults have heard of Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Bashful, and Grumpy. Mullin introduces us to Creepy, a misunderstood character who was banished by his brothers to a sort of netherworld: the basement. Instead of lovable, jewel-mining, song-whistling, morally upstanding men, Snow White's famous companions are shown in a new light, one in which intolerance and conformity are the order of the day. Not quit the stuff of fairy stories.

The author delivers his story in show more rhythmic, rhyming verse, which initially led me to believe that this was a children's story. The sardonic tone of voice, one instance of sexual innuendo, and a vocabulary surely intended for older readers quickly had me changing my tune. The sarcasm is strangely charming, much like Creepy himself, and this slightly darker story fits in quite nicely with the original.

Having seen some of the illustrator's previous work, I was admittedly disappointed by the ones in this book, which seemed like first drafts of the kinds of pictures he's drawn for theLarry Gets Lost™ children's series. While the images show up nicely on an e-reader, I feel like they do not take full advantage of the screen's display capabilities, grayscale or otherwise.

On the whole, I found this story to be satisfying. 8 is a quick, quirky narrative poem that proves that picture books are not only for children.

Stimulated Outlet Book Reviews
(Review copy provided by the author) show less

Everyone knows the story of Snow White. At least, they think they do. This very short book is a quirky take on a traditional tale. Told in rhyming verse, it tells the story of Creepy, the until now unknown 8th dwarf. Banished to the basement, Creepy is very surprised when a random maiden appears in his house. Little does he know, things are about to change. For everyone but him.

I loved this story so much! If Dr. Seuss had decided to twist fairy tales, this would be the result. It's smart and funny. A very quick read, it is sure to entertain. It will definitely make you see the old story of Snow White in a new way. Creepy is an unlikely hero, and it makes you want to cheer for him all the more. I will never see Snow White the same, and show more when a tale this short can do that it's a clear indication of the author's skill. Highly recommend this for fans of fairy tales and twisted tales alike.

Book provided for review. show less

8 is an entirely new and improved version of the famous fairy-tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It's the darker, twisted side of the cheerful story, and it's got a slightly more profound touch of reality to it. And by that I mean that the original implication of the story is replaced by a new moral, which is easier to understand and far more down-to-earth. Meaning that I loved it even more. Meaning that I will be rereading this over and over again until I have it memorized by heart.

Creepy is the 8th dwarf sent to live in the cellar. He's the different one. The only dwarf that doesn't fit in with the others. And for a while, he stays hidden, until a lost maiden stumbles upon the dwarf's cottage and starts cleaning. (Guess who that show more is? :D) Well, Creepy just stares at the lady through the thin slits in the floorboard, wondering what the heck was wrong with her. He makes a couple of sexual innuendos from that point on.
And he stays hidden, until the evil queen stops by and tries to kill Snow White.
Creepy saves her.
The evil Queen stops by again and Snow White falls to her death again.
Creepy saves her.
The evil Queen stops by again and Snow White falls to her death for the third time. (You see the pattern here? I just love how the entire story is filled with dark humor).
Creepy saves her again.
But this time Snow White sees him and screams like a banshee.
So the moral of this story is: You can't judge someone by their appearance.

All I can say is that I was blown away. Not just by the smooth flow of the verse, but by how much the writing reminded me of Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss's writing was incredibly fun and even more exciting to read out loud, Michael Mullin has somehow inherited that same lively style that just keeps the reader entertained no matter what. He has this amazing ability to twist old fairy tales, making them darker and more maturer, and yet making them captivating at the same time.
I'm so happy I didn't let the chance to read this fly by.
I really recommend this one to everyone. It's a short, fun read that you definitely won't regret! show less

My thoughts:
This is a super fun, hilarious, short little story told in verse!
It was a blast to read! Creepy is a bit twisted, in a funny way. He is sarcastic and bold. The story he tells about Snow White is wonderful. I enjoyed the three-times-a-loser tale of how the old woman comes to the cottage three days in a row, dressed differently with three different fatal items for "the maid." The twist on the "true love's kiss" was interesting, and I loved how he drilled the holes in the glass coffin and left her for someone else!
Michael Mullin is a clever and creative writer. I hope to see more from him!

We all know the story of Snow White. But what do we know about the Seven Dwarves? They lived together in the forest and mined gems. But what if that was not the entire story? What if there was another dwarf, Creepy, that didn’t fit in and was locking in the basement because he was different?

This is Creepy’s story about how this lady breaks into the house and agrees to cook and clean to stay there. She is not the brightest of creatures since she almost dies a couple times and Creepy has to save her.

I loved this story/poem, and I admit that I’m not a fan of verse. Poor Creepy is shunned because of his behavior. The twist on Snow White was great too. Although really short, if you like your fairy tales with a new twist, you will show more really like this. show less

This book was a superb read from the first page. The verse is absolutely dead on and it brings a whole new fresh look to an already familar story. If you are a fan of the 7 dwarves you deserve to meet the 8th. And for $0.99 you get to enternain yourself on the cheap. So go ahead and download a little bit of laughter.