Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses

I picked this book up at the library because the cover caught my eye. This is a darkly fun and twisted set of poems covering a number of fairy and folktales. I enjoyed it and thought it was a quick and fun read.

This was an interesting, disturbing, and darkly humorous collection of poetry retellings of fairy/folk tales. Everything from Red Riding Hood to the Little Match Girl is covered in this mix.

The artwork throughout this book is stark black and white cut-outs which match the twisted and blunt style of the poetry well. Many of the poems are full of irony and unexpected twists. Some of the poems also have a bit of a modern twist to them; for example the Little Match girl sells CDs not matches on the street.

I found this in the young show more adult section of the library, which kind of surprised me. There is implied rape, incest, cannibalism, and all other types of violent and somewhat questionable content in here. None of it is explicit, but it’s there. So I would recommend for older young adults only.

Surprisingly this poetry does an excellent job of echoing the dark and grisly nature of the original Grimm fairy tales. The poetry also adds some humor and irony to the mix which makes it even more fun to read.

I love fairy tale retellings and ended up enjoying this collection a lot. It was a quick and amusing read and echoes the original Grimm Fairy Tales well.

Overall I enjoyed this. It is a great collection of humorous, twisted, and dark fairy tale retellings. The artwork is stark and matches the tone of the fairy tales well. I would recommend this to those who like fairy tales retellings that are dark, slightly disturbing, and a bit humorous. show less

Do you want to sleep? Find another storyteller. Do you want to think about the world in a new way? Come closer. Closer, please. I want to whisper in your ear.

Koertge presents a new, modern take on the fairy tales most of us remember from our childhood. What happened to the stepsisters after Cinderella married her prince? Was Rapunzel really happy with her life or did she crave for what she couldn't have? What about the Little Match Girl? Seen a waif sitting on a street corner selling CD's lately? And, what really happens when you are the only one in the village to notice that the King's isn't wearing any clothes and voice it for all to hear and the reaction isn't quite what you expect it to be? What do you do then?

In sort, concise free show more verse format, Koertge' 23 vignettes are a refreshing if subversive viewpoint of a number of the fairy tales of old. If you aren't up to speed on your fairy tales, brush up before diving into this slim volume: some of these vignettes are written with an expectation that the reader is already versed in the stories that they refer to. The artwork by Dezso is a nice compliment. All the images as black cut paper silhouettes that are eye-catching with a subtle 3-D effect.

Overall, an enjoyable and quick read. show less

Koertge simultaneously updates some of our beloved fairy tales while bringing them back to the darker tones they had in the Grimms versions. These twenty-three tales are short poems in free verse that twist a tale and turn a phrase. There is humor as well. A former beast tells us "there's not much to do in Ever After. It's always sunny and 78." There are some that may feel this work is darkness for darkness sake and wish for a little more meat to these tales. For them, Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue might be a better fit (and more appropriate for a teen audience. Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses is for mature teens and adults). However, for those that like their fairy tales to have teeth or like to see things from the villain show more or side character's point of view, this is a welcome addition to the dearth of fairy-tales retold. The cut paper art added by Andrea Dezso is amazing and perfectly matches the tone of the work. show less

There are two things that pretty much guarantee my interest in a book I haven't yet read:

1. Fairy tale retellings.

2. Ron Koertge.

I have yet to read anything by Koertge that I've disliked -- poetry or prose, adult or young adult. And his latest, LIES, KNIVES AND GIRLS IN RED DRESSES, is no less than what I'd expect from a fairy tale book by Ron Koertge.

Cleverly blending the classic, gruesome, Grimm-style folklore with a few modern references, each poem in Koertge's short collection is a mini retelling of a fairytale. Spanning from classics like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Cinderella" to lesser known tales like "The Little Match Girl" and "Diamonds and Toads," each poem takes on a distinctive, artful voice to carry the short show more narrative.

Among my favorite pieces are "Rapunzel, a Story in Five Parts," a suite of poems in which each player from Rapunzel's mother to Rapunzel herself gives testimony. There's also "Memoirs of the Beast," in which Beauty's beau recounts the tale, including the after Ever After part. The Red Ridinghood retelling is brilliant, with a Red who confesses a bit of a naughty side.

Accompanied by beautiful cut-paper illustrations by Andrea Dezsö, this is a book that both teen readers and adults will want to read over and over again. It's the sort of book that one must buy in hardcover and keep in a drawer in a nightstand. I hope you'll go find a copy for yourself. show less

There are a few fresh ideas in this---I enjoyed "Bearskin," "The Emperor's New Clothes: An Afterword," "Little Thumb," and "Wolf"---but much of the book's intended edginess seemed a retread of all the typical fractured fairy tale stuff: incest (maybe?), the tedium of ever afters, women who crave danger and abuse, selfish heroes and heroines, etc. I didn't really feel as though I was discovering anything new about the original stories or, for that matter, fairy tales in general. As for the poetry, while it may suit some readers, it didn't really sing in my ears or catch me up in its imagery or wordplay.

This isn't usually my thing. I like Fairy Tale retellings but I like them in novel form, with a lot of plot and character development. Short stories have never appealed to me. That being said, I actually enjoyed Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses. It's clever and the humor is dark. And I like my fairy tales dark.

Though my ARC didn't have the beautiful cover art you see above, there was art on the inside, each drawing perfectly suited to the story. It's a quick read. The stories are short and grim, sometimes shocking, but never simply for the sake of being grim or shocking. They're purposeful and expertly written. I will say that it is definitely intended for an older, more mature YA audience. It wasn't exactly the kind of story I show more would want to share with my preteen aged neice. show less

When I started reading this book, my jaw dropped. Not an hour later, I had to pick it up off the floor as I came to the end. This slim volume holds 23 fractured fairytales all written in free-verse by Ron Koertge [with haunting illustrations by Andrea Dezso] where readers find out what really took place in some of the most well-known fairytales including Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Little Red Riding Hood, and more. Definitely not what you grew up reading/watching, and about as far away from Disney as you can get.

I like what author Paul B. Janeczko has to say about them, "These ain't your grandma's fairy tales. These have teeth." They do indeed have a bite which drives you to read them all in one sitting. At least that's what I did. :) show more For anyone who can't get enough of fairytales and folklore. [I would suggest this one for older readers as mature themes are touched on, a lot.] show less