Book Review: A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Book Review for “A Curse so Dark and Lonely” by Brigid Kemmerer

I admit, I tend to be a rut reader. I get started reading adult romance and have a hard time switching to reading a young adult fantasy. I love both genres; I just have a hard time moving between the two sometimes. And lately, I’ve had a hard time finding something I want to read at all. I am falling woefully short of my reading goal that I set in Goodreads for 2020.

I was struggling recently to find a book and I happened to mention this fact to a friend of mine who knows what I really like to read. She said, “I have just the book for you!” The next day she brought a book to the library and gave it to me to read. When she handed it to me, I thought I might not like it. “I don’t really read fairytale retellings,” I said, but she insisted.

“A Curse so Dark and Lonely” by Brigid Kemmerer is a hidden gem. It’s a fairytale retelling which is something I’ve never really been interested in, but this one caught my interest. It’s a modern day Beauty and the Beast and so much more. It has cell phones, dimensional travel, kings and queens, the mob, a fiery heroine, a powerful enchantress and a love triangle that adds the perfect twist!

If you are wanting something different, a step outside of your normal reading box, call the library and try “A Curse so Dark and Lonely” by Brigid Kemmerer. If you love it as much as I did, we also have the second one in the series, “A Heart so Fierce and Broken”. The third installment is due to come out in 2021 and is already on preorder!

-Stacey Leerhoff, Youth Services Librarian

Charles City Public Library