Reawakened

Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale by Odette Beane

As you likely already know, I love Once Upon a Time. Therefore, when I saw that the stories (or at least some) had been turned into a book, it was only logical to buy said book.

This novel is simply a retelling of the first season of the show, in which each chapter is one of the episodes. The plot is the same, the characters are the same, the only real difference is the media being used to tell the story. I must admit that I got more into the show than the book, but perhaps this was because I already knew everything that was going to happen. Still, it was almost as good as watching it.

One of the added benefits of the book is that the author was able to explore how the characters felt and other background details that may not always come across to the viewers on screen. I think that the book made Emma a bit more wishy-washy, for lack of a better word. She went back and forth constantly in her mind about whether or not she believed what Henry told her. I know that there was likely a small part of her that saw thy he could be right, but all the wishful thinking that Snow might really be her mother does not fit in with her struggle to accept this truth in the second and third seasons, and was never really mentioned in the show.

My few pieces of criticism are minor, but I believe that these details would improve the experience for fans like me, and even for readers who are knew to the story. The first is that there were a few inconsistencies with the show. (To be honest, I think I counted three, nonetheless it is annoying to me when this happens). The one I remember is Emma remembering holding Henry before giving him up and questioning her choice. If you have watched season three, you will know that she refused to hold him because she knew thy if she did, she would never be able to give him up.

My other comment is that the only Fairytale stories mentioned in the book were the ones that included Snow White and/or Prince Charming. I am almost certain that they showed more than that. For example, the Mad Hatter, Jiminy Cricket, and other characters appear in Storybrooke, all of whom I know for a fact had their Fairytale stories featured in the show. A few of them are added into the book by having Henry briefly describe them to Emma, but for me this did not have the same effect.

Overall, I was glad that I made this purchase. If you love OUAT the way I do, then you will want to read this book.