Review: The Secret World of Briar Rose

I signed up for an ARC of The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham on NetGalley because it looked like an interesting take on "Sleeping Beauty." The book was more or less what I expected. It was a unique and creative take on the fairy tale, but like most modern books from traditional publishers, it lacked the heart that makes that tale such a beloved classic. I saw it described in some spaces as a queer story, which is debatable. While there were descriptions of queer feelings in certain characters, there is little to no actual romance, giving the book an overall feeling of loneliness and melancholy.

Going in, it's important to know that this book is primarly an allegory for depression, and the fairy tale aspects are secondary. The "Sleeping Beauty" elements, while present, are not the primary focus of the book. The story alternates between two different timelines. The "future" timeline focuses on the dystopian kingdom that resulted from the sleeping princess's curse. This setting follows a girl named Corin and her little sister, Elly, who struggle to survive in a world where children are hunted. The "past" timeline takes place one century earlier, in which Princess Amelia is cursed by Malicine, a gender-neutral, morally gray demon, who turns out not to be the villain of the story.

Thematically, this book is similar to Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu, blut slightly less misandrist. Of course, the prince turns out to be a complete and utter cad because it was written in the 2020s, and princesses are now required to rescue themselves. However, the story focuses less on man-hating and more on mental health recovery from trauma. When Corin and Elly enter Princess Amelia's dream world, they are swept away by beautiful imagery tainted by horrible nightmares. With the support of Elly and Malicine, Corin and Amelia struggle to fight their inner demons from two different timelines and find their way back to a healthy mental state to restore the kingdom of Gyldan to its former glory.

I enjoyed the whimsical metaphors and dream-like setting of this book, but I found it difficult to root for the characters. Both Corin and Amelia suffer emotional trauma, which was supposed to justify their questionable actions, but it simply did not. Just because they were suffering doesn't make it okay for them to make other people suffer as well. In the end, I didn't feel that the book's conclusion was earned. The character relationships weren't strong enough to salvage this either, since there was no iteration of true love in any form. The strongest bond was Corin's sisterly love for Elly, but even that gets tainted midway through the book.

The Secret World of Briar Rose is a hauntingly atmospheric retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" that explores themes of depression, trauma, and recovery. While Pham's writing shines in its vivid, dreamlike world-building, the characters' struggles often felt disconnected and unearned, making it hard to truly invest in their journeys. If you're drawn to melancholic, allegorical tales, you might find something to appreciate, but for others, it might read as a story of irredeemable suffering.