Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark queer Sleeping Beauty rehash has depression, suicide.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE SECRET WORLD OF BRIAR ROSE, Corin's 12-year-old sister, Elly, runs away to find a sleeping princess in a long-buried and hidden castle. Corin runs through a war zone and tunnels full of the dead to find her, and uncovers not only Princess Amelia's bedchamber but a portal above her bed to her subconscious, a place the princess has remained as Briar Rose for a century, and not alone. Malicine, the demon who cursed Briar Rose as a baby, shares this dreamscape split into four seasons and cut off from the crippling reality of the outside world, or so the trio would like to believe. Lurking in autumn are all the secrets, betrayals, expectations, and family traumas they tried to leave behind.
Is It Any Good?
This Sleeping Beauty retelling is innovative and daring, but the constant barrage of trauma overpowers the important messages about coping with depression. The story begins with Corin's desperate search for her younger sister, who left to find the lost castle and a sleeping princess. On this seemingly straightforward quest, descriptions multiply of Corin's ragged and starved form, her constant memories of loss and death and guilt, and the dead bodies she stumbles upon in tunnels as she nears death from dehydration ... Who were we looking for again? These misery-focused distractions happen multiple times in The Secret World of Briar Rose. Sadly they not only detract from the storytelling, but they make the characters less likable as well, Corin especially. She's so rigid and enraged at herself and the cruel world most of the time that it overshadows her growing relationship with Briar Rose.
This story eventually gets at the heart of many things that are worth living for—especially connection and making the world a better place. It also advocates for truly living over just surviving, but absent is a sense of joy. Without even a fleeting sense of joy, this book feels less life-affirming and more like a burden. That said, many teen readers will see themselves authentically represented in the characters' struggles with mental health and choosing to stay alive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about depression in The Secret World of Briar Rose. Briar Rose decides to escape her problems in her own subconscious. Does it work? What eventually helps her and Corin cope with their mental illness? How does their growing empathy for each other support them as well?
Princess Amelia/Briar Rose muses that "Even in fairy tales, princesses merely existed in stories that others wanted to tell." Beyond Briar Rose's lack of interest in true love's kiss, how else does she break the mold? How is the kingdom better for it?
It takes courage for Briar Rose, Corin, and Malicine to visit the island in the dreamscape where all their bad memories lie. How are they forced to face the trauma in their pasts? Would it have been possible for them to hide from this hurt forever?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Activism ( Civic engagement ) , Animals ( Cats , Wild Animals ) , Arts , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy ( Dragons , Fairies , Fairy Tales , Magic ) , Friendship , Royalty ( Kings , Princesses , Queens )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Kokila
- Publication date : June 2, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 9, 2026
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