A Whole New World

Rating: 5/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy

Source: Bought from a bookshop (released in paperback May 2^nd 2016)

                                                     

What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish. To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.

I’m a huge Disney fan so when I saw this on the shelf, I was instantly compelled to read it. The book feels and looks amazing. I love holding books and I’m drawn in by the way they look and this is one of my favourites.

A Whole New World (Aladdin) is the first of the Twisted Tales series which are books that take on classic favourite Disney fairy tales and make them a lot more sinister and add a lot of twists. Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty) has also just been released and I am currently reading it. I think this series is such a brilliant idea and captures the magic of Disney, but in a much darker way.

I wouldn’t give this book an age range as you can never be too old for Disney!

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book and I think it’s mainly because a lot of people think of Disney as happy endings and happily ever afters and this just isn’t your usual Disney…but I love a twist.

Whilst reading the first few chapters, it pretty much followed the same storyline as the original and I was thinking, “well what’s happening here? It’s the same” but when Aladdin goes to get the lamp from Jafar and gets trapped in the cave and Jafar gets the lamp…it’s safe to say it’s swerved right away from the original.

It’s full of violence and some parts aren’t really suitable for children, it does get a little graphic and there’s an awful lot of death. The book is very easy reading and fast paced. I think that even if the book isn’t your thing, you won’t be able to put it down because you’re so curious as to what will happen to the characters you’ve known for years and grown to love.