The Unraveled Series

05/25/2023

Unraveled Series written by Cathy O’Neill

The Unraveled series is a fun modern twist on the fairy tales we all know. In the first book, The Princess Revolt, we meet Cia, a 7^th grader experiencing some weird things. She can’t sleep, in fact she hasn’t slept in 10 days. Cia is going bald, finds hundreds of pairs of shoes in her school locker, and the boy she likes at school is turning into a beast. Unbeknownst to Cia, her mother had an anti-princess spell put on her when she was a baby.  It was to ensure she was strong and self-reliant, not princessy.  Now Cia is desperate to break the spell to stop all the craziness and protect her friends, while out-witting desperate princesses from fairy tales. Turns out there is nothing meaner than a princess who can’t find her happily ever after.  

The Tapestry of Tales follows Cia who is now starting 8^th grade after spending most of her 7^th grade school year fighting off fairy tale characters. Cia just wants to fit in and worry about normal stuff like clothes and boys. Until she discovers the Evil Queen wants to steal all the talent from kids in the regular world. Cia is the only one who can stop her. So, Cia along with her best friend, a classmate, a treacherous goblin, a princess, and a shape-shifting storyteller set out to do just that. But the Evil Queen is not the only danger in this action-packed tale. Cia will have to be very brave to face the challenge and protect her mother. In the end, we find Cia may not really be your average middle school kid.

This series is fun, exciting, packed full of action, and intriguing. It allows us to feel like we are a part of the story because we already know the original stories. Find the series here on our website!

 “Readers will be captivated by Cia's lively voice while discovering that they may wish to view fairy tales through an updated lens. A solid purchase for middle grade collections where fantasy is appreciated.” –   School Library Journal

Review by Nancy Stetzinger, Penworthy’s Product Manager

Q& A with Cathy O’Neill

Q1: What was your favorite book to read as a child? Or favorite genre?

A1a: The amount of books for young readers in Ireland wasn’t much. But some of Cathy’s favorites were The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Marianne Dreams.

A1b: Favorite genre would be stories where the magic was happening here, such as Narnia.

Q2: If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be?

A1: Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and Shakespeare

Q3: What did you want to be when growing up? Did you dream of being a writer?

A3: Cathy wanted to be an attorney and/or a writer (would never admit to wanting to be a writer) growing up.

Q4: What was your favorite subject in school? Do you use it in your books to relate to kids?

A4: Cathy’s favorite subject in school was English (and reading)!

Q5: What do you want kids to take away from your book? What message?

A5: Cathy wants kids to feel happy, to totally escape/be swept up in adventure, to find friendships, be a risk taker, and to love.