How is everyone doing? Did you all have a good weekend? Mine was very good. I got lots of work done around the house as well as lots of studying done. So I’m ahead on my tasks as I head into this week.
I’ve gotten a little behind on my NetGalley reviews so expect to see some up here for awhile. The first book that I read for NetGalley that I want to share with you, is We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer. Meyer is most famous for books like The Lunar Chronicles and Heartless. So while this book deals with fairy tales also it is a bit different from her other works.
Synopsis
We Could be Magic is a love story to those who love Disney parks and fairy tales. But it also doesn’t pull its punches when dealing with serious issues. When Tabitha Laurie was growing up she visited Sommerland, the Disney equivalent in this world. The actress who was playing her favorite character gave her an important piece of life advice. To believe in love even as her parents marriage fell apart.
It is years later and Tabitha is back at Sommerland this time to work as an employee for the magical summer program. This is somewhat like Disney’s summer college program, where students take on different jobs within the park. Tabi is very interested in doing for other people what the actress playing her favorite princess did for her. She wants to give people a reason to believe in magic.
But the reality of working at Sommerland is nothing like the dream she’s had growing up. For one thing her dream of playing a princess like the one who helped her in childhood is botched by a failed audition. Tabi is soon slinging nachos and trying to make the summer as magical as possible. However as time goes on she realizes that no everyone who works there believes in the magic of Sommerland.
The only exceptions to this are her new tour guide friend and her roommate. Thinking she will have another chance at the next audition Tabi practices her hardest only to learn there may be a reason behind why she isn’t getting picked. This novel explores with a deft hand the way fatphobia and body standards for character actors can be a negative thing.
But when all of the actors who are playing the royal parts up and leave just before a parade Tabi must take her shot at being a princess and giving kids some magic, even if it means her job.
Review
This piece showed Meyers appriciation for fairy tales and Disney. While also focusing on the deeper issues at the heart of many of the parks. I loved specifically how she dealt with fatphobia. This is a problem that is dealt with a lot in not only Disney spaces but many cosplay spaces as well.
The idea that a fat person can’t portray a thin character is insidious. It shows people’s negative beliefs about fat people. While I liked the end of the story, especially the nod to Walt Disney himself. I don’t see anything like that happening in real life. That’s not a critisim of the book so much as it is of Disney.
Theme parks and cosplay are still focused on issues of race of the characters. Not letting so called ‘minorities’ play characters who were originally white. While I think the fatphobia will be dealt with at some point. And I believe and can be dealt with hand in hand of the race issues.
I don’t think we are going to have such a neat ending. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to see a fat princess or even just someone who isn’t the villan. I think the issues are still wrapped up in too much conflict to expect one anytime soon. I don’t think we’ll see one from Disney especially. Since they have proven time and time again they value their bottom line over diversity.
Still the ending of this piece is very satisfying and there is a nod to some Disney lore as well. This was five stars and I’d love to see more written in this world.
Do you have a favorite book with a fairy tale theme. Let me know in the comments.
Happy reading
Solara
Photo by Craig Adderley: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crowd-of-people-watching-woman-performing-3411141/
Rose's Book Garden 