Reclaiming Fairytales Through a Feminist Lens

The novel is dedicated to a central project of reclaiming fairytales through a feminist lens. All of the characters, except for Ashlee, are modern reincarnations of classic fairytale characters. Bernice is Bluebeard’s wife, Ruby is Little Red Riding Hood, Gretel is the eponymous character from Hansel and Gretel, and Raina is the miller’s daughter from Rumpelstiltskin. In pairing these four characters from classic fairytales with Ashlee, a contestant from a reality show based on The Bachelor, the novel ties together classic and modern stories that have been shaped by men at the expense of the female characters in order to uphold the patriarchy.

Almost all of the characters have been dragged through a media system that delights in casting women as the villains of all stories in order to reinforce the patriarchy. When tech-billionaire Ashton is revealed to the...