Publication Date: 3 September 2020

The Blurb

A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs … and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as ZOMBIERELLA. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse Lumpkin back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all?

The Review

A gloriously gruesome reimagining of a timeless tale for a new generation. From the moment our librarian enters the hidden section of the library and discovers the books gone bad, we are treated to hideous humour and scares-a-plenty as well known characters take on a new lease of life, or should that be death, in Joseph Coelho’s hauntingly beautiful tale told in verse.

New perspectives and unexpected twists shock and thrill in equal measure as the story unfolds with plenty for scare seekers to revel in. Freya Hartas has captured the eeriness and energy of the characters and settings in her stunning illustrations which compliment the thrilling prose perfectly.

As with any classic fairy tale, there is love, loss and hope, but this offers so much more besides. Moral dilemmas offer plenty of food for thought along the way. With an ending that is as enchanting as it is unexpected, Zombierella is a joy to read, and one that is unlikely to spend long on any library bookcase.

The best bit? It’s the first in a series of deliciously dark twisted fairytales. I can’t wait to see which other famous characters are waiting to be discovered in the depths of the library…

Want to know more? Why not watch Joseph read from Zombierella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owddeRmLj94&feature=youtu.be

Huge thanks to Walker Books for inviting me to take part in the Zombierella Blog Tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops.