So this isn't technically a book but it is the novelisation of the film Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie. Basically, as far as I'm aware, once the film is done, someone is paid to adapt it into a novel which can be sold alongside the merchandise. I could be wrong! I got a hold of this mainly because I wasn't sure if I wanted to see the film or not - Maleficent is my 2nd favourite Disney Villain (after Ursula and only slightly before the Wicked Queen) so I figured why not read it and see how it goes?
Obviously I don't want to spoil either the film or the book, but we all know the basic story - Baby Princess Aurora is cursed by Maleficent to prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday and sleep forever until true loves kiss awakens her. But this whole film/book (we'll call it a book just for ease) is about WHY Maleficent cursed this innocent little babe in the first place.
In the Disney original, Maleficent just appears as the bad guy with no real explanation as to why she wasn't invited to the christening or why she takes it so hard. This story goes back to her roots - we meet her parents, her friends and see her descend into the glorious villianess we all know. And what causes her to turn evil? Well it's all to do with love and betrayal of course.
Disney doesn't tell us she has wings, nor that her horns aren't just a cool hat - they are in fact attached to her head!
I also liked that we are told the story behind her staff, as well as her meeting Diaval (Diablo in the original) her raven and the relationship between the two of them. In the animated film, she just seems like this lonely and bitter old sorceress who's doing these things purely because she's evil. In the book however, we learn why she's become so bitter and has cut herself off from relationships.
Even though the inbetween story changes a little bit, it's still the story is still what we know and love. I definitely felt like I understood Maleficent more and realised why she did what she did. It's like Ursula - why was she banished from the castle? Maybe then her trying to steal Ariel's voice and kill her would be ok! (Well, you know what I mean!)
I recommend reading this if you somehow can't see the film but I am definitely going to go and see it now. Book adaptations of films can often feel very thrown together and there was definitely a lack of in-depth descriptions and detail which I think would be shown visually in the film. Overall I enjoyed this book - it was a super short read (I did it in one sitting when I couldn't sleep last night) but a great story and I've learned that maybe Maleficent isn't the evil witch I thought she was - maybe she's not even the true villain at all.
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