Sand isn't sure how he ended up waking up in the forgotten castle hidden behind thorns. When he sees the thorns won't let him leave, he does the only thing he can think of and starts repairing all the broken parts of the castle. When he finds the long lost heiress, Perrotte, awakened after many years of sleep, they must work together to find a way to heal the kingdom.

A wonderful middle grade retelling of Sleeping Beauty, THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS by Merrie Haskell is full of charm and utter enchantment. Sand is such an adorable main character, and I love how he has such a passion for blacksmithing it and uses it to help the castle. The dialogue between him and Perrotte is funny, sweet, and makes for easily imagined conversations. Perrotte and Sand both have so much growth to undergo, and it's pure joy to see them develop together as they try to get out of the castle.

Though most of the story takes place only in the castle, the detail in the descriptions of it are beautiful. It's no trouble picturing a glorious broken down castle that could turn into something spectacular again with the help of Perrotte and Sand. The flashbacks of Perrotte's life round it out with visions of what life there used to be like before she died/went to sleep. Though I would have liked to have learned more about her stepmother, the vision Haskell creates of their relationship feels realistic and believable.

Overall, THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS is an adorable read that would look very comfortable among shelves that have Gail Carson Levine, Karen Foxlee, and Chris Colfer. It's officially a favorite middle grade of mine now, and I can't wait to add more Merrie Haskell to my to-read shelves.