(Book Review):  Once by Cameron Dokey

(Disclaimer:  This will contain spoiler!)

'Once' is kind of like an onmibus; there are three different stories in one book.  The book contains 'Before Midnight' (a retelling of Cinderella), 'Golden' (a retelling of Rapunzel), and 'Wild Orchid' (a retelling of Mulan).

'Before Midnight' is a clever and creative take on Cinderella. I love all the characters.  Since Dokey took a lot of liberty with the plot, I was kept on the edge pretty much all the time.  I love what Dokey did with the novel.  It doesn't focus much on romance, instead, it focuses on Cendrillion's growth as a person throughout the years.  In fact, all the romance pretty much hits you in the face with how fast things go.

'Golden' tells the story of our beloved Rapunzel sans the hair.  The story is just so pure it should be wrapped in a cinnamon bun.  I love the twists and developments, I love the characters.  This doesn't feel like a YA novel, it feels like a real fairy tale, just with more depth and plot development.

'Wild Orchid' is a retelling of Hua Mulan, the famous female warrior.  This has been retold splendidly. I love the dynamics between the characters; from her relationship with her father, to Li Po and General Yuwen.  I felt like I was reading a full-fledged Chinese novel, with the vibe that I was getting, especially when the princes were introduced.  I think, this is my favorite story out of the lot.  The only bone I have to pick is the pacing.  Or the lack thereof, when it comes to romance (as is the case with the other two).  I wish the romance were given more time to develop, perhaps it'd be even better to have no romance at all.

Verdicts:
Before Midnight: 4
Golden: 4
Wild Orchid: 4.2 (make it longer and sell it as a different book and I'd def be the first in line to buy it)