Did you ever wonder what your favorite fairy tale characters really think? I mean ***really*** think? Well, here's your chance.

The Fairy Tale Fan Club is a delightfully satirical book where readers (or listeners) can get the answers to their most burning questions. It's a quirky listen with the delightful talents of Richard Ayoade, Wes Anderson, and Lydia Fox. I'm of the opinion adults would prefer the audio book purely for the dry humor, but I'm sure my kids would enjoy it, as well.

Overall, this was a fun listen with clever writing and masterful performances. I am curious to see the book in print, and I expect it will be on my library hold list soon enough.

This is a light hearted look at questions that lie beyond the Happily Ever After of the various fairy tales. Important questions are asked, and equally important clarifications provided.

My favourite responses came from the big bad wolf (and his self perception as a victim), Sleeping Beauty (who displays a surprisingly sharp tongue for someone so well rested), and of all people, Humpty Dumpty (where the question is raised as to whether he even is a person or is actually just an egg...)

Entertaining and witty, though likely to be most suitable for a niche audience given the quirkiness of this volume. If you enjoy fairy tales this may well be up your alley.

Witty and well thought-through, adults will love this possibly more than kids.

Great idea, Richard. I've seen letters to fairy tale characters before (Dear Mother Goose by Michael Rosen) but that was aimed squarely at the picture book crowd. This is for older children who can look back knowingly and with more insight at the strangeness of fairy stories and ask pertinent questions of the characters they remember.

With a created persona of C C Cecily, the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, Ayoade and two other voices read out letters and replies to and from young readers, asking curious questions of their traditional tale idols. Some polite, some not so. Some searching. Some with a contemporary view in mind. All very funny and the sort you realise - yes, you want to know this too!

As I listened to this, I can't comment on illustrations, but I can say that I loved the voices used for Cecily, the writers and the fairy tale characters replying. I listened in one go, and I imagine many adults will read this on the quiet away from their child listeners and giggle as much as I did.

Ayoade manages to get in a few little comments that may go over the heads of younger readers, but the contemporary feel to the letters and questions makes this a book for everyone. Who doesn't know these stories? Who wouldn't question why the princess can feel the pea through all those mattresses - and would you actually want to marry the girl who's that sensitive?!

Brilliant stuff, Ayoade writes well (again!) for children, and again, the older crowd of 6-12 year olds will take pleasure in not being talked down to and feeling in on the joke.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

This was a lot of fun and really well narrated by Wes Anderson, Richard Ayoade, and Lydia Fox.

It's a very simple book, but the idea that the stars of fairytales respond to letters is a great one, and I reckon kids would love this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC