Cursed Princess Club (Cursed Princess Club #1)

Tropey arranged royal marriages beget chuckle-worthy dramatic irony in an endearing graphic novel, originally a webcomic, that subverts classic fairy tale tropes. Princess Gwendolyn of the Pastel Kingdom, a 16-year-old with green hair and shark teeth, doesn’t feel as if she fits in with her conventionally beautiful siblings: 18-year-old Princess Maria, the quintessential animal charmer; 17-year-old Princess Lorena, who magically grows flowers in her sleep; and 16-year-old chess protégé Prince Jamie. This feeling worsens when she overhears her betrothed, callous Prince Frederick of the Plaid Kingdom, complaining about how his two older brothers will wed Maria and Lorena while he must marry “really ugly” Gwen. After running away into the forest, she finds support in the Cursed Princess Club, whose members’ respective misfortunes prevent them from experiencing the stereotypical “happily ever after.” Thin, wiry linework render characters with manga-esque features, and full-color art skillfully imbues midnight scenes and fanciful parties with eerie and grandiose ambiance. LambCat’s quirky, lighthearted series opener shines brightest in its humor: food is the true love that wakes Jaime from an enchanted slumber, and a princess with lobster arms reveals she was born a crustacean, not human. Ages 13–up. (Jan.) ■