New Review in Strange Horizons – How to Survive This Fairytale by S. M. Hallow

Here you can read my review of How to Survive This Fairytale by S. M. Hallow

S. M. Hallow’s debut novella, How to Survive This Fairytale (Hedone Books 2025), is a queer fairy tale retelling that follows Hansel (later Hans) on a journey that spans multiple classic stories, from Hansel and Gretel to Snow White (The Six Swans supplies the love interest, a prince-turned-swan named Cyrus). Blending the old and the new, Hallow imbues traditional stories with a modern mindset, and chooses a format to match: The novella consists of short, dynamic, flash-fiction style chapters intercut with video-game options for Hansel to choose from, and (anti-)self-help instructions for him (not) to follow. The book breathes life into a tired genre and sheds well-worn clothes to reveal something fresh, unique, and empowering. Its exploration of identity, love, disability, trauma, and storytelling itself is thought-provoking, engaging, and deeply moving, offering hope and therapeutic levels of affirmation and reassurance.