Fairy Tales with Teeth
by E.F. Schraeder
Strange parents that a child doesn’t quite trust. A peaceful but isolated setting. A neat-as-a-pin little cottage tucked into the trees where things aren’t quite what they appear to be. A hidden truth that someone must face, even as it slices through their most basic assumptions. As a coming of age tale of transformation, there’s a familiar, fairy tale feeling about some of those starting points, but to me Ginger’s story isn’t exactly a fairy tale.
The backdrop of Ginger’s story begins with a blunt edge of violence in the aftermath of a rampage— the rampage of a girl who felt betrayed by those she thought she could trust. Not all stories hint at optimistic, happy ever afters, but the main sleeping giant in As Fast as She Can is the fury that gets unlocked when Ginger realizes how powerful she really is.
When Ginger turns to her best friend for support, neither of them has a clear grasp on what they are capable of or what kind of damage their dormant rage will produce once awakened. Fairy tales often involve worlds where the impossible becomes possible. Ginger’s tale tests friendships and loyalties, and her story is partly one of unbecoming. Perhaps Ginger’s story moves more like a fairy tale in reverse, where the challenge isn’t discovering how to make a perfect ending, but how to embrace life’s most brutal imperfections.
As Fast as She Can
E.F. Schraeder
Living in a quiet house on the outskirts of town, Ginger isn’t like the other girls.
When she wakes up and discovers the unthinkable about her adoptive parents, she runs away and goes on a rampage straight to the only friend she has. Can she control what they both become?
With a violent, growing hunger and more questions than answers, Ginger has nowhere to turn.
As Fast as She Can is currently available on:
Amazon: US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India | The Netherlands
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — The author of Liar: Memoir of a Haunting (Omnium Gatherum, 2021) and other works, E.F. Schraeder usually writes about not quite real worlds. Schraeder is also an avid gardener and hot pepper enthusiast who believes in ghosts, magic, and dogs. Say hello online at efschraeder.com.
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