A Whole New World
by Liz Braswell
What would have happened if Aladdin never got the lamp? Rather, Jafar got his hands on the genie? That is what this story is about--Aladdin and Jasmine still meet, and Abu is still that rowdy monkey, but the tables have turned.
Jafar is bribing people with food and gold, because now as the most powerful sorcerer, he can conjure almost anything. He is also working on breaking the magic laws, so he can create an army of the undead.
Jasmine and Aladdin, along with the help of the other thieves and street rats must outwit Jafar and stop him before he takes over the world!
This story definitely is a "twisted tale!" The first eighty pages, though, follow the Disney version of Aladdin, exactly. I don't know if I like that because it's familiar, or it grows weary because it's the same story for eighty pages. Regardless, once Jafar gets the lamp, everything turns, and the reader is left wondering how a lowly street rat could possibly stop someone who is omniscient and omnipotent.
Jasmine struggles with the burden of what it means to be Sultana, and I love that Braswell really discusses this. Jasmine realizes her father acted like a child, and even played with toys instead of taking care of his people. So while this is a generic dystopian style with an Aladdin twist, readers will really root for Jasmine and her future ruling Agrabah!
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