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Reviewing Cursed Princess Club, A Webtoon/Graphic Novel Series
Synopsis
Meet Gwendolyn – living proof that princesses don’t always have it all.
Although she lives in a castle and her father is the King, Gwendolyn isn’t like a movie princess or even a fairy-tale princess. She’s got a big heart but isn’t particularly attractive and doesn’t have a Disney-quality singing voice.
But one night, she accidentally stumbles upon the twisted world of the Cursed Princess Club, and her life will never be the same.
Hexed and cast out, the ladies of the club are just the people Gwendolyn needs to show her that just because she doesn’t “fit the mold” does not mean she’s any less of a princess.
Genres/Categories
Fantasy, Romance, Action, Drama, Comedy, Adventure.
Trigger Warnings
Depression, suicide, body shaming, death, gore, emotional abuse, physical abuse, violence, attempted murder, insecurities, curses, outcasting, sexism, anxiety, betrayal, misgendering, hallucinations, intrusive thoughts, bullying, war themes, animal death.
My Thoughts on Cursed Princess Club
Cursed Princess Club (CPC) has long been one of the most-read webtoons. Personally, I love reading completed webtoons because when they’re not, I find myself unable to wait for each episode.
This means I only read CPC in the past month when I learned that it was nearing completion. And I regretted not starting sooner.
I love the idea of a story based on cursed characters. I grew up with fairytales. My early childhood mornings were spent rewatching Cinderella, Snow White, and more—when I wasn’t begging someone in my family to read similar fairytales to me, of course.
Fairytales helped me understand that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
But I must admit that my view of fairytales was extremely narrow until I read G. F Miller’s YA novel Glimpsed.
It’s a refreshing fairytale retelling which instead of being about a character emulating a fairytale princess, is about a teenage fairy godmother.
I hadn’t considered if a fairy godmother ever got her happy ending. While giving to others is a noble endeavor, wouldn’t it be draining to do so in exchange for nothing more than the satisfaction of a job well done?
Glimpsed by G. F. Miller answered many of my questions, and transformed my preconceived notions about fairytales.
Fun Fact: I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing G. F. Miller. I’ve linked it here for you to check it out!
That’s why I fell in love with Cursed Princess Club. Here we have Princess Gwendolyn who is so unbelievably kind, lives in a happy household, but has her heart (and reflection) shattered by the utterance of a single word, causing her to believe she’s cursed in a not-literal sense.
Seeking refuge in a secret society for cursed princesses (…plus a prince and a stern butler), she unlocks an understanding of the world and herself that she wouldn’t have with the clichéd true-love and happily-ever-after route.
CPC is unarguably character-driven. I loved that every character had their story shared.
What surprised me the most was its portrayal of modern-day social constructs.
It’s illustrated that beauty, intellect, and courage aren’t determined by achieving or demonstrating a set of most likable traits.
That masculinity isn’t about how manly you look and femininity shouldn’t bar someone from taking advantage of supposedly “manly” opportunities.
Every character is tackling something—and you’re accompanying them on their journey.
The world-building is unsurprisingly phenomenal. Still, the creativity in its execution is startling.
There are multiple kingdoms in this story and each is named after some combination of colors, type of fabric, or kind of pattern.
For example, there’s a pastel kingdom (of which Gwendolyn is one princess), a plaid one, even a monochrome one. It really makes identifying characters easier in the beginning from the clothes they wear.
And my favorite part—diversity. While racial diversity wasn’t a main focus, there was still a considerable amount of representation.
I saw LGBTQ+ spotlights. I saw characters of all shapes, sizes, curses, hands (or the lack thereof).
If this isn’t intriguing enough for you, there’s also a giant spider (My apologies arcanophobes. It had to be stated), and a princess with no eyes.
It’s clear that the creator has put a lot of thought into the story. The foreshadowing is subtle when you read it the first time and mind-blowing when you re-read it.
There’s a plot twist that could only be described as crazy and staggering character development occurs.
Gwen’s sisters, thankfully, weren’t the stereotypically evil kind.
Everything is smooth—well, besides the occasional chapter descending into astronomical levels of chaos.
The ending is wrapped up tight enough to satisfy you but also leaves enough room for personal interpretations.
As if the story wasn’t already spectacular, CPC leaves an indelible impact with its galore of messages.
Messages I’ve Gained From Cursed Princess Club
☆ It’s essential to forgive people who’ve hurt you. Even if they don’t deserve it, do it for yourself.
☆ Self-love isn’t a destination and you are never alone in your journey, but ultimately the journey is yours.
☆ Sometimes your one true love is yourself.
☆ Trust is easily broken.
☆ Words can be harsh and immobilizing weapons.
Cursed Princess Club in a Nutshell
Pros
Cozy art style, important messages, secret society, lovable characters, subversion of fairytale princess traits.
Cons
It ends. 🙁
Recommended for
Anyone having a tough time in their life. CPC is a comforting and inspiring read.
Buy Cursed Princess Club!
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4
