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Bewitching (Kendra Chronicles #2)

by Alex Flinn (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 4,396 ratings · 665 reviews

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except f...more

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published February 14th 2012 by HarperTeen

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Mar 20, 2012 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, fairy-tales

I think I may have become a permanent fan of Alex Flinn. She seems to be concentrating her writing on fairy tale retellings, well me likey that.

For fans of Beastly thinking this is a book about Kendra the witch I'm here to tell that is only partly true. We get to know her better and see how she has gotten to where she is today, but unfortunately she is not the main focus of the story.

This time around Kendra is trying to help out a girl named Emma. She has a stepdad that she considers her real d...more I think I may have become a permanent fan of Alex Flinn. She seems to be concentrating her writing on fairy tale retellings, well me likey that.

For fans of Beastly thinking this is a book about Kendra the witch I'm here to tell that is only partly true. We get to know her better and see how she has gotten to where she is today, but unfortunately she is not the main focus of the story.

This time around Kendra is trying to help out a girl named Emma. She has a stepdad that she considers her real dad and an overbearing and critical mother. Emma is a smart normal girl, and feels everything is going ok till one day someone new comes to live in her home. A girl named Lisette that is Emma's age. Lisette is Emma's stepsister and her mother has died, so she has come to live with her biological father. The family dynamic is sure to change but for the better or worse is yet to be seen. Well I think you guys can guess which right?

The story starts out with how Kendra became a witch and in between little short stories of other fairy tales she had a hand in pop up. Though these are well written and on their own are great, I couldn't see a strong correlation between these short tales and the main story. They do present why Kendra has reservations on helping people, even though she wants to.

Emma's constant companion of doubt is normal for girls her age. They way teenagers can feel that they don't measure up to certain standards. Emma compares herself constantly to Lisette, and feels like she can never compete. She wants to be accepted by her peers, but she learns that comes at a price she won't be willing to make. I think that (for me) the strongest part of the book is Emma because she is so normal but figures out she does have talents to offer. She is someone that I think girls can relate to. And Lisette, my goodness she is a character. A complex one but she makes the story interesting.

I want to talk about Emma's mom because I know people will kind of hate her, and I can see why. But I want to point out that there are mothers who are like this. She does care about Emma and wants the best for her even though she doesn't always show it the right way. I think the ending is fitting but I felt it was just a tad too convenient. It would have felt more real if we had a little more time with it.

I urge readers who weren’t fans of Beastly to try this one. It feels different and shows some of Flinn’s range. Now please Ms. Flinn write a story about Kendra? I rooted for Emma and all, but there is so much to learn about Kendra the good witch.(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Jona Romulo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, all-time-favorite

WOW! I absolutely love this book! It totally deserves to go in my favorite shelf! This is the best book of Alex Flinn so far, but I also love her Beastly and A kiss in time.
I was really excited about it once I've learned from Flinn's website that she will do a series about Kendra. And I saw this book already out on our local bookstores last week even though the expected publication date is on Feb 14. That's why I'm a bit shocked when I saw it on our stores and I bought a copy immediately. I hav...more WOW! I absolutely love this book! It totally deserves to go in my favorite shelf! This is the best book of Alex Flinn so far, but I also love her Beastly and A kiss in time.
I was really excited about it once I've learned from Flinn's website that she will do a series about Kendra. And I saw this book already out on our local bookstores last week even though the expected publication date is on Feb 14. That's why I'm a bit shocked when I saw it on our stores and I bought a copy immediately. I have no time for hesitations since I'll just be thinking about it. ;) I also learned that there's a book giveaway and I can't join because it is only available in US. So I'm a bit jealous to those who won a copy while I bought my own. But it's all worth it!

Bewitching is mostly about Kendra's adventures since her discovery from the plague in London. What's the best part about the book is the combination of history, literature, and teen romance in it. I was introduced into different book classics which I know but haven't read such as Candide, Vanity Fair and Shakespeare plays. And I love the history part such as the Plague in London, the sinking of Titanic and the story of Louis, Dauphin of France. I even googled everything about them,haha. I also like the spin-off of different fairy tales such as Cinderella, Little Mermaid and Hansel and Gretel.
I had mixed emotions while reading it, I like the history of Kendra and her relationship with his brother. I like her personality, she's strong and smart, she loves to help even though everything doesn't go right and she got blame in the end. I got sad about what happened when she helped the children from a gingerbread house, the prince and the mermaid. They all turned out not well.

This is not just about Kendra, but also about a girl named Emma. She's a typical teenager with a gorgeous evil stepsister, Lisette. But it's not a typical Cinderella story, so you must read it to find out why. It's a great read, sometimes I hate Lisette and sometimes I pity her. But Emma is such a kind girl and I totally believe that she doesn't deserve Warner. (view spoiler) Anyway, I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fairy tales and happy endings. ;) (less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Jessica Ramirez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Where to start, where to start? Let me just start off by sayig this book was just the type of book I love to read. Of course I am a firm believer in fairy tales and love how Alex Flinn spices it up a bit and modernizes it up too.

Ok some spoilers may come so if you want to know nothing at all from the book I suggest you stop reading now!

The book starts off with Kendra as a young girl living in the 1600s about the time of the plague. Her whole family dies from it, except her little brother whom s...more Where to start, where to start? Let me just start off by sayig this book was just the type of book I love to read. Of course I am a firm believer in fairy tales and love how Alex Flinn spices it up a bit and modernizes it up too.

Ok some spoilers may come so if you want to know nothing at all from the book I suggest you stop reading now!

The book starts off with Kendra as a young girl living in the 1600s about the time of the plague. Her whole family dies from it, except her little brother whom she saved through magic. And this is how Kendra, the witch is born! Since she miraculously saved her brother from a disease that wasn't curable, they decide to run away..

Which brings us to the gingerbread house.
At this Gingedbread house lives an old witch who cooks children, who eat her house, into gingerbread fence posts. So sad I know! While all this is happening the witch catches Kendra and her brother charlie and holes them captive. Kendra makes a deal with her and the witch teaches her more magic and she becomes more powerful. Charlie and her end up killing the witch by throwing her in the oven to burn. One of the only ways a witch can truly die. Once they kill her all the children that were baked into gingerbreads were all set free. Happily ever after right? Wrong!The children tell their parents what happen and Kendra and Charlie have to run for their life. And poor Kendra never sees her brother again.

Now is the story of Lisette and Emma. This is where the story gets real good. Its a Cinderella story told from the not so pretty step sister. Emma is smart, plain, and not very cool. In comes a step sister she never knew she had from her father. Lisette is around her age and is everything that Emma is not. Beautiful, talented, and everyone loves her. Except me, I despise Lisette to the max! She is a manipulative, coniving little brat and i spent the whole story wishing something bad would soon happen to her. It wasn't fair what she had done to Emma, I get that she was upset that she lost her father and he was stolen from her at a young age. But my God, there are better ways to handle things. She ended up taking away Emma's father, her boyfriends, her bedroom, and her clothes/other materlistic things. It enrages me because if it were me I would not have cared if she told about me busting up the pumpkin. Thats just me though, Lisette's blackmail was lame..and Emma sure acted stupid for falling for that. I hate stories where the beautiful girl is a real jerk. I liked how in the book it touched up on that. How in the movies the bad guy is always ugly but in books the villian is portrayed as beautiful. I think no matter what the villian wil always be ugly whether they are pretty or not. Its just easier to see a physically ugly person as the villian for some reason. The way Emma's story ended was sweet. I loved how she was the "cinderella" of the book. She had a mouse and got Prince Charming in the end. I feel like I am a lot like her. I would probably take a book to a party and just read too. The only thing is, most guys wouldnt find that too attractive. But its her I am and I am glad Emma stuck to who she was and never faltered. I admired her for that.

Some other fairy tales in the book was The Princess and the Pea, which I am not too familiar with. But I am familiar with The Little Mermaid. I loved Alex's take on the little mermaid. It was not a happily ever after and I found myself sad after reading it. I wish it could have ended differently for Doria. Her story was so tragic. She saves the boy she loves from drowing after the Titanic sinks. Also another thing i loved about the book, all the historical notes she put into this. It was well thought out.

I recommend this book to people of all ages, its just that good. If you love fairy tales, you will eat this up!
I am so happy to have recieved and early copy of the book, it has been good!(less)

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May 25, 2012 VK marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Just won this book! Excited to get it and read it! :)

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Feb 09, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-paranormal, arc

What if the fairy tales we all grew up on got it wrong? What if the evil step-sisters weren't so bad, but cruelly manipulated by Cinderella? What if the mermaid didn't get her "happily ever after" with her prince,but a tragic end? What if the witch wasn't an evil shrew, but just a lonely girl who tries to help others, sometimes with disastrous results? Bewitching, re-telling classic tales through the eyes of the witch, breathes new life into these stories and shows us (to quote my favorite witch...more What if the fairy tales we all grew up on got it wrong? What if the evil step-sisters weren't so bad, but cruelly manipulated by Cinderella? What if the mermaid didn't get her "happily ever after" with her prince,but a tragic end? What if the witch wasn't an evil shrew, but just a lonely girl who tries to help others, sometimes with disastrous results? Bewitching, re-telling classic tales through the eyes of the witch, breathes new life into these stories and shows us (to quote my favorite witch, Alex Russo) "everything is not what it seems".

I have to start by saying that Bewitching caught me completely off-guard. I expected the story to be a little fun and cute, but I didn't expect the lessons learned and to have as much fun as I did! The story is primarily from Kendra's point-of-view, but does switch to the view of the character she is helping at the moment, mainly Emma. Emma is a sweet, but plain girl, bookish and quiet, living a happy life with her mother and step-father. But her life takes a dramatic turn when her beautiful, perfect, and seemingly fragile step-sister Lisette comes to live with them after her mother's death. Emma is desperate for a sister, and wants to be close to Lisette, but it quickly becomes apparent that Lisette is out to destroy Emma, out of jealousy. Because she is so sweet and seems innocent and broken, Lisette (Cinderella?) is automatically given the benefit of a doubt. Emma, who is plain and quiet, rarely has the courage to speak up for herself, is quickly forced into the role of the "evil stepsister". Kendra, for the most part is a quiet observer to Emma's pain, only offering bits of advice. But when Lisette goes too far in her effort to destroy Emma, she decides to step in and help. Will her efforts turn out as tragically as it did with a certain mermaid? Or will she be able to change a life for the better, as she did with the Beast?

Bewitching is the first of Alex Flinn's books I've had the pleasure to read. I had heard about Beastly, but not until it became a movie and that's most likely because I have a super-strong Alex Pettyfer radar. But now I'm sure to hunt more of her books down and read them. The tale is told in a fun, conversational manner that made me feel as if Kendra and I were having a nice, long chat. The stories she wove into Emma's (the night the Titanic sank, a young French prince searching for a wife) were nice asides that expanded upon the lesson Kendra was conveying.

Bewitching, with a clear message about remaining true to oneself, is a great book for young readers. I could absolutely see a reluctant teen (or tween), snatching this book up and devouring it. But, it's also a story that adults, at least those young at heart, can enjoy!

Favorite Quote:

"She stared at me, at my open mouth. 'Now, what are you going to do about it, Emma? Burn me at the stake? Organize a boycott of all the Harry Potter books because they gave me ideas?' "

* I received an ARC of Bewitching from Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review. *
(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Kimberly Moeller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tale, sequel, teen-literature

I enjoyed this companion novel to "Beastly" far more than the original novel. Flinn's writing style has developed into one that is both in-depth and complex. Kendra, the witch from Beastly and apparently many other "fairy-tales narrates this novel jumping between her current interest in Emma (think stepsister from Cinderella) who is blackmailed and manipulated by her beautiful new stepsister. Interspersed throughout this modern retelling are chapters detailing further classic fairy-tales - Hanse...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, arc, around-the-world-arc-tours, young-adult

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

If you read Beastly, you will remember Kendra was the witch that had a very important supporting role. Kendra is an immortal witch and her story starts out with a retelling of Hansel and Gretel (my first two dachshunds!) where Kendra and her brother are the only survivors in her family after the plague wipes out most of her town. The story weaves back and forth between a Cinderella in current times with bits and pieces of her earlier existence during the early 1700 and the Fre...more

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Oct 18, 2012 lost soul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 12, 2012 Meem rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases-read

Wow. Just...wow. A well-deserved four star.

I love this book. And the cover is exactly how I imagine Kendra. She isn't my favorite witch, but she's definitely up there in the top five. This book literally blew me away. The...strength of feeling is the best way I can think of describing it. The strength of feeling in her words is awe-inspiring. Alex Flinn takes all these corny cliches and turns it into something original. The woman CAN SO WRITE.

This book reads like a thriller, I couldn't stop tur...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Another amazing fairy tale from Author Alex Flinn. This is a book to watch out for come February! The reader is introduced to Kendra Hillferty, a young girl with too much responsibility on her shoulders. Her entire family is suffering from the plague, one of the only member of her family left alive is her brother. Kendra doesn't know it yet, but she is a witch. She makes this astounding discovery when she heals her brother who was at the brink of death. Knowing that she will be charged and tried...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Skyla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Beastly and Alex Flinn

Recommended to Skyla by: Alex

Shelves: based-on-myth-legend, fairytale-retelling

So this is the story of Kendra before she appears in Beastly? That's kind of cool =)

3/April/2012

Okay so I just finished it and I have no idea how to feel right now...I don't know of it was just the copy I have (the paperback from The Book Depository) but there were a lot of editing issues, like a LOT, whole sentences and even paragraphs were jumbled and at first I totally though it was my dyslexia kicking in but then I got my Dad to look it over and he said it wasn't my dyslexia.

"Bewitching" was...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Emma Lueckler rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 27, 2013 Hadil Zawahreh♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

it was Awesome :"") but as usual a happy ending :/
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Photos Taken By me :')

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Aug 20, 2011 G.N. marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-get

This looks intriguing, to say the least. Not my normal choice of fare, but who knows... all it takes is one book to change my mind; this may be it.

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Feb 24, 2012 Joshua Lawrence Perez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I finished reading the book. My rating for it is 4.25 . I honestly think that the stories of the prince and of Doria was unnecessary. Ms. Flinn could have saved a lot of pages and use them to help the people-in-need or something. Anyway, I guess I can say that the book was a fun read. And I did love ending: Travis falling in love with Emma. Lisette abandoning her evil schemes. And a lot of love whatever.

This is the first book I read from Flinn. I didn't know what to expect. But she's good.

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May 02, 2013 Anna Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"'Beastly' isn't the only one she cursed."

When I saw that on the cover (as we walked in the library), that was *IT* - the book was MINE. At least until I found out if was was good or not. Because I could go for another story by the same woman who wrote 'Beastly'.

Only this one is... different. It's told by Kendra (the witch played by Mary-Kate Olsen, who curses Alex Pettyfer so that Vanessa Hudgens can fall for him in the movie version... which wasn't HALF as good as the book). Only in this one,...more "'Beastly' isn't the only one she cursed."

When I saw that on the cover (as we walked in the library), that was *IT* - the book was MINE. At least until I found out if was was good or not. Because I could go for another story by the same woman who wrote 'Beastly'.

Only this one is... different. It's told by Kendra (the witch played by Mary-Kate Olsen, who curses Alex Pettyfer so that Vanessa Hudgens can fall for him in the movie version... which wasn't HALF as good as the book). Only in this one, we get Kendra's story, which begins with the plague in England in 1666... and goes from there into a new version of 'Hansel & Gretel' (with Kendra in the Gretel role). It jumps ahead to the time of Marie Antoinette, and tells a not-as- unique version of the Princess & the Pea, and then jumps forward to mix 'The Little Mermaid' up with the sinking of the Titanic.

But between these different tellings (all featuring Kendra as witch), there's the modern story going on - a story that is a twisted up Cinderella. What if Cinderella was a brat who was playing up how bad she had it to make people feel sorry for her, who used her beauty to manipulate people and screw over her sweet and quiet stepsister... who'd only wanted a sister and friend when Cinderella shows up? What if Cinderella steals the prince, and he doesn't end up being the prince, at all? What if the fairy godmother is a witch wearing a disguise, trying to help the stepsister by giving Cinderella a prince to get her out of the stepsister's life?

I loved it. It was fun. A little painful, because the author would build these bombs, and light the fuse, and you'd just watch in horror as it all came tumbling down to this explosion. Then another bomb would be lit, and you get to do it all over again. It was fun. Well written, in spite of the changing points of view. And I loved it.

The original title was 'Magical'... which I like better (it's an adjective, like 'Beastly')... and it's actually #2, not #3 in the series.

And did I mention she's doing a 'Rapunzel' next? I wonder if Kendra stars in the mother Gothel role...(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Penny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: goodreads-first-reads, reviewed

The fairy tales children grow up with aren’t separate stories – there aren’t that many witches around. The ones that do exist, however, travel the world for decades before they perish in the center of a bonfire. One witch, young and good (or at least with good intentions), has had a hand in several of the classic tales. She once brought you Beastly, and is back for more with several stories wrapped up into one chronicle of her various successes and failures. She’s traveled the world and caused a...more The fairy tales children grow up with aren’t separate stories – there aren’t that many witches around. The ones that do exist, however, travel the world for decades before they perish in the center of a bonfire. One witch, young and good (or at least with good intentions), has had a hand in several of the classic tales. She once brought you Beastly, and is back for more with several stories wrapped up into one chronicle of her various successes and failures. She’s traveled the world and caused all kinds of mishaps, but some turned out better than others, like her main story, of an evil stepsister who’s not the one you’d expect. This witch, eternally young, has found something to pass the lonely span of time that she must live through: righting the wrongs of modern American high school. In this story, though, after centuries of a solitary life, will she finally find a friend?

Bewitching follows the witch, Kendra, who turned Kyle into a beast in Beastly, who apparently has quite a history with classic fairy tales. Bewitching has stories inspired by Hansel & Gretel, The Little Mermaid (interwoven with the Titanic– what), The Princess and the Pea, and most glaringly, Cinderella. It starts out with Kendra telling her own story about herself and the witch that lured her to her gingerbread house and tried to bake her in 1666, then moves on to the first part of a twisted Cinderella, then to The Princess and the Pea, then back to Cinderella, then to The Little Mermaid, then back to Cinderella with commentaries thrown in there by the well-meaning witch herself. This was an interesting way of telling the story, and would’ve worked to build the suspense around the Cinderella part if I were the type of patient reader who followed the rules. Actually, I just read the Hansel & Gretel and all three Cinderella parts, skipping the other two and going back for them after I’d picked my jaw up off the floor about the ending to Flinn’s Cinderella.

First off, a word on the first part of the book, Girl to Woman to Witch: England, 1666 (wordy titles seem to be a thing here). It was a great rethinking of Hansel & Gretel, and had elements of plague in there that appealed to me as a dark, contagion kind of girl. I was majorly turned off from the story by the wording: long, ancient sentences with no modern tricks, which I usually enjoy in a book. I definitely understood why it was told in that voice, but it got on my nerves and pulled me out of the story (sometimes so I could read particularly convoluted sentences out loud for the appreciation of those around me). After thinking about it for a while, I can think of another reason the book would begin in such an antiquated language style. The rest of the book, though a lot of it was set in modernish times, resonated with slightly old fashioned grammar that, had I not already been exposed to the extreme version in the beginning of the book, would have gotten on my nerves as well. As it was, I was so relieved to find some normal language (even a few slang words, though I oppose to the non-sarcastic usage of the ‘word’ “totes”) that I was alright when faced with the reality that I was about to read the rest of a 338 page novel without the use of mom, mama, mum, mummy, mommy, even momma – only Mother. Smart move, Mrs. Flinn.

Onto the Cinderella aspect of the book. Cinderella was never a fairy tale I got into as a kid, but I knew the general outline. Poor, beautiful Cinderella is exploited by the evil stepsisters and stepmother after her wonderful father dies and leaves her no other choice than to live with her evil, evil relatives. I was expecting that kind of run of the mill story. I was surprised, however, that this was no Cinderella Story (an awful movie, by the way. Not even the dancing was good). Minor, maybe a little bit of a spoiler alert, the poor, beautiful orphaned girl is the villain, and the nerdy, ‘ugly’ stepsister is the heroine. Yeah. That was cool. On the other hand, it was INCREDIBLY frustrating (so frustrating that it made me use capital letters, which is something I try to save for extreme situations). I get that way with books that have very little justice for a long time, and they often end up being thrown at things or possibly dropped in puddles, bathtubs, waterslides, etc (true story, bro). Luckily I inflicted no such damage on the gorgeous hardcover and was able to see the story through to the end, which was brilliant. The end, I mean, though I liked the story too. But man, I did not see that coming (at least not until the last couple chapters, where there were definite signs. I’ll shut up now, so as not to spoil anything, but if you read any part of this book, make it the third installment of Lisette and Emma). So that was nice.

I found the couple chapters on The Princess and the Pea fairly mediocre, though it was also a nice twist. I liked the bit on The Little Mermaid, but I’m a sucker for anything Titanic related (possibly the most awesome fiction-inspiring event in history), so I’m probably not the most impartial judge on that one. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure why they broke up the installments of Lisette and Emma, but they were an interesting addition.

To read the full review, please head to Bookmarks. (less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Amanda Benko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I adored this book so much. In this book you get to know and understand Kendra much better. It explains about how Kendra became a witch and about the beginning of her childhood. The author Alex even explores through some of the fairy tails Kendra helped out in.

The whole point of the story is based on a girl Emma. Emma's father left her and her mom when Emma was a baby. Emma's mom met another man who when Emma was three, became Emma's father. Emma is extremely close with her father. That is unti...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Cassy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think I might be done with Alex Flinn (fun fact: I thought she was a guy when I first saw her name, turns out boys named Alex are so rare nowadays). It's not that her books are BAD. They just aren't truly great either. And really, they're all the same.

Bewitching is a story where you THINK you're going to a straight portrayal of Kendra's POV. Nope, she's only the narrator at the beginning, in mini stories throughout the book, and at the end. Instead you get the Cinderella remix starring Emma, t...more I think I might be done with Alex Flinn (fun fact: I thought she was a guy when I first saw her name, turns out boys named Alex are so rare nowadays). It's not that her books are BAD. They just aren't truly great either. And really, they're all the same.

Bewitching is a story where you THINK you're going to a straight portrayal of Kendra's POV. Nope, she's only the narrator at the beginning, in mini stories throughout the book, and at the end. Instead you get the Cinderella remix starring Emma, the misunderstand, not quite as pretty stepsister (Lisette's the beautiful, tragic one). I don't know about anyone else, but it felt a little too close to Gregory Maguire's 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister', rehashed in the modern day. But then we see some role reversal, and things take a different turn from there.

While I like how the story turns around and becomes more original, I do have some problems with the execution. It was rather awkward. Things change rather quickly, and you're just supposed to accept it. I did, and didn't mind the new events, but I felt I was shammed by believing one thing only to have another gift-wrapped turn thrust into my hands. And though I had wanted the book to be about Kendra, her mini-stories are awkward as well, and don't add to the story. In fact, they kind of hindered it. It was stop and go, you're reading the Cinderella story, now you're taking a break to view the Little Mermaid, now resuming the Cinderella story. Not a perfect fit.

The middle and end was pretty mushy and satisfying for the teenage brain, don't get me wrong. I have to admit, I was squealing in excitement at some parts. But that doesn't change my view of the book. It didn't move me. It was junk food, yummy, but not lasting. I'm over the book already.

In conclusion, if you want a read to excite your teenager-y part of your mind, but to have no lasting impact, this book is for you. Not quite for me, but nevertheless, I found it somewhat enjoyable.

(Another fun fact: Did you know that Cinderella's slipper could have been made of fur (VAIR), rather than glass (VERRE)? There could have been a mistranslation, seeing as the words sound the same. However, I think it would have been awesome if it had been a 'pantoufle de VERS', which is a slipper made of worms. Just saying).(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Rebecka rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love fairy tales. Traditional or off-the-wall, it doesn't really matter I pretty much will love it unless it's written badly. So my opinion may be a bit biased, but I love Alex Flinn. This is the second book of hers I've read and now I'm going to go add all of her other books to my to read list. I was very happy to learn more about Kendra in this book; the history with the plague and her hand in Hansel and Gretel was great. I think the way she would think back on her past trials at helping was...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Gladys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Love this story, I had this book for a while, but I was not in the mood to read it until today! I think I was saving it for a special occasion. Alex Flinn manage to create not only one story but four beautiful stories that I just could not put down at all. Kendra's story just left me wanting more, at first I thought that the entire story was going to be about her, but I was surprisingly wrong. The story of The prince and the Mairmaid, gave the main story of Emma and Lisette the necessary push to...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Grace Meehan added it · review of another edition

I thought this book was very good. I liked the way Alex Flinn wrote in the eyes of many characters, including Kendra, and Emma. The main story was about a girl named Emma who lived with her mom and step father, who treated her like she was his. When Emma's father took her out on a father daughter day Emma found out she had a step sister named Lisette. Lisette's mother had just died so she was coming to live with Emma's family. Lisette seemed like a beatiful, nice girl but Emma soon found out wha...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Liz B. added it · review of another edition

In the book, Bewitching, by Alex Flinn, we learn about the first three hundred years of the Witch, Kendra. We met Kendra in a previous book by Alex Flinn called Beastly. They frequently reference that plot throughout the book, showing that this book is set recently after the events in Beastly. It talks of how Kendra became a witch, then how she learned her craft. Then it switches to present day, with stepsisters Lisette and Emma and how the beautiful but cruel Lisette tries to drive a wedge bet...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tale-retelling, fantasy, ya, witches

Flipping around from perspective to perspective, as well as different historical eras, requires a steady hand--Flinn does an exceptionally good job juggling the many balls she has tossed out there in this novel. Readers will be spellbound (no pun intended). Kendra's family, all but her little brother, dies in the plague of 1665; leaving their village, the two come across a house made of gingerbread, and a witch. Predictably the witch entraps them, but Kendra, who has realized she has some not in...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Designer Girl;) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story was fun to read. I stayed up reading it and finished it at 1:19am the next day. It is full of sadness, drama and romance. This story is absolutely Bewitching

It starts off with Kendra telling her story of how her family died in the pladue that killed 100'000 people in England. She heals her brother Charie from the disease and finds out that she is a witch. They move away from the village the next day to prevent suspision on them both, for no one who had caught the disease ever survive...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Jailene Encarnacion rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: loved-it

Right when i saw the cover and read the blurb of this book i was hooked and when i saw it was written by the same author who wrote Beastly i knew it would be a good book. To me the telling of 3 adventures of the witch Kendra was very intriguing and the using of fairy tales and history of the world was even better in the stories of the prince and the little mermaid. I also love how Alex started the story by telling the story of how Kendra became to be a witch and a powerful one at that and how sh...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Oceania rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 21, 2012 Kat rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked the part where Kendra narrates. Actually, I really like Alex Flinn's writing in general. I LOVED her other book, Beastly.
I didn't end up finishing this book. I really liked the storyline, plot, etc. But the one thing I couldn't handle was EMMA. I understand that she doesen't like to be alone and that she's always wanted someone to talk to and be with.To fit in. I UNDERSTAND. What I don't understand is why she's so darn naive and innocent. She can't seem to see her step-sister for...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Paranormal Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book. I started and finished it in one day even if I had to do like a kid and read it by flashlight cause everyone was asleep. Yes I did that. This is Kendra's story and you get to see inside her life how she became a witch. In a Hansel and Gretel retelling it takes you to when she was just a girl left alone with her brother cause everyone has passed away due to the plague. It also tells in a Little Mermaid retelling of her time aboard the Titanic, her time in France think The Prince...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Pam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-read-in-2012, ya-read-in-2012, read-in-2012

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Do I have to read Beastly to understand Bewitching?	9	23	May 21, 2013 11:34am
Fairy Tales, Kind...: Bewitching by Alex Flinn	3	5	Sep 25, 2012 02:11pm
NI New Hampshire ...: My Book of the Month	1	1	Apr 28, 2012 02:43pm
RIP OFF COVER	12	216	Mar 08, 2012 01:17pm
Book Giveaways: Bewitching by Alex Flinn	1	12	Feb 08, 2012 09:51pm
Book Giveaways: Bewitching by Alex Flinn	1	14	Feb 08, 2012 09:50pm

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About Alex Flinn

I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But...more I was born in a log cabin in the Big Woods of . . . okay, maybe not. I was born on Long Island, New York. When I was five years old, my mom said that I should be an author. I guess I must have nodded or something because, from that point on, every poem I ever wrote in school was submitted to Highlights or Cricket magazine. I was collecting rejection slips at age seven!

I learned to read early. But I compensated for this early proficiency by absolutely refusing to read the programmed readers required by the school system -- workbooks where you read the story, then answered the questions. When the other kids were on Book 20, I was on Book 1! My teacher, Mrs. Zeiser, told my mother, "Alexandra marches to her own drummer." I don't think that was supposed to be a good thing. Now, when my daughter, Katie, brings home FCAT prep materials where you are supposed to read a passage and answer questions, I want to ask the teacher, "Does she really need to do this? She can read!!!"

My family moved to Miami when I was in middle school. I had a really hard time making friends, so I spent a lot of time reading and writing then. But unlike Christopher Paolini or Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, I never finished writing a novel. That was also when I learned to be a keen observer. By high school, I'd made some friends and gotten involved in various "gifted and talented" performing arts programs. I studied opera in college (I'm a coloratura -- the really loud, high-pitched sopranos.) and then went to law school.

It was law school that probably helped with my first novel. Breathing Underwater deals with the serious and all-too-common problem of dating violence. I based the book on my experiences interning with the State Attorney's Office and volunteering with battered women. I thought this was a really important topic, as 27 percent of teenage girls surveyed have been hit by a boyfriend. I'm happy that the book is so popular, and if you are reading this bio because the book was assigned for school, I'm happy about that too.

I started writing an early (and laughable) version of Breathing Underwater in college (I was really bored on a car trip with my parents). I didn't get back to it until I had my first daughter, Katie. I'm self-taught. I went to the library and took out books on writing. Then, I read a lot of young-adult novels by writers I admired, particularly Richard Peck. Reading his books is like listening to Mozart -- you learn the right way to write a novel. Then, you fill in your own style. I actually got to meet Richard Peck in person at a workshop of the Key West Literary Seminar. Lots of writers have been really helpful to me, especially Richard and fellow YA author, Joyce Sweeney.

I think I write for young-adults because I never quite got over being one. In my mind, I am still 13-years-old, running laps on the athletic field, wearing this really baggy white gymsuit. I'm continually amazed at the idea that I have a checking account and a mortgage. So I try to write books that gymsuit girl might enjoy. It's a way of going back to being 13...knowing what I know now.
Right now, I live half a mile away from my old middle school, in Palmetto Bay, a suburb of Miami, with my husband, Gene, and daughters, Katie and Meredith. (less)

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Breathing Underwater (Breathing Underwater #1)

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Quotes from Bewitching

“A memory came to me. One time, in middle school, a famous author came to talk to our class and give a writing workshop. One of the things she told us about writing a novel was that the story should be about what the main character wants. Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas. George Milton wants a farm of his own. Amelia Sedley wants to marry her darling George and live happily ever after. The end of the story, according to the famous author, is when the character either gests what he wants or realizes he’s never going to get it. Or sometimes, she said, like Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, realizes she doesn’t actually want what she thought she wanted all along.

pg. 324 of Bewitching” — 17 people liked it

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Bewitching (Kendra Chronicles #2)

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