Fairy Bad Day

Feb 08, 2012 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, 2011

Oh goodness, this just was pure fun. Yup, not too much other than that but you know what, at the time it's what I needed and if you can put a smile on my face you're golden.

There is nothing in the world that Emma wants more than to be a dragon slayer. Basically, failure is not an option. She has worked her butt off at the Burtonwood Academy and her mother was a dragon slayer, so it seems she's destined to fill this role. Unfortunately for Emma the Academy choses somebody else; they chose the too...more Oh goodness, this just was pure fun. Yup, not too much other than that but you know what, at the time it's what I needed and if you can put a smile on my face you're golden.

There is nothing in the world that Emma wants more than to be a dragon slayer. Basically, failure is not an option. She has worked her butt off at the Burtonwood Academy and her mother was a dragon slayer, so it seems she's destined to fill this role. Unfortunately for Emma the Academy choses somebody else; they chose the too cute to be true Curtis. No, instead of dragon slayer she is a fairy slayer. Ummm... what? Yes a fairy slayer, the tiny people with wings that wreck annoying havoc on everyone else. Emma can't fathom why she is assigned to these creatures, and why it's so important. But with the help of her two best buds, Loni and Tyler, and Curtis, she'll figure out a long hidden secret that involves the death of the mother and the fairies. Interesting stuff no?

Emma is a heroine with a sense of humor, which I readily gravitate toward. There is mention of her home life and how she wants to have a better relationship with her father, and learn how to fit in his new life. Then there is of course Curtis. Curtis is what you expect from these books. He has confidence but is hiding a secret. The interaction between Emma and him is funny of course, because Emma just envies his position as dragon slayer so much. It sure makes for some interesting scenarios.

The fairies have some of the best comedic moments in the story, and they weren't what you always thought they'd be. So why three stars? I did like it but I think I would have liked a tighter plot and a better sense of surroundings. The academy is actually in the contemporary world, but it's a place to train slayers and I wanted a little more of that type of flavor in the writing. And her friends do get some airtime, but I felt like I didn't know them as well as I wanted to.

Now what's up with the cover? Is it just me but does it look like she is stabbing a butterfly? Not really a fairy is it? But hey I like the sword, so it's all good right? Ok enough with the questions go forth and read and have a good laugh. I sure did.(less)

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Nov 21, 2011 papalbina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, kindle, feel-good

Amanda Ashby did an awesome job with this standalone book, because she introduces you in a new world of slayers of supernatural creatures very smoothly, just flowing with the story telling.

It felt fantastic to finish for once a book knowing everything that was loose at the beginning is tide up by the end. There're still a couple of not too tight tied endings that could open again, but for now Emma's story is closed. I'd love to read more adventures starring such wonderful, charismatic and funny...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: extended-reviews

For a book devoid of any projectile-delivering weapons, there sure is a lot of "shooting" going on in Fairy Bad Day. You can find it nearly anywhere there's extended interaction between characters, but let's just look at two sections of the book for a few examples:

169: Emma shot her friend a grateful smile
170: Loni shot her an apologetic look
172: Emma shot her friend a doubtful look
178: Emma shot her a sympathetic glance
181: She shot Curtis a grateful look
182: he shot her a rueful smile
206: Emma...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Cinnamon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: voya, arc, faeries, fantasy, young-adult, 2011, reviewed, 3-fairly-intriguing

This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

The dragon slayer designation obviously belongs to Emma Jones, what with her top combat exam scores and famous dragon-slaying mother’s legacy. No one can dispute that fact until Curtis Green, the relative newbie at Burtonwood Academy, snatches the coveted title right out from under her nose. Assigned as a fairy slayer instead and humiliated with the job of chasing these little winged critters around shopping malls, Emma is quick to jump to...more This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

The dragon slayer designation obviously belongs to Emma Jones, what with her top combat exam scores and famous dragon-slaying mother’s legacy. No one can dispute that fact until Curtis Green, the relative newbie at Burtonwood Academy, snatches the coveted title right out from under her nose. Assigned as a fairy slayer instead and humiliated with the job of chasing these little winged critters around shopping malls, Emma is quick to jump to action when a large dragon-like creature is seen attacking a school bus, bypassing the school’s meticulously placed and calibrated wards in the process. Well, no one can actually see this gargantuan and evil-looking creature besides Emma and her archenemy Curtis. As she sets out to eliminate this threat, Emma unearths secrets about her deceased mother and the history of the elemental creatures’ descent into her mostly blissfully oblivious world.

Now this is the type of YA paranormal story that actually delivers in both pacing and originality. The world-building occurs right alongside the story, which just keeps rolling along after Emma discovers the elusive attacker almost no one else can see. As a stand-alone novel, the author did a remarkable job in wrapping up the conclusion by answering questions and simultaneously leaving a few threads untied. The writing style is not overly sophisticated, and while this doesn’t subtract from the overall flow of the novel per se, it left something to be desired.

Onto the characters: both the main and side ones are multi-faceted and actually have personalities -- from horoscope and techie-geek Loni to betting and pet cockroach-obsessed Trevor. Emma and Curtis’s interactions are cute in a slightly gushy way, whereas Loni and Trevor have a seriously hilarious rapport going on. These four are adorable. Simply adorable.

Fairy Bad Day is a unique combination of boarding school life and paranormal creature-slaying teens told in a snarky narrative that makes the novel quite a joy to read. I will be looking into other books by Amanda Ashby.

Book Source: ARC via VOYA(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Simcsa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-english, read-in-2011, fantasy-paranormal, supernatural-creatures, fairies

3.5 stars

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her!

What I didn't like?

- Plot holes Even if there aren't many of them, it still manages to irk me. I would say the worst one is actually a p...more

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Mar 20, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, pnr, fluffy

3.5 STARS

The story centered on Emma, who aspired to be a dragon slayer. She’d worked for that title her whole life and besides, it meant so much more to her because her mother was a famous dragon slayer before she passed away. It was a legacy left behind for her. Yet she gets assigned as a fairy slayer... But maybe it was meant to be; because a huge demon-dragon-like evil fairy is on the loose, and Emma’s the only one who can see it.

I expected pure fluff from this book, but was pleasantly surpr...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: penguin, 2011, arcs, ya-kids-teen, own, lovestory-done-right, paranormal, mc-girl

Okay, right away when I read this book back in April, I knew it was going to be something special. Seriously. The storyworld here is very dynamic, very detailed, and beautifully simple. It's like Hogwarts lite combined with a non-mythology version of Camp Half Blood. In this world, kids like Emma attend a boarding school (and just the fact that it's a boarding school that doesn't reek of the "Gossip Girl"/House of Night/every-juvenile-delinquent-activity-you-can-think-of- that-allegedly-happens-...more Okay, right away when I read this book back in April, I knew it was going to be something special. Seriously. The storyworld here is very dynamic, very detailed, and beautifully simple. It's like Hogwarts lite combined with a non-mythology version of Camp Half Blood. In this world, kids like Emma attend a boarding school (and just the fact that it's a boarding school that doesn't reek of the "Gossip Girl"/House of Night/every-juvenile-delinquent-activity-you-can-think-of- that-allegedly-happens-at-a-boarding-school image REALLY gives me hope for these places continuing to be used as a legitimately-interesting story location) where they learn how to use their gifts to help control the paranormal population. Kids like Emma have "the sight," meaning they can see the several paranormal creatures that make up this richly populated story world, and their jobs are simple: keep these paranormals in order, and if need be, protect the human population by, well, slaying wayward paranormals. There are troll slayers, demon slayers, goblin slayers, coveted dragon slayers, and fairy slayers, which Emma unhappily becomes as the story opens. There were some parts of the story that didn't really feel very clear to me (for example, if humans can't see all the paranormals, are they really in danger of them? and is slaying really necessary?) But quite simply, I found this book utterly fascinating.

I really do love "rite-of-passage" characters, so while Emma's initial me-centric and immature attitude was a little hard to, I really enjoyed how she gradually became responsible, sensitive, and caring. She became much more in-tune with those around her, including the character who is my absolute favorite in the book - Curtis! Curtis was everything I like: sense of humor without being a goofball, caring but not overbearing, and assertive enough to stand up for himself when Emma got a little ridiculous with herself. Plus - added bonus - he went through most of the book on crutches. Yes, a dude who is "strong" and capable but still can't quite walk without assistance. That was very cool, and that's something that really set him apart and made him stand out from all the other love interests in all the other books I've gone through.
Even though I usually make much ado about the main characters in a book (boy/girl + love interest), I need to mention how well-rounded and charming the supporting characters were. In a time in YA fiction when the designated "best friend character" is usually a couple fries short of a Happy Meal (not in a generally unintelligent way but in an airheady, probably-listened-to-too-many-Hansen-songs way). Either that or they're the "writing angry poetry in red pen" sort. So I really, really enjoyed the fact that Emma's friends/classmates had personalities and were genuinely interesting, but not the Adderall-and-a-leash kind.
Though Fairy Bad Day's ending was satisfying, I am absolutely dying to know if this will be the first installment in a series. As interesting as the storyworld was, there's so much more that could be expanded, so many details left to be explored. This is one of the few books of 2011 that really, truly, has made me want MORE. And isn't the cover a win?!
Seriously, I can't think of a book that's more deserving of your attention this summer!
(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Elevetha Houre rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, adventure, cute-and-fun, decent-enough, fey, fun-summer-fluff, magic-and-other-magical-substances, middle-grade

Okay, real quick. Who here thinks that she should be holding Skittles on the cover; not a sword?

Cute and fun and fluffy.

Emma is positive that she is a dragon slayer, like her mom. There's no way she can be anything but a dragon slayer. Until she's pegged as a fairy slayer, that is.

I must interject here: If she is the first fairy slayer EVER, how does that work? Why was there even a test for it?

So she's a fairy slayer and fairies are a nuisance but it's not like they ever do anything really bad....more

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Apr 19, 2013 Karen LOVESREADING rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faeries, fantasy, young-adult, romance, crush-worthy-guys, dragons

Although this story took me a while to get into, I really enjoyed it. I’m definitely going to look out for more of Amanda Ashby’s novels.

The writing was good; I was engrossed with this story the whole way through. Fairy Bad Day has some pretty good twists in it. Ones that I had never thought were coming. The characters were well-rounded and quirky. Oh and I love Ashby’s version of fairies!

Emma is a confident young girl that believes that she wants follow in her mother’s footsteps, as a dragon s...more

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May 17, 2013 WJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, young-adult

Opening Line: "Demon, definitely," Emma Jones whispered as another sophomore made his way from Principal Kessler's office to where everyone was waiting on the grassy quad.

Fairy Bad Day is exactly the kind of book you would want to read on a lazy summer's day. It's fluffy, the plot is very easy to follow and it has a likeable MC. The plot of the book isn't exactly rocket science but I think that Ashby manages to pull off old school YA quite well.

What I liked about it:

1. The magical creatures invo...more Opening Line: "Demon, definitely," Emma Jones whispered as another sophomore made his way from Principal Kessler's office to where everyone was waiting on the grassy quad.

Fairy Bad Day is exactly the kind of book you would want to read on a lazy summer's day. It's fluffy, the plot is very easy to follow and it has a likeable MC. The plot of the book isn't exactly rocket science but I think that Ashby manages to pull off old school YA quite well.

What I liked about it:

1. The magical creatures involved. I'll pretty much read anything that has even a whiff of pararnormal stuff in it (with the exception of things with vampires in it, unless I really find the summary very compelling). The tiny little fairies were really funny, especially their obsession with pop culture and their snarky attitude. The evil fairy involved was actually quite scary as well, serving as a good counterpoint to the generally harmless fairies.

2. A strong female MC. I liked how tough Emma was, how despite all the setbacks she's had, she doesn't give up easily. I especially liked how balanced her relationship with Curtis is. She isn't dependent upon him to save her but chooses to save herself instead as well as to take upon the duties of protecting her school and everyone she loves. This is a really important message missing from a lot of YA books: that girls are every bit as capable an strong as boys are and that relationships should not be built on co-dependency.

3. Emma's friends and the supporting cast, are awesome and are people that I would actually like to hang out with in real life. Loni and Tyler are great friends to Emma, they trust her and I love how their friendship is built on respect and admiration from both parties. Their characters are realistically portrayed too, there's no Mary Sue best friend here.

4. The pacing of the book was pretty good, things unfolded quite quickly and it's easy for the reader to digest what was happening. There were some twists and turns involved to keep things interesting too.

There wasn't exactly anything that I actively disliked about Fairy Bad Day except that I found the writing a little too simplistic. You could argue that I'm not exactly the target audience, but I found that there were too many repetitions of the same word or too much telling and not enough showing. For example, 'Loni demanded in a confused voice'. Ashby is just telling us that this is happening but we don't exactly see how this is happening.

Due to the somewhat underwhelming prose, I can't bring myself to give the book a perfect rating. However, based on the merits of the plot as well as the great chemistry and relationship between Emma and Curtis, Fairy Bad Day is definitely worthy of four stars.(less)

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Dec 20, 2012 Tiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, so I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand - I purposefully picked it up because I was wanting a light, fluffier read, so I know I shouldn't be expecting much. But on the other hand, there were several things that fell flat for me. There was good and bad, so I'll start with the good.

The good: Pacing of this story was great - it pulled you along to the end to a satisfying conclusion. I never felt too rushed or too bored. It was a fun story line. I enjoyed learning more about thei...more Okay, so I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand - I purposefully picked it up because I was wanting a light, fluffier read, so I know I shouldn't be expecting much. But on the other hand, there were several things that fell flat for me. There was good and bad, so I'll start with the good.

The good: Pacing of this story was great - it pulled you along to the end to a satisfying conclusion. I never felt too rushed or too bored. It was a fun story line. I enjoyed learning more about their world, and I liked Emma's voice.

The bad: I felt like the writing was a little ... less than stellar. There were so many plot devices (1. where a character acts a certain way because that's the way it *needs* to happen for the story to develop, rather than acting that way because that's truly how their character would act, or 2. where certain events unfold in such a way because otherwise it would fall apart at the end, even if something more original would have worked better) that I found myself shaking my head in frustration. The characters could have been fleshed out better, too.

One of the annoying things that kept catching my attention was how much the characters "shot" looks at one another. (eg. He shoots her a look of frustration, she shoots him a look of gratitude, she shoots her friend a look of confusion, etc.) The word "shot" implies a type of piercing gaze or at least a look that was done quickly, but the author used the word everywhere, even when it didn't make sense (he shot her a look of tenderness ... really? He shot that to her?) Seriously, I bet the word "shot" appeared almost every other page, which was a lot.

Also, as far as the writing goes - I really felt this book would have been better in first person, rather than third. I think it would have eliminated some confusion (I couldn't even figure out who the main character that we were following was, until a few pages in).

I just felt like this book had a good premise, but would have been a lot better if the editing had been a little more thorough. As a result, it was a good story line that kept failing to impress me with its writing. If you're the type of person who doesn't notice the writing aspect of things, then this book would probably be great for you. I however, tend to catch all the little mistakes, and once they pop out at me, I just notice them even more.(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Yola NY rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-romance, faery, kekuatan-super, punya, teens, terjemahan

pas beli nih buku di tobuk, aku gak ngarepin yg tinggi-tinggi amat sih kebagusan nih buku. diliat dr sinopsis ama cover bukunya, lucu deh, refreshing bentar buat ntar mau baca novel fantasi yg agak lebih rumit. (efek bru slesai baca the power of six)

eh.. bonus deh aku! trnyata nih buku lbh dr yg aku harepin. haha. seru lah. banyak rahasia yg kudu dipecahin, yg pas endingnya trnyata "wow, begini!" haha

pas baca sinopsis, berasa buku ini kayak fantasy tennlit macam oh.my.gods!
pas baca isi dalamnya...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Melanie rated it 3 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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Aug 16, 2011 Lynnea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demon, dragon, fairy-pixie-elves, paranormal, romance

Emma goes too Burtonwood Academy, a school for people gifted with the sight (ability to see demons, goblins, dragons, etc.) Emma's mom was an amazing dragon hunter and Emma has sought after that position since her mother's death five years ago. When the assignments are made at the beginning of her sophmore year she finds that she is to be a ..... fairy slayer?? Is there such a thing?

She spends the next few weeks hating Curtis, the boy that is assigned to be the dragon slayer. All that does is g...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fairies

I wanted to read this ever since I saw it appearing around the blogosphere and I am so glad I won a copy from the lovely Lesley at My Keeper Shelf! This was so much fun and is the perfect beach read. (Okay, I read it by the pool, but the holiday read label still applies!)

Emma and her friends are training to be elemental slayer – each year there is only one Dragon Slayer and Emma is sure she will be chosen. Instead she is given fairies – small, annoying, mall-haunting, skittle eating fairies who...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Ronmaes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just when so many YA book about seelie court-type-fairies pops up, Amanda Ashby introduces you back to the kind of fairies that you would most probably find Tinkerbell hanging out with. Mischievous little snitches, Emma Jones couldn't believe that she was designated to be their first slayer in the history of Burntwood academy. Her mother being one of the best dragon slayers known, taught her the ropes of being a dragon-slayer. All her time in the academy, Emma believed she would become one of th...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Midnight rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fun book, not the normal fairy book. These fairies are rude, obnoxious, annoying, rude (did I say that already), and pests, but they have their slightly enjoyable side - oh, and did I mention they are only 10 inches tall. Well, that is except for the darkhel which is much taller - huge to be exact - and all evil, and this particular darkhel is looking to open the gates to its world to let its - just as evil - brothers out. The interesting thing about the darkhel is that only one person can she...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I liked this book about as much as I expected to.
It was a decent story, the heroine wasn't perfect, but not unbelivable. I think her group of friends were a bit predicatable, but they didn't detract from the story just because they were cast-types.

Pacing was good, book wasn't work to read at all. I wished for a bit more development between Emma and the "small fairy" folk, they went from "bitter foes" to "enemy of my enemy" a bit too fast for my taste, but asides from that it worked out pretty g...more

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Jun 21, 2011 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, speak

Positive: Emma (I just love that name). Strong, capable, and very stubborn (when she finds out she's not the dragon slayer, she just about drives her principal nuts trying to prove to him that she's the right chick for the job and almost gets expelled, too!), Emma is still smart enough to know when she needs help (usually). Her stubbornness gets her into some serious trouble, though.

Positive: The little fairies! These guys, Trevor, Rupert and Gilbert, are hilarious! (But don't call 'em little. I...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review originally posted at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...

MY THOUGHTS
Fairy Bad Day is a charming story full of humor and general hilarity, leaving us thoroughly entertained and earning itself a place on our shelves among those stories that are go-to reads when we need a big smile on our faces. The characters are all adorably quirky and have sharp wits they put to good use on a regular basis, their antics making for a fun, light read that succeeds in being memorable despite not being a...more Review originally posted at: http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...

MY THOUGHTS
Fairy Bad Day is a charming story full of humor and general hilarity, leaving us thoroughly entertained and earning itself a place on our shelves among those stories that are go-to reads when we need a big smile on our faces. The characters are all adorably quirky and have sharp wits they put to good use on a regular basis, their antics making for a fun, light read that succeeds in being memorable despite not being a story that elicits a potent emotional reaction in us. Each chapter brings a delightful coupling of elements–silly humor with serious mystery, giddy attraction with tragic loss, and ridiculous mischief with intense responsibility–thereby undeniably satisfying us on a multitude of levels as we shut the back cover tingling with the pleasant warmth of having finished and all-around good read.

Emma is a young woman with admirable drive and determination, bent on honoring her mother's memory by becoming a dragon slayer and living the life she's always wanted. Unfortunately, the school's tests indicate Emma is to be a fairy-slayer instead, a designation with far less danger and prestige, and one she believes takes considerably less skill. Though we understand her initial extreme disappointment and anger, her whining to anyone who will listen about the injustice of the slight she's suffered begins to get old fast, as does her openly hostile treatment of Curtis. Luckily for us though, Emma does climb her way out of the pit of selfish despair she so dramatically throws herself in at the beginning, shoring up her resolve and embracing her new status as the world of fairy-slaying suddenly proves to be much harder and much more dire than it first appeared.

Curtis is an outstanding male lead, a young man with a talent he doesn't choose to flaunt but rather remains exceedingly modest, his more quiet nature drawing us to him easily as we seek to shield him from Emma's impressive wrath with our affection. While we can tell he's attracted to Emma we're also very aware he's keeping secrets, and though he has fairly perfect looks, the imperfections and vulnerabilities lurking beneath the pretty face are what hold our interest and pique our curiosity. Their relationship is plagued with little misunderstandings, the kind that set our nerves on edge as we puff up in vicarious outrage on behalf of one or the other, and we find ourselves fully vested in every tense silence, every almost kiss, and every casual touch.

Overall, Fairy Bad Day is sweet and funny, taking us on a quick journey through a world of mythical creatures but very human emotions, and is sure to be a joy to read for all those looking to grin foolishly and giggle uncontrollably as evil is fought and love is found.

Rating: 4/5 (less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Dion Yulianto rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jadi, ini adalah kisah perpaduan antara Harry Potter dan Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Adalah Burtonwoods, sebuah sekolah untuk anak-anak yang bisa melihat ke 12 mahkluk elemental dan di skeolah inilah mereka dididik untuk membasmi dan membunuh makluk2 elemental itu. Waduh galak ya... :( . Dalam novel ini, naga, peri, goblin, burung phoenix, iblis, dan lain2nya adalah mahkluk 2 jahat yang suka menculik dan memakan manusia. Mahkluk2 itu masuk ke Bumi melalui Gerbang Linaria sebelum akhirnya gerbang i...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Collin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not the best urban fantasy I've read, but certainly not the worst. Emma was a pretty typical heroine, though I have to give it to the author - even though her mother being dead is old news, the rest of Emma's home life was pretty interesting. It would have been more so if the characters had been given room to be fleshed out.

Curtis, the love interest, could especially have used that room, because I actually liked him. He didn't only think about wuving Emma, and he had an actual backstory. Granted...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Joan{missing the vampire bunny slippers!} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks-i-have

This book was great! I would love to see a movie version!!! :D

So Emma is waiting for the principal to call her into his office and tell her what her what elemental she 'll be responsible to slay. But when Emma is sure that she will be assigned Dragons -it is after all her legacy since her mother was the greatest dragon slayer of all times- she ends up because of some stupid test stuck with Fairies! The least dangerous of all elementals! Her whole world comes upside down and now she is stuck in t...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Maryann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, I will admit that the cover was the first thing that caught my attention on this book. Then I read the blurb and thought to myself that this might be interesting. So, I picked it up on a lark. Oh what a happy lark it was. It is a YA paranormal book, about a girl who wants to be a dragon slayer, like her mom, but instead is told that she is to be a fairy slayer, the first of her kind. Fairies in this book aren't the sweet magical creatures that we have met before, in fact most of them are r...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: youngs teens to adults who want a fun, light read

Shelves: ya-paranormal, faeries-pixies, ya-fantasy

Originally posted at Riffs and Reviews

Actual rating 3.5 stars

I went ahead and purchased Amanda Ashby’s Fairy Bad Day since I was looking for a fun, light read. And this turned out to be just right!

Fairy Bad Day features “sighted” teenagers who attend Burtonwood Academy to learn all about “elementals” (such as dragons, demons, ogres, and fairies) that only they can see and how to slay them. Fifteen-year-old Emma is the daughter of one of the greatest dragon-slayers ever and is all set to be induc...more Originally posted at Riffs and Reviews

Actual rating 3.5 stars

I went ahead and purchased Amanda Ashby’s Fairy Bad Day since I was looking for a fun, light read. And this turned out to be just right!

Fairy Bad Day features “sighted” teenagers who attend Burtonwood Academy to learn all about “elementals” (such as dragons, demons, ogres, and fairies) that only they can see and how to slay them. Fifteen-year-old Emma is the daughter of one of the greatest dragon-slayers ever and is all set to be inducted as the next one in the family, only to learn she has been assigned to be a fairy-slayer! To add insult to injury, her coveted spot has been given to Curtis Green, a scholarship student who was a late addition to the academy. Since fairies are actually considered to be more of a nuisance than a threat, Emma doesn’t really have an instruction manual to fall back on and has to find out the best ways to slay them by herself. Nail files, hairspray and Skittles become her tools of choice, but it turns out the little 10-inch fashionistas are a lot tougher to slay than expected! When Emma and Curtis are teamed up for a class assignment, they stumble upon a giant killer fairy with an evil plot to overturn the mortal realm. As they work together to discover the fairy’s plan, they get to know each other better and Emma is reluctantly drawn to Curtis. But Curtis has a secret of his own that could end his slaying career forever.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this story, from Emma and Curtis to Emma’s friends Loni and Tyler – and especially Emma’s fairy nemeses, Gilbert, Rupert and Trevor. Emma is a bright, confident girl who is convinced she was meant to slay dragons. But when she comes up against the giant evil fairy, she realizes there may actually be something out there tougher than dragons and worthy of her skills. I liked the growth of Emma’s character, and that she didn’t fall easily for Curtis. First she gains respect for him and then the attraction follows naturally. Her interactions with her father and stepmother were very revealing, and it was nice to see how her attitudes towards them changed. Using her brains and skills, Emma goes from a resentful teen to one who knows who she wants to be as she grows.

Curtis is one of the gentler leading men I’ve come across, but he can be tough when he has to be. The small snippets he provided of his life prior to Burtonwood showed he was coming from a difficult background and added more dimension to his character. I wasn’t too sure why he was holding back from a romance with Emma, but when he actually talked it out with her I could see exactly where he was coming from and what a stand-up young man he was. Intelligent, brave, respectful, caring – everything you could want in a boyfriend. His secret wasn’t too difficult to figure out, but I was surprised how it tied into his and Emma’s skill assessments.

The secondary characters of Loni, Tyler and the fairies were just right. Loni was a wonderful mash-up of tech skills and horoscopes. EVERYTHING for her is based on her and her friends’ horoscopes, which was really cute. Tyler is the gambler of the bunch, always up for a bet and the obvious campus bookie. His fortunes are assured. The fairies have attitudes much bigger than their inches and are laugh-out-loud funny, from their fashion sense to their love of James Bond movies. I thoroughly enjoyed all of their scenes. The giant killer fairy is actually a fairly decent menace; there is no known way of killing this particular elemental and it is going to take everything Emma and her friends have learned to try to stop it. Her ultimate solution to the problem was very resourceful.

I don’t really have any negatives for this book; the most I can say is there were a few editing errors, with a couple of words missing. I was looking for a light, entertaining read and this book delivered.

Amanda Ashby’s Fairy Bad Day is a fast, funny, light-hearted read. The main character of Emma shows some really nice growth throughout the story, and she is balanced by a well-rounded leading man in Curtis. The secondary characters are developed just enough to make them stand-out as individuals, with strong quirks to make them interesting. With danger and action, humor, and a little romance, Fairy Bad Day is a very good read indeed.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Mary Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma Jones was destined to be a dragon slayer until the day she was assigned to be a fairy slayer. A fairy slayer – imagine the shock of Emma upon hearing the news.

Fairy Bad Day was a refreshing read. It is a good stand alone book that is both unique and appealing with both the characters and world building. The characters were ok – but at first I really didn’t like Emma with all her anger, stubborness and immaturity towards her “destiny” but eventually the character pulled through. She did save...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Readingjay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy, paranormal, humour, aussie-ya-reading-challenge, 2011, australian

Fairy Bad Day is a fruit salad of genres: urban paranormal, romance, humour a touch of horror and even a mystery all in a high-school setting. It shouldn’t work, but it does, largely because Amanda Ashby doesn’t take herself too seriously. The lightness of touch will make this very readable novel appealing to the target teen girl audience. They will pick it up in the first instance because the cover promises so much. The (faceless) obviously no-nonsense girl’s sword appears to be impaling a pink...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Utami rated it 3 of 5 stars

A fun book to read. Light and entertaining.

Emma, seorang siswa dengan kemampuan supranatural bersekolah di Akademi Burtonwood, sekolah khusus bagi para remaja yang memiliki kemampuan untuk melihat mahluk-mahluk elemental *semacam naga, peri, ogre, and all those magical creatures*. Bersama dua sahabatnya yang unik, Loni dan Tyler, mereka akan segera dilantik sebagai pembasmi mahluk elemental tersebut. Emma berharap dia akan mengikuti jejak ibunya sebagai pembasmi naga. Apa daya, bukannya menjadi...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Kai (Amaterasu Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

If you want to take a break from reading a heavy-themed book, then Fairy Bad Day will do the trick for you.

Emma just wants to be a dragon slayer like her mom. And why not when she's one of the best students Burtonwood Academy has? Everyone expects her to be a dragon slayer! But Emma's dreams came crashing down when she was designated as a fairy slayer instead, while Curtis, a boy who she think hasn't worked as hard as she does, stole her spot. Who kills fairies a...more Review posted at Amaterasu Reads

If you want to take a break from reading a heavy-themed book, then Fairy Bad Day will do the trick for you.

Emma just wants to be a dragon slayer like her mom. And why not when she's one of the best students Burtonwood Academy has? Everyone expects her to be a dragon slayer! But Emma's dreams came crashing down when she was designated as a fairy slayer instead, while Curtis, a boy who she think hasn't worked as hard as she does, stole her spot. Who kills fairies anyway? They're 10 inches tall and they hate sour skittles. Emma wanted to prove that she's worthy of the dragon slayer spot and she was determined not to like Curtis. But what happens when she finds herself being the girl who cried invisible dragons and she suddenly falls for Curtis? Worse was, she was the only one who can see a powerful Fairie who can't be killed.

Emma is one stubborn girl. She had this single minded goal that she needs to be just like her mom, a dragon slayer, that she didn't know how much her antics are backfiring at her. And it's hilarious how she does it. She's persistent, but she does her job pretty well. But she was meant to fulfill a bigger purpose, and if "sight blind" people think it's weird for people like Emma to fight things they cannot see, it's a whole lot outrageous for Emma to fight the one creature only she can see. With the help of Tyler, a good friend with questionable but definitely useful connections and Loni, the girl electronics genius, Emma was able to prove once and for all that she's worthy to become a slayer.

Curtis is your regular boy next door, except he slays dragons, and he keeps a secret from Emma. He's so typical, he'd be completely normal if he's not in Burtonwood. There is nothing stand-offish about him, but he's still adorable. If Emma think he's lucky to get her spot, she's mistaken. But Curtis will never tell her that.

Fairy Bad Day is overflowing with amusing moments you'd love. You will love the faeries! They're the same playful, mischievous kind, and they're only 10 inches tall! Their downfall? Skittles and nail files. Though this book mainly deals with the supernatural, it also tackles the problems Emma faces as a teenager. Her father remarrying, her impending older sisterhood and a stepmother she feels was there solely to replace her birth mother who she greatly loves. Fairy Bad Day is more than just a bunch of laughter, it also has the occasional drama to keep the readers a lot more entertained.

Amanda Ashby's Fairy Bad Day is rib-tickling and mirthful, but also touches the heart in the right moments. Sure it might be about demons, zombies, faeries, Sir Francis and the Gate of Linaria, but it's also about a girl who has a dream of becoming the best she can be. Filled with light hearted moments about friendship, first loves, wards, invisible faeries and lethal sweet treats, Fairy Bad Day is worth a read if you're in need of cheering up.
(less)

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Jul 27, 2011 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fairy Bad Day was a lot of fun with quirky characters and a fantastic story line. And while it was a lot of fun it had serious tones to it as well, though I wouldn't say it was ever heavy. It was fast, it was easy to read, and it had parts that had me giggling and parts that had me feeling the pain of the characters and the trials they were going through.

In the beginning I didn't really like Emma. She was only thinking about herself and not taking anyone else into consideration. But she really g...more

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