Christian is gaga for Princess Marigold. But he's just a commoner, and no match for royalty. Heck, he lives in a cave with a troll! And now he's di...
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reviews
Feb 19, 2008
Beth
rated it: 
I totally judged a book by its cover on this one. The font the words are printed in reminded me of the font from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (easy read, I knew), and it proclaimed itself to be “part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink; happily-ever-after turned upside down, inside out, and completely over the top!” Well, I don’t know about all that, but it was an entertaining read — a fairy tale with a modern, fun, whimsical feel to it.
I must admit I l More...
I must admit I l More...
Dec 17, 2009
Shelley
rated it: 
This is the cutest book in the entire world. You kind of just want to hug it and squeeze it and call it George, because it's just that damned cute.
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where More...
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where More...
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(12 people liked it)
May 17, 2009
Violet
rated it: 
Wonderful and orginal fairy tale! And one that is not like any other fariy tale out there.
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and chees More...
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and chees More...
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(4 people liked it)
Dec 09, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
My name is Christian- I don’t know what my last name is, because when I was five years old, I decided I’d had enough with boring lessons about how to sip tea properly and wearing silly uncomfortable clothes all day. So I ran away- and that’s how I met Ed. Ed’s my dad. He found me hiding in the woods and tried to take me back to my parents, but I decided I liked Ed way more than them, so I tricked him into adopting me. Oh, yeah, Ed’s also a troll, and he pretends to be all grumpy and troll li
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Dec 11, 2010
Sara ♥
rated it:
OH. MY. CUTENESS.
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so More...
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so More...
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(4 people liked it)
Feb 08, 2008
Trina
rated it:
This book is just as cute as a pile of puppies and kittens licking each other's ears on a glittery pink blanket. Surrounded by cupcakes.
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relativ More...
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relativ More...
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(4 people liked it)
Sep 29, 2011
~Isabella S.
rated it:
Do you enjoy books with a dash of romance, a sprinkling of fantasy and chapters chock-full of fiction? Then, Once Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris, is right for you, if you don’t enjoy fiction stay far away from this book, because it has everything from trolls to tooth fairies, in it. When Ed, a simple forest troll finds and takes in as he puts it ”an angelic little boy with the heart of a weasel.” named Christian, he doesn’t want him at first but then grows used to him.
As Christian grow More...
As Christian grow More...
Aug 29, 2011
Echo
rated it:
Cute story, but at times the story was a little too hard to believe for me. It's not often the writing of a young adult book is too young for my tastes, but this would be one.
<spoiler>The beginning was great, and I really enjoyed it. The end, though, was where I started to get annoyed. The king was too powerless, even for a man who people percieved as slightly fuddled. When the king, his three daughters who are queens in their own right, and his unmarried daughter who is st More...
<spoiler>The beginning was great, and I really enjoyed it. The end, though, was where I started to get annoyed. The king was too powerless, even for a man who people percieved as slightly fuddled. When the king, his three daughters who are queens in their own right, and his unmarried daughter who is st More...
Apr 30, 2011
Eden
rated it:
Firstly -- look out: omniscient point of view. The first hint of this is when we dip from Edric's head to that of a dog's; definitely disorienting at times. This POV does help make it feel more fairytale-like, though, so I'd say it's a job well-done. The characters of Marigold -- princess who doesn't like princessy things -- and King Swithbert -- old king who's been duped by his queen, but stands up for himself -- are almost stock, except that nothing in this novel is stock exactly, not even Edr
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Jan 27, 2011
Crystal
rated it:
This is my new favorite book! It starts out with an old troll named Edric (or Ed as the people call him) and his two dogs Bub and Cate. Ed sees a little boy hiding out in the bushes. He asks the boy what he's doing and the boy's response was that he was running away. Ed grumbles and takes him to his cave. Ed's cave is the most colorful cave ever. each room has a different color crystals. The boy decides to stay there and Ed soon learns his name. Christian. Chris was an inventor even at 6 years o
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Jan 05, 2011
KidsFiction
rated it:
A light hearted medival fairy tale with many new twists. the story begins with Edrick, a troll, searching in the forst for some lost items that might be useful. Ed and his two dogs discover a six year old boy, Christian hiding in a bush. Chris has run away from home, Ed takes him to his colorful cave (it has many rooms and crystals hanging from the walls and ceilings) with the promise to find his parents in the morning. Chris agrees to go with Ed, but doesn't want to return home. He can't even r
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Aug 26, 2010
Mashal
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 16, 2010
Marsha
rated it:
A very fun and well written romance geared towards young teens. It tells the story of Christian, who, at six years old, has run away from his family. He forces Ed, a very nice, good troll who is full of cock-eyed proverbs, to take him in. They live in a cave made of colorful crystals with two devoted dogs. Ed does his best to raise Christian, teaching him etiquette and other things that might be important. As Christian grows up across the river from the palace, he sometimes watches the princesse
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Apr 03, 2009
Anel
rated it:
If you are looking for entertainment Once Upon a Marigold is a book to look for. This book is said to be what it is “Part comedy, part love story, and part every-thing-but-the-kitchen-sink.” This fairy tale is a story about a boy named Christian is raise by a troll and later on falls in love with a princess named Marigold. The Princess Marigold is curse with a spell of knowing the thought of people by touching them. Christian watched the princess across the river where she was very lonely and sa
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Jan 18, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
This book was like re-visiting my childhood. I first read this book in 6th grade, and I fell in love with it. Almost 6 years later, I decided to go out and buy the book and re-read it again. To my suprise, there was a sequal! Before skipping ahead to the second book, I decided to re-read this one so I remember exactly how the story was set up.
Pros: The characters are SO loveable. I found myself constantly going "Awww!" at Christian's innocence and the cute yet innocent love More...
Pros: The characters are SO loveable. I found myself constantly going "Awww!" at Christian's innocence and the cute yet innocent love More...
Nov 05, 2009
Kolleen
rated it:
This book was recommended to me by a 12 year-old (with good taste), and I do love fairy tales, so I decided to give it a shot. The first chapter was a little dull, I got a little worried that this was a bad choice, but it definately was NOT!
This book has all the workings of a fairy tale, with a little comedy mixed in. There are trolls, tooth fairies, castles, princesses, giants; the whole nine yards. There were even fairy tale comittess, such as the LEFT (Leprechauns, Elves, Fairies,
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Apr 25, 2010
Laura
rated it:
Awards and Recognitions: ALA Notable Books for Children – 2003
Christian, while looking through his telescope, notices a princess reading a book. Curiosity gets the better of him, so he sends her a “p-mail” with one of his foster-father’s pigeons to ask her what book it is. He and Princess Marigold strike up a correspondence through the pigeons; they share book discussions, bad jokes, and a promise of friendship. As in many fairy tales, this princess has a curse –she can sense the More...
Christian, while looking through his telescope, notices a princess reading a book. Curiosity gets the better of him, so he sends her a “p-mail” with one of his foster-father’s pigeons to ask her what book it is. He and Princess Marigold strike up a correspondence through the pigeons; they share book discussions, bad jokes, and a promise of friendship. As in many fairy tales, this princess has a curse –she can sense the More...
Feb 07, 2010
Trent
rated it: 
The city librarian came to my classroom and told my students about a bunch of popular books. This was one of them. I've also seen a lot of my students reading this, so I thought I would check it out. It's one of those typical "not-your-typical" fairytales. I have read and enjoyed some of those types of books, but this is definitely not one that I enjoyed. The writing seemed sloppy, and the whole book was silly, in my opinion. I can see how this kind of book might appeal to some y
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Sep 26, 2009
JG (The Introverted Reader)
rated it:
My seven-year-old cousin and fellow lover-of-all-things-fairy, Natalie, convinced me to read this by reciting the cover blurb to me: "Part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink." What fairy tale fan could resist that? Not this one!
I loved that the defining characteristics of the characters weren't their beauty or lack thereof. Chris is intelligent, kind, and loyal. He's also an inventor. He's the first in the kingdom to use p-mail (pigeon mail) More...
I loved that the defining characteristics of the characters weren't their beauty or lack thereof. Chris is intelligent, kind, and loyal. He's also an inventor. He's the first in the kingdom to use p-mail (pigeon mail) More...
Sep 06, 2011
Kimberly
rated it:
When I started this book Megan came by and said something about it being a kids book. I replied that I thought it could be a cute junior high book and she gave me a funny look. When I got to the last 50 pages I decided she was right. It really was for 4th or 5th grade ages because it's ending was just so thrown together. I was a little disappointed. The story was cute and even though it was predictable the end could have been considered cute too if it were well written. Sadly it was not.
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May 06, 2011
Johanna
rated it:
As an adult reader of this book for teens, I must say I enjoyed it a LOT. The "fairy tale" nature of the story was fun and well done. I especially liked and was amused by the use (misuse) of common idioms. I'm not so sure that all my middle school readers would "get" the humor and some readers might instead, be a bit confused or be oblivious to the subtlety,(but what a great way to show kids playing with language can be fun). Book would make an AWESOME read-aloud even for
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Sep 11, 2008
Sherylcarlin
rated it:
This is a great book for tweens and early teens. It is a clever story that communicates that true love is based on friendship, partnership, and being someone's "bulwark." My daughter, (11) and I have truly enjoyed reading it together and she cannot wait to start the next in the series, "Twice Upon A Marigold"
Jul 26, 2011
2004- As someone who enjoys original fairy tales, I had some pretty high hopes for this book. It didn't meet them. Ed, a troll who lives in the woods comes across a young boy who has run away named Christian. Unable to find his family, Ed adopts him. Christian grows and soon tires of his non-existent social life. He yearns to go to the castle across the river, partly because of the excitement, partly because he has a crush on the young Princess Marigold, who he has been spying on with his telesc
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May 13, 2010
Vanessa
rated it:
This is a super cute book. It's silly and fun, and not to be taken too seriously. I loved it.
Ed the troll comes across a 6-year old boy when out scavenging one day. The boy, named Christian, has run away from home and refuses to go back. Ed reluctantly takes him in and raises him. Fast forward 12 years and Christian is a curious young man, who loves to build and cook but has few friends. He begins a correspondence via carrier pigeons with the young princess across the river from the More...
Ed the troll comes across a 6-year old boy when out scavenging one day. The boy, named Christian, has run away from home and refuses to go back. Ed reluctantly takes him in and raises him. Fast forward 12 years and Christian is a curious young man, who loves to build and cook but has few friends. He begins a correspondence via carrier pigeons with the young princess across the river from the More...
Feb 01, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
I found this cute book very entertaining.
Christian runs away from his parents in a forest. He is found by the troll Ed. Ed tries to talk Christian into finding his parents, but Christian doesn't like the rules of his home, that his parents don't want him to be an inventor and that he has to wear velvet clothes.
Christian threatens Ed that if he is forced to go back home he will tell everyone that Ed kidnapped him. So, Ed is forced into fatherhood, sharing his jewel encr More...
Christian runs away from his parents in a forest. He is found by the troll Ed. Ed tries to talk Christian into finding his parents, but Christian doesn't like the rules of his home, that his parents don't want him to be an inventor and that he has to wear velvet clothes.
Christian threatens Ed that if he is forced to go back home he will tell everyone that Ed kidnapped him. So, Ed is forced into fatherhood, sharing his jewel encr More...
Apr 02, 2009
Mary
rated it:
Christian ran away from home when he was six. Living with his foster father in the forest for eleven years, Chris doesn't regret it for a minute - he has a happy (if isolated) life with his two dogs and distantly watches Princess Marigold throuhg a telescope from outside his house. But now it's time for him to leave the life he's known and seek his fortune.
Though I enjoyed several aspects of this story, Once Upon a Marigold was clearly written for readers younger than me. The sevente More...
Though I enjoyed several aspects of this story, Once Upon a Marigold was clearly written for readers younger than me. The sevente More...
Apr 29, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
Lovers of puns and of animals will find an abundance of both in this whimsical love story. Christian is the runaway son of an unknown well-to-do family who is found and raised in a magical cave by a gruff, proverb-mixing ("wet blanket in the mud") troll whose main goal in life is to break the tooth fairy's monopoly. As Christian grows up in virtual isolation with his foster father and their two dogs, he uses a telescope to watch the lonely princess in the castle across the river. Th
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Jul 04, 2010
Lori
rated it:
I would probably give this book a higher review except for the fact that I couldn't get over the reader! Here are the accents:
Christian (main male character) - American accent that sounded somewhat flighty and feminine.
Marigold (main female) - American accent that sounded more manly than Christian.
King Swithbert (Marigold's dad) - English accent
Queen Olympia (Marigold's mum) - Nasally English accent
Ed (Christian's foster dad) - sounded like a mob boss from Jersey.
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Christian (main male character) - American accent that sounded somewhat flighty and feminine.
Marigold (main female) - American accent that sounded more manly than Christian.
King Swithbert (Marigold's dad) - English accent
Queen Olympia (Marigold's mum) - Nasally English accent
Ed (Christian's foster dad) - sounded like a mob boss from Jersey.
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Jul 15, 2010
Caren
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 13, 2010
Amelia, the pragmatic idealist
rated it:
Cold indeed is the heart not made warm by this bubbly fairy-rale romance...Kirkus Reviews
Well said, Kirkus! I never thought I'd find "over-the-top" so funny and refreshing! Take all the things considered necessary for a good book nowadays - complex, complicated and ultra-flawed characters, excessive backstories, social commentaries, and sad, morbid endings - and flip them over like a flapjack, and you'll have a good idea of what Once Upon a Marigold is! Yes, the characters More...
Well said, Kirkus! I never thought I'd find "over-the-top" so funny and refreshing! Take all the things considered necessary for a good book nowadays - complex, complicated and ultra-flawed characters, excessive backstories, social commentaries, and sad, morbid endings - and flip them over like a flapjack, and you'll have a good idea of what Once Upon a Marigold is! Yes, the characters More...
