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Fairest (Enchanted #3)

by Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 29,077 ratings · 2,879 reviews

In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has-a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince - and a dang...more

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published September 19th 2006 by HarperCollins (first published September 1st 2006)

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Jul 22, 2008 Riannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I read a book, especially when I read fantasy, I find myself mentally putting myself in the place of the protagonist. Which is why my very favorite books of all time are the books that have strongly developed protagonists that I can identify with well in some way or another. I had a hard time enjoying this book at all to start with because the protagonist and I could not be more different.

Superficially, Aza is tall, wide, has dark hair and white skin (I'm short, small, blond, and tan easil...more

25 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2011 Rachel Crooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

I pulled this book off of the Young Adult shelves expecting some light fiction, but I really enjoyed some of the deeper meanings behind this story! Yes, it is a retelling of Snow White, but with insights that really apply to most women today.

First of all, the two most prominent female characters are alike in that they find themselves unacceptable- one however, becomes the villain, and the other, the heroine. But Levine paints the two characters so you can see how one, in coming to accept herself...more

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Sep 27, 2007 payasa213 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once I started to read this I couldn’t stop it took me two days to read it and it was good! Fairest by Gail Carson Levine is a Fiction book and is told in first person. Fairy Lucinda has done it again but instead of having a gift to obey like in Ella Enchanted this time it’s a magic mirror.
Ever since Aza was left on her adoptive parents' doorstep as a baby, she's been a mystery. She is plain-looking, with large bones, pale white skin, ruby red lips, "a big sphere of a face and round button eye...more Once I started to read this I couldn’t stop it took me two days to read it and it was good! Fairest by Gail Carson Levine is a Fiction book and is told in first person. Fairy Lucinda has done it again but instead of having a gift to obey like in Ella Enchanted this time it’s a magic mirror.
Ever since Aza was left on her adoptive parents' doorstep as a baby, she's been a mystery. She is plain-looking, with large bones, pale white skin, ruby red lips, "a big sphere of a face and round button eyes." For all this, though, she makes up with a beautiful, even magical voice. In the kingdom of Ayortha, music and singing are prized among all other gifts, sometimes they sing for no reason which I didn’t get, and Aza has the most beautiful voice in her whole region. What Aza has that all other Ayorthaians don’t have, is the gift of "illusing," of throwing one's voice and mimicking the song or speech of almost any other person, which she invented by starting to hiccup. Growing up in a happy, caring family and helping to run the family's Featherbed Inn. Aza wants to be beautiful. Through a series of events, Aza is chosen to go with a duchess to the marriage of King Oscaro to a foreign princess, her quiet life will change forever. Shortly after Aza arrives, King Oscaro becomes injured ny getting hit by an iron ring, making his teenaged bride the ruler of Ayortha. When Queen Ivi becomes aware of Aza's power of illusing, she secretly tells Aza to use her voice when Ivi , who can't sing, must perform at the high-profile courtly Sings. Soon, Ivi, directed by some mysterious advisor lets her power of being Queen go to her head, as she abuses her crown and takes away many Ayorthaian rights and privileges. Anyway, Aza falls in love with the Prince Ijori and Prince Ijori falls in love with het too, not caring that she is ugly. I soon found out that the magic mirror made queen Ivi prettier but she was already pretty. At the end Queen Ivi is exiled from her crown and Prince Ijori and Aza get marriend and live happily ever after.
The author’s purpose in this book was to send a message about the value of inner beauty and that it shouldn’t matter what somebody looks on the outside and also to entertain us in another Great book by Levine. This book is supposed to be like Snow White but more interesting. It’s also romantic which I like.
I am a great Gail Carson Levine fan for her books. So you would already know that I like this book! I would recommend this book to anyone definitely because its just good if you have read Ella Enchanted you can see that these to books are great and interesting. Like a lot of fairy tale books I read I like then end because good always wins and they live happily ever after like in this book and almost in every other fairy tale book. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because once I started to read it I couldn’t stop, even at school in classes the teachers would tell me to put it up. It kept me entertained just like Ella Enchanted did.

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Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by The Story Siren for TeensReadToo.com

In a land where beauty means everything, Aza finds herself lacking in every way possible. Her only redeeming quality is the beauty in her voice. If only her singing reflected what others saw when they looked upon her face. She spends most of her time trying to hide her face from the staring eyes of guests at her parent's inn. Singing is the only beauty Aza finds in herself, and she sings often while she is working.

She discovers that she can "throw...more

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Oct 26, 2008 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

In a land where beauty means everything, Aza finds herself lacking in every way possible. Her only redeeming quality is the beauty in her voice. If only her singing reflected what others saw when they looked upon her face. She spends most of her time trying to hide her face from the staring eyes of guests at her parent’s inn. Singing is the only beauty Aza finds in herself, and she sings often while she is working at the inn. She discovers that she can “throw” her voice and make it appear as tho...more

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Aug 15, 2007 Bonnie Gayle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Ella Enchanted in specific, and fairy tales in general

Shelves: fantasy-sf, reviewed, library-books

It was really hard for me to decide between 4 and 5 stars. I wish I could give it 4 1/2!
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, and has one or 2 characters from that book, which is excellent, because that book is one of my most favorites. In fact, this world seemed instantly recognizable, after reading Ella Enchanted. It was like revisiting that book, in a way.
It's a take on Snow White, but only in the loosest of ways, and only after 200 pages. That's the area that I wanted to g...more It was really hard for me to decide between 4 and 5 stars. I wish I could give it 4 1/2!
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, and has one or 2 characters from that book, which is excellent, because that book is one of my most favorites. In fact, this world seemed instantly recognizable, after reading Ella Enchanted. It was like revisiting that book, in a way.
It's a take on Snow White, but only in the loosest of ways, and only after 200 pages. That's the area that I wanted to give 4 stars...or even less.
The story is about a girl named Aza who is found as a baby by owners of an inn. She is different looking than everyone else around her, and she finds herself very ugly. Think Snow White's appearance, but in a world that doesn't appreciate that asthetic. She also lives in a world that loves singing. Singing for any reason, and sometimes no reason. At this she excels, and in fact discovers she has a gift of throwing her singing voice. A dame visiting the inn decides to take Aza to the castle, to be her lady in waiting. She's going to the castle because the King is getting married to an out of towner, who can't sing. When the new Queen discovers Aza's gift of throwing her singing voice, she hires her as her lady in waiting, and binds them together with a secret...whether Aza likes it or not.
As long as that took to describe, that's only about the first 50 or so pages.
Sounds nothing like Snow White, right? Whereas Ella Enchanted was so brilliant because it answered a question that Cinderella left in a totally plausible way, i.e. why does Cinderella humble herself by working as a servant for her evil mother-in-law? Because she has to do what anyone commands her to. That just makes sense. But, in this story: ah! The story Snow White is the way it is because she can throw her singing voice??? It didn't fit in the traditional story, and didn't add anything to it. I would have prefered if Fairest had been an original story, rather than trying to be a retelling of Snow White. The connection to the classic story made this story worse, whereas the connection to Cinderella made Ella Enchanted better.
Another reason that I wanted to give it less than 5 stars is because there are a lot of songs in the book. It's a world that loves singing, and the author made up songs for it...but most of them are just STRANGE. Due to my years of choir experience, I tried to figure out their melody as I read them, but the number of syllables changed constantly, so that was impossible. In addition to that the lyrics of most of the songs are very weird.
As for why I wanted to give it more than 4 stars...it's just a great enjoyable read. It was great being in Ella Enchanted's world again. I didn't want to stop reading. It was a great romance, very adventurous, funny, a good sense of character, and after I finished, I wished there was more. All the signs of a good book... which is why I'm torn!!(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Dec 07, 2008 Sella Thorne rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is very good. The story is very sweet. I love how it's based on Snow White, but the author went in-depth with the story, and the plot is much more complicated; Levine took Snow White and revised it, making it a better, more interesting story. She took the flat characters from Snow White and made them round and three-dimensional. For example, instead of making the queen completely evil and power-crazy, she made her insecure, foolish, weak, slightly barmy, and easy to manipulate. Everyth...more

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Jul 19, 2008 Merritt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this one. My favorite thing was Ijori and his big ears. After that, I liked how Ivi, the queen, was very complex as a villain.

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May 14, 2009 Rogue Cinnamon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: want, 2nd-favorites, might-want, read-more-books-by-this-author, reviews, favorites-vbc-summer-reads

I thought I'd just read for a hour or so before bed to make sure my bedtime snack had enough time to settle. Yeah, that didn't work. LOL Six hours after starting, and no sleep later, I finished.
I couldn't put the book down! :) I cried, I laughed, I enjoyed this story. It's a fun read, but not in a 'fluffy' way. When I picked up this book at the library, the summary didn't sound too terribly interesting, but then I saw it said 'set in the land of Ella Enchanted.' (Or something like that.) I remem...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Namratha Kumar marked it as to-read

Shelves: childrens-fantasy, ya-lit

Fairest is a fairly engaging Fairy-tale.

It has the commoner heroine with low self-esteem, the prince with golden looks (and endearing pet/sidekick), the beautiful (and vile and obnoxious and double-dealing) queen, the helpless king, the assortment of good, bad and bl-ehh characters and enough adventure to keep you hooked till the end. There’s a beautiful message ensconced in the tale and it’s something that I heartily approve with.

A passage I especially liked (written by the protagonist’s fat...more

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Aug 09, 2009 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great book! This was a very easy read (it should be I think it is on a sixth grade level). It took me longer than I would have liked but that was because I could only pick it up for 5 min at a time. It had such a great message that was really good for me too read. Beauty is more than what you look like. I could relate to Aza in so many ways. We spend so much time worrying about what others think of us that we forget the important things. She ended up where she did because she never though...more

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Dec 18, 2008 Needleroozer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book is the second that I've read by Gail Carson Levine. Although this one has a storyline similar to Ella Enchanted (teenage girl goes through trials and tribulations, grows wiser, and things work out positively in the end), it was different enough that I was not bored.

The story is set in the same enchanted universe as Ella Enchanted, and halfway through, the reader realizes that this one is loosely based on the Snow White story (or at least the one I learned thanks to Walt Disney).

I real...more

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May 15, 2008 Natalie Rusnakova rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mostly Teenage Girls

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Fairest is a fun fantasy, by Gail Carson Levine, thats great for teens. It shows that inter beauty is really what matters for a girl at a young age. In a small country there lived an Ayorthaian named Aza. Aza figures out that she is a great singer and that she has a great talent. She was abandoned by her parents and now works at her step parent’s inn, Featherbed, where she was raised. She feels that the only reason why she was abandoned was because she thought that her parents hated her ugliness...more Fairest is a fun fantasy, by Gail Carson Levine, thats great for teens. It shows that inter beauty is really what matters for a girl at a young age. In a small country there lived an Ayorthaian named Aza. Aza figures out that she is a great singer and that she has a great talent. She was abandoned by her parents and now works at her step parent’s inn, Featherbed, where she was raised. She feels that the only reason why she was abandoned was because she thought that her parents hated her ugliness. Aza has skin of a weak blue-white skimmed milk, her lips are as red as a dragon’s tongue and her hair is as black as an old frying pan which makes her the “different” kind of girl. The Ayorthaians are very sensitive to beauty and Aza always feels like she’s getting uglier each day so, she has never looked into a mirror in her life. One of the “people” who stay at the hotel, ZhamM the dwarf is her only friend, and cares for her. He stays at the inn frequently and to Aza he’s a green gentleman, green for the emerald buttons on his tunics and gentleman for being polite and fussy with a soft breathy voice and small gestures. To me this book seems like a different version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” instead of an evil queen there is Ivi, she is the temporary queen of Ayortha. She becomes friends with Aza. Then there are dwarfs but they aren’t little and there aren’t seven of them. Also there is a mirror and when you look in it you see yourself the way you want people to see you. Aza looked in it once and looked beautiful but when she looked in it the second time she was her own self. Aza couldn’t believe it. In that moment Skulni, Ivi’s secret adviser, told Aza that there is a beauty potion in Ivi’s drawers. As Aza went to go look for it, Ivi found out and sentenced her to her death. By the time she was going to be searched, Aza left and went for a search of her own to find out her true self.

I rated this book four stars because when I pick it up I couldn’t stop reading it. The suspense of the story kept me attached to it. Fairest did not bore me to dreads. The details in the sentences made me feel like I was actually with Aza or seeing the object. The only thing in the story I didn’t like were the songs that were written in between the story. The songs took forever to read and they bored me after awhile. (less)

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Apr 15, 2008 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-chap, lis-565

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While I thoroughly enjoyed Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre, I found Fairest less enjoyable. This story is a re-telling of Snow White but it lacks drama and suspense. Some characters are not well-developed and therefore their motivations seem less believable. Prince Ijori's interest in and almost immediate love for the main character, Aza is never fully explained and his abrupt disinterest feels even less plausible. I would also liked to have more development of t...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Sammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-the-good

This book was exactly as I expected it to be. Cliched, light, fluffy and fun, and that's exactly what I wanted. I never read Ella Enchanted but I expect it was written in the exact same style.

Fairest is obviously a new and very unique take on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. I can't really criticize about the book really because I don't feel there's enough to actually pick apart. It's definitely recommended for younger readers, and I don't mean teen, I mean tween and below. It carries your typi...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars

This story has a bit of the Snow White story in it, but it had an undertone of evil that was really disturbing. And the audience includes young teenage girls. It could have been building and inspiring to the youth, whereas I'm afraid it ended up being just the opposite.

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Dec 20, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! This is a really great book and I recome it to all of you!

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Mar 05, 2009 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption, folklore-fairytales, romance

This was a really pathetic book - a sad departure Levine's other fantastic novels. The idea was interesting (a take on the story of "Snow White" where her desirable trait isn't beauty, but instead is her singing voice), but the execution was horrible.

The book staggered under one major inconsistency: the main character is horribly ugly, but the prince falls in love with her very quickly anyway. Hopelessly romantic? Perhaps. But I call it an inconsistency because Aza was not only unlovely, but alm...more This was a really pathetic book - a sad departure Levine's other fantastic novels. The idea was interesting (a take on the story of "Snow White" where her desirable trait isn't beauty, but instead is her singing voice), but the execution was horrible.

The book staggered under one major inconsistency: the main character is horribly ugly, but the prince falls in love with her very quickly anyway. Hopelessly romantic? Perhaps. But I call it an inconsistency because Aza was not only unlovely, but almost unlovable. Many wonderful heroines are not particularly beautiful (Jane Eyre, Jo March, Anne Shirley, Princess Amy, etc.), but they have wit, strength, courage, charm, or passion that makes them remarkable. Aza had none of these - she was whiny, miserable, thoughtless, and full of self-loathing throughout the entire book.

Also, the prince likes her almost immediately, before he has any chance to get to know her: this would suggest to me that either the prince has horrible taste in looks, or that Aza really isn't as ugly as she constantly tells us she is (which would only make her whining all the more exasperating). Her amazing voice and ability to compose music are impressive to him I suppose, and her "ability to make him laugh" was apparently important...but he lives in Ayortha, where almost everyone sings and composes well, and he was called "merry," "smiling," and "laughing" long before Aza captured his heart. Even knowing that she deceived him, he falls for the ugly wet blanket. She was never clever, except in her skill at singing. She didn't do anything smart, and certainly didn't act brave. Her sister says she is kind, but we never see her acting like it. What on earth is there to like about her? Her characterization, in my opinion, ruined the entire book.

There were other problems as well: Couldn't Levine have come up with a more realistic antagonist than...Lucinda? Of course everyone who read "Ella Enchanted" dislikes her already - it was so much easier to use her, than to actually design a characterization for someone who would hand out such a dangerous gift at weddings. Unfortunately, it didn't fit her character at all (Lucinda loves attention and admiration - she would never visit the bride alone and give the gifts with absolutely no ceremony or a huge crowd of people around; and why would she give a potion of disguise to someone she was making beautiful?), and it even discredits her change of heart that comes at the end of "Ella." It was a total cop-out.

Last of all, it was predictable. Not just in the way that all fairy tales are rather predictable, but in the way that makes the book really boring because the main character is being such a blind fool, predictable. Besides the fact that it was clean, there is nothing in this book to recommend.(less)

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Jan 23, 2009 Ang rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-ages-12-18

I enjoy Ms. Levine's unusual versions of classic fairy tales. I enjoyed this one because the main character had to decide that she liked herself no matter what she saw in the mirror. I hope more girls and women will come to love their body image. This is a good book to recommend to friends and young girls.

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Jun 14, 2013 R.G. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For anyone who gets tired of the main characters being perfect and beautiful… then this is the book for you… No one in this book seems to really have the perfect looks that show up so often in fairy tales… and if they do… well, it may just be a trick of the mirror ;) … this is set in the same world as Ella Enchanted though this is a totally separate story that can be read on it’s own… and in many ways exceeds Ella Enchanted in mystery and a definitely new twist on the old fairy tales… Aza isn’t...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Mayra rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of her best. This is a Snow White type thing, and there are a lot of those now, but thankfully this is not another one where she falls in love with the huntsman. Instead, Fairest focuses on beauty and the importance of beauty in a society. Of course this was an exaggeration of real-life society, written into a fairy tale setting, but there are some deep elements of truth in it. Society really is appearance-obsessed. Aza is someone relatable, and very different from some of Gail Carson Levine...more

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May 30, 2013 Angeline 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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Jan 06, 2013 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fairest

Fairest was about this girl named Aza and everyone thought she was ugly. Aza lives at this castle but it is also a hotel named the featherbed in. Aza is one of the main characters from the book. They have gnomes for guards and they can only eat one kind of food the was a root vegetable soup. At the Featherbed inn the queen and the king were staying there they were supposed to be getting married their. Aza had this beautiful voice that everybody loved even better than the queens voice....more
Fairest

Fairest was about this girl named Aza and everyone thought she was ugly. Aza lives at this castle but it is also a hotel named the featherbed in. Aza is one of the main characters from the book. They have gnomes for guards and they can only eat one kind of food the was a root vegetable soup. At the Featherbed inn the queen and the king were staying there they were supposed to be getting married their. Aza had this beautiful voice that everybody loved even better than the queens voice. there would be a show where the queen and Aza sining and Aza din’t like that everybody would stare at her. Aza went to a library to see if they had a spell book. she ended up fining one and she tried the first time but it turned her into a stone and then the second time she got it right she was beautiful. The queen thinks that Aza is part orge so she wanted to kill her but this guy that is around Aza age but a little but older took her and saved her from the queen but someone to the boy and told him to kill her but he refuses to because he know that the orge’s would kill him but whats the point. so some people were searching for them so they had to leave he brought her back to the castle and kept her in the gnome part of the castle so they couldn’t find her but he brought a piece of the girls gown with blood and told the queen that he killed her so they would stop searching for her and Ijori is the prince and Aza and him liked each other and he liked her for who she was without the potion that change so she was pretty. Ijori sent a letter to her saying that he was sorry and he wants her back terribly and he misses her but the important part of the letter that her birth parents could find her and rescue her from the queens apartment and from the queen. Aza was mad at him for doing something but when she read the letter saying how much he loved he and stuff she forgave him!

I think the author did a good Job on the book because she put a lot of information in the book that would make it suspense and make what would happen next. I really liked this book but in some of the parts it’s really confusing because of the way that the gnomes spoke and they would capitalize the ending letter instead of the beginning of the story. like for example Aza’s favorite gnome guard was zhamM.

I would rate this book about a three because it used good details and the writing was really good and how the author wrote the book. I would tell a couple of people to read this book because it is easy fast it’s really easy to understand I like it some parts was hard to understand.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 08rachelb rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book "Fairest" was written by Gail Carson Levine. The audience this was written for is junior high/high school age. It was published in 2006. The setting is in the times of queens and kings(medieval times). The kingdom this takes place in is Ayorthaian the main events take place in the castle and Featherbed Inn. The main characters are Aza, Queen Ivi, Prince Ijori, and King Oscaro. Aza was found by her parents when she was a baby on their doorstep. She has a beautiful voice, but her physical...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Alina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved Ella Enchanted and had high expectations of this novel. I enjoyed it, though I didn’t enjoy it as much as Ella Enchanted. There was a lot more singing that I expected, until I was reminded that this land was filled with singers. I listened to the full cast audio so I got a full operatic performance of this book. It would have to be a musical if this book were to ever become a movie.

The base story of a girl who thinks she’s ugly was a refreshing twist for Snow White, though I must say tha...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Jordaan rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I finished the book yesterday, and decided to wait a few hours before writing my review, to think it over a bit. The only thing I can think to write is a comparison between this story and Ella Enchanted.

I'll with Ella Enchanted. Haven't read that in a while, but am sure I've read it at least ten times. And the reason for this is simple: I just adored Ella. She was a true heroine, without even trying. I loved that she is so charming, and fears nothing. In the end, she gets the prince bec...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya-youth, fairy-tales

A cute story, though not as enjoyable as Ella Enchanted, which I finished right before diving into this one. I found Ella overall to be a more likeable character by virtue of her spunkiness and carefree attitude despite the curse that makes her life difficult, whereas it took the entirety of the book for Aza to rise above that which she sees as holding her back -- not that I blame her. A couple of notes, though, on observations from other reviews I read that seem a might too picky. Or perhaps th...more A cute story, though not as enjoyable as Ella Enchanted, which I finished right before diving into this one. I found Ella overall to be a more likeable character by virtue of her spunkiness and carefree attitude despite the curse that makes her life difficult, whereas it took the entirety of the book for Aza to rise above that which she sees as holding her back -- not that I blame her. A couple of notes, though, on observations from other reviews I read that seem a might too picky. Or perhaps those folks read the books too far apart to remember some of these otherwise small issues.

1) Some reviews were low on account of Aza being "whiny" throughout and overly obsessed with her appearance. I don't know if any of those people were ever a preteen/teenage girl, but if you're a young girl or even young woman and find something undesirable about yourself which is echoed by nearly everyone you meet, yes, it does become something of an obsession. I found no problem with this at all, having grown up with self esteem and body issues myself. It is told from a first-person vantage point, so of course we're in her head and of course we're going to hear all her laments about how hideous she is and how she hates being so hideous. It was perfectly understandable, given what the book jacket states: "But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty." She's constantly reminded of this by the rude comments and stares that she receives from patrons of her family's business, and by others as well. Wouldn't you, dear reader, be equally upset and obsessive about this as a young girl?

2) Reviewers complained that the prince falls for Aza too easily, despite how "ugly" she is. First off, I find this criticism to be rather cruel and judgmental. Yes, it's only a book, but surely there are people even in Ayortha, even, gasp, a prince, who might not be taken in by looks alone. The criticism that he falls for her so quickly despite her apparent ugliness is amazingly shallow and I have to wonder about the character of the reviewers who made such comments. From what I gathered from the book, Aza's main "problem" is mostly that she is a large girl. She is said to have lovely eyes, and while humans cannot see the colour htun, rather nice hair. She has a feeling personality, etc. The prince details why he instantly was drawn to her. Is that really so unrealistic? And why SHOULDN'T the bulky, awkward, not conventionally attractive girl get the guy, anyway? Are fat girls so unlovable that they can't get the prince, ever?

3) Reviewers complained that it completely rips apart Lucinda's change of heart that was established in Ella Enchanted. It would seem to me that either reader memory or reading comprehension is faulty here. Aza is said to be the older sister of Areida, friend of Ella. *Older* sister. Aza is, for the bulk of the book, 15. Now, we don't know how much younger Areida is than her sister, but we do know from reading Ella Enchanted that she had been at the finishing school for a considerable length of time prior to Ella's arrival there. We know that she and Ella are supposed to have been the same age -- Ella was 15 or very nearly 15 when they met, so presumably Areida was around the same. Which would mean Aza would have to be somewhat older. Seems pretty clear to me that the events in Fairest take place either prior to the events in Ella Enchanted, or at least concurrent with earlier portions of the book, prior to Lucinda's year of misery when she changes her tune (and sheds her own beauty spells/disguises that grant her her youthful appearance).

Perhaps this is picking apart other reviews and the ideas behind the book overmuch, but these comments were irritating me as I was reading what was otherwise a fun story with a good ol' fashioned happy ending. Just because it is somewhat unconventional -- again, God forbid big girls be able to find love! -- doesn't mean it wasn't a book worth reading. I was glad that Aza finally accepted that she would not be pretty by the ridiculous standards of Ayorthaian society. Had it ended with her having a permanent spell or potion turn her beautiful, it would have sent a very jarring message indeed.(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

If I had to review each half of the book I might be tempted to give this a 4/3. Gail Carson Levine, who generally does pretty pleasing takes on the fairy tale form, gives Snow White a pretty big spin here with mixed results. What's good is the detail about the kingdom as well as the twist on the main character herself. In this particular kingdom, music---and especially singing--is greatly prized, above most everything but beauty--which is a close tie. Unfortunately for the heroine, Aza, though h...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, childrens, fantasy, love-story, fairy-tale

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is NOT for you if you only like to read books about attractive "kick-a**" heroines.

However, if you appreciate subtle social commentary, psychology of young folk, and some relatively complex character development, then you might enjoy this. With all of this, Levine still manages to make it simple enough for younger readrs to grasp. How wonderful.

After reading this book and some reviews, I came to realize several things:

1) After learning this was Snow White, I found Aza's description of...more This book is NOT for you if you only like to read books about attractive "kick-a**" heroines.

However, if you appreciate subtle social commentary, psychology of young folk, and some relatively complex character development, then you might enjoy this. With all of this, Levine still manages to make it simple enough for younger readrs to grasp. How wonderful.

After reading this book and some reviews, I came to realize several things:

1) After learning this was Snow White, I found Aza's description of herself interesting. Snow White has ebony hair, snowy skin, and rose-red lips--and these unusually striking features were renowned for years to be the fairest. But in the book, Aza describes herself to have chalky skin, frying pan-colored hair, and dragon-red lips. Both descriptions yield the same colors, but the latter just makes her sound ugly. So...is she truly ugly? Or are Ayorthaians just holding up only one sort of beauty on a pedestal?

2) I disagree with reviewers insisting that the prince would not realistically be interested in Aza's appearance. Give him the benefit of the doubt, if only because it is logical. Many of us are fascinated by what is different and get bored with what is commonplace. He might find an unassuming girl with unusual features refreshing. He is also a singer himself and can appreciate a top-notch voice--there are possibilities here for admiration. However, I have yet to meet such a mature seventeen year old boy. Then again, some people grow up fast after a near-death experience--but even then, it's stretching.

3) Agreed that there was a lot of "copping out" as far as plot devices. This is one of the reasons I'm embarrassed to admit I like the book.

4) This book is best read as a sequel to Ella Enchanted. It can be read as a standalone, but judging from other reviews, I missed out on lovely details that Ella Enchanted fans recognized bc it has been ages for me.

5) I didn't find it weird that Ayorthaians liked to sing all the time. Have people suddenly forgotten the recent popularity of Broadway and musicals? Songs and music are extremely important to this culture--they even believe in singing to aid in healing. In fact, usage of songs in the fantasy genre is really not that odd.

6) It's SOOOOO cheesy. Another reason I am embarrassed to admit I like the book. (less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Sierra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fairest was definitely an enchanting book. But what else could i expect from Gail Levine? In my opinion, all of her books are a compelling read capable of making fairytales believable. I read this book a two years ago and i still remember most of plot. This really shows something considering my knowledge only lets memorable books enter!

Strangely, this book is on my summer reading book this year. I think it is a book a younger reader could understand (and hopefully love as i do). I recomended it...more Fairest was definitely an enchanting book. But what else could i expect from Gail Levine? In my opinion, all of her books are a compelling read capable of making fairytales believable. I read this book a two years ago and i still remember most of plot. This really shows something considering my knowledge only lets memorable books enter!

Strangely, this book is on my summer reading book this year. I think it is a book a younger reader could understand (and hopefully love as i do). I recomended it to some friends and they all raved about how awesome it was. I've never been a fan of fairytales but Ella Enchanting lived up to its name and Fairest followed in pursuit.

Firstly, i wanted to mention about how strong of a character Aza was. She was great; she was realistic, sensible, and a little down on herself but learned that every person can be beautiful. (Gail) inserted what many girls in real life experience which is being self-conscious. Aza along with other girls sometimes think they are not beautiful by being too fat or too dark (skinned). Partially why i really enjoyed this book was because of that: every girl can be beautiful as long as they can accept themselves.

Ivy also portrays this as the story goes on. She made a deal with the mirror in which she craved and wanted beauty so bad. But she was unsatisfied. Later, she summons Aza to illuse for her and cheats the kingdom. In conclusion to the story though, Ivy's deal with the mirror breaks and her beauty falls with it. Lesson learned, Ivy is revealed in her true form and is still loved by the king.

Lastly, i love how she incorporates Ella in her writing. You can tell that Ella and Aza are both alike. They are both strong femme main characters capable of taking care of themselves. I just wish there were more boys in the world that would accpet a girl like that though. Through insecurities and all, no boy is that perfect which made me feel slightly sad an dissapointed.

Anyway, thanks Gial (Mrs. Levine) for writing such an awesome! Thank God it's summer! Now i can read the rest of your books! :)(less)

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About Gail Carson Levine

Just letting you all know: I'm only going to review books I love. There's enough negative criticism without me piling on. A book is too hard to write.

Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Yo...more

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