When Toby breathes on Mama Inez's bird-shaped invitations, giving them the power to fly, plans for the Serendipity Market begin. Soon, eleven h... read full description
reviews
Sep 16, 2011
T.V and Book Addict
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A woman, Mama Inez sets out to invite eleven people to tell their stories in order to set the world in balance. The power of their storytelling will surely set things right. Each story is told in the POV of each of the tellers. The tales are those readers will recognize such as Cinderella but told with a twist. :)
Now, Penny Blubaugh..that girl can write!
Meet the tellers:
A Lizard turned into a man by a fairy godmother in order to take a girl to a ball. The Lizard's story just br More...
Now, Penny Blubaugh..that girl can write!
Meet the tellers:
A Lizard turned into a man by a fairy godmother in order to take a girl to a ball. The Lizard's story just br More...
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Jan 09, 2010
Mary Lee
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When the spin of the world is off, it is storytelling that provides the magic to set things right.
Yup.
This is a book for sophisticated readers, but the literary allusions to folk and fairy tales are delightful. (Not all were completely familiar to me -- I had to look up the text of Wynken, Blynken and Nod.) There are surprising twists to the familiar stories: The prince in The Princess and the Pea is gay and the one who can detect the pea under the stack of mattresses More...
Yup.
This is a book for sophisticated readers, but the literary allusions to folk and fairy tales are delightful. (Not all were completely familiar to me -- I had to look up the text of Wynken, Blynken and Nod.) There are surprising twists to the familiar stories: The prince in The Princess and the Pea is gay and the one who can detect the pea under the stack of mattresses More...
Oct 02, 2010
Zoë
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At the end of the world there is a place which comes together whenever the world is out of balance and needs a little more magic. Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh is a book I never would have come across, except when I was stalking the Francesca Lia Block section and at the library Blubaugh was beside her and the compact hardcover looked mysterious and appealing. It's a series of retold faerie tales, connected by the fact that the person telling them is a part of the story, all g More...
Jan 15, 2010
Rosalia
rated it: 
I loved this book. Mama Inez knows that the tilt of the world is off and they need the power of stories to set it right. Mama Inez invites 10 people to the market at the end of the world and tell their stories to set the world right.
I found the beginning a little bit confusing; I had to reread parts of it a few times, but once I started meeting the story tellers it all comes together. The story's are familiar fairy tales, folk tales, and nursery rhymes but all with a twist. Somet More...
I found the beginning a little bit confusing; I had to reread parts of it a few times, but once I started meeting the story tellers it all comes together. The story's are familiar fairy tales, folk tales, and nursery rhymes but all with a twist. Somet More...
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Feb 08, 2010
Kathy
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I wasn't real impressed with this one. In fact, I was tempted not to even read it after the strange beginning. However, it did have one or two stories that I liked. A gropu of people are called together to tell their stories in order to bring balance back to the world. Most of the stories are twists on the classisc fairy tales. For example, instead of the Princess and the Pea, the Prince falls in love with another Prince who finds the pea in the mattresses. Another tale is of the lizard wh
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Dec 20, 2010
Kylin
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The world is out of balance and storytellers are needed to put things right again. After receiving an invitation (delivered by a paper bird), ten storytellers converge at Serendipity Market to tell their own stories of love, courage, and the just plain interesting.
Geared toward middle schoolers, I think some of the subject matter is a little old for the eleven to fourteen crowd. I think my favorite story was one where the Cinderella story was reimagined from the point of view of a liza More...
Geared toward middle schoolers, I think some of the subject matter is a little old for the eleven to fourteen crowd. I think my favorite story was one where the Cinderella story was reimagined from the point of view of a liza More...
Jan 08, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
I kept wavering between 3 and 4 stars for this book. I liked this book, I really did and I would reccomend it to people who like fairy tales. The stories within the story were true gems, based on rhymes and tales that most of us know and the writing is excellent. However, the overall framework was a little weak. Although we get hints of who Mama Inez is through the teller's stories, that question is never truly answered nor do we get a sense of whether her world relates to our world. I feel
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Jul 17, 2011
Knitme23
rated it:
This was listed on a list of best books for high school classrooms or something, so I got a second-hand copy to check out. . . It's got potential, but somehow the author's tone annoys me--it's too preachy, somehow, working too hard to convince the reader that the world of the Serendipity Market where stories set the world straight is actually real!!! and just like our world!!! While the twists on the fairy tales were entertaining, the book moved slowly. I can't think of a high schooler who'd rea
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Sep 11, 2011
Miz Lizzie
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The world has gone off-kilter again so Mama Inez sends out her magical origami bird invitations to folks she has serendipitously assisted in one way or another to come tell their stories at Serendipity Market. There follows a Story Slam with a difference ... the difference being that the true first-person accounts are shared by fairy tale characters, giving very different perspectives on familiar tales. The joy here is that the author has a feel for the oral tale and the art of storytelling.
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Jan 03, 2010
Susie
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I enjoyed this book, although those who do not like folklore might not care for the story. The world has fallen out of balance, and the only way to restore it is to call together storytellers from around the world to tell their stories again. Mama Inez has them come, and one at a time we hear the stories of such diverse folk literature favorites as Wynken, Blinken and Nod and Jack and the Beanstalk (although the reader only gradually becomes aware of the identity of the current storyteller. T
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Jun 25, 2010
Emma
rated it:
Clever. Instead of just a collection of stories, they're a collection of stories woven into one big story. Well, that's one way to do it, I guess.
The stories were sweet. Almost fractured fairy tales, but lacking the cheesy familiarity that makes the FFTs corny. Well, some had that, but that was because the narrators switched. Each story had a different feel to it, because they were all somebody else's story. I liked the one about the mermaid man, and the other one about the fae boy. More...
The stories were sweet. Almost fractured fairy tales, but lacking the cheesy familiarity that makes the FFTs corny. Well, some had that, but that was because the narrators switched. Each story had a different feel to it, because they were all somebody else's story. I liked the one about the mermaid man, and the other one about the fae boy. More...
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Mar 31, 2009
Angela
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Seminary Coop Bookstore member Penny Blubaugh's debut YA novel.
This novel reads like a collection of fractured fairy tales woven into the fabric of a world much like our own. You find yourself wanting to know more about this world and especially, the main character, Mama Inez. She conducts the orchestra of first person narratives that gives "balance" to the world. A magical and satisfying tale extolling the importance of storytelling. Although marketed and published by H More...
This novel reads like a collection of fractured fairy tales woven into the fabric of a world much like our own. You find yourself wanting to know more about this world and especially, the main character, Mama Inez. She conducts the orchestra of first person narratives that gives "balance" to the world. A magical and satisfying tale extolling the importance of storytelling. Although marketed and published by H More...
Nov 18, 2011
Emily
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I have to admit, I was a little unsure about this book at the beginning, but it turned out to be quite charming and lovely. Serendipity Market is a story about stories. When Mama Inez senses the world is off balance, she sends out invitations to ten individuals to come share their stories and set the world right. Each of the stories is a unique take on a different fairy tale or legend, and each storyteller has his or her own unique voice.
The concept of telling stories to keep the wor More...
The concept of telling stories to keep the wor More...
Jul 12, 2009
Khy
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This is a hard book to review, as it is not a "traditional" book. It's mostly made up of individual stories, but it's not an anthology. There is one plot line that brings all the storytellers together in the first place, but that plot line cannot stand on its own; it needs the stories. There are characters in each individual story, and in the bigger plot that encompasses the stories. Because of that, I really cannot review this book by talking about the character development or the plo
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Jul 14, 2009
Jeannie
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This is a very good little short story collection. The short stories are all retellings from an unusual perspective, of fairy tales, folk tales, or tall tales. All the short stories are contained within the story of a women who lives at the end of the world and keeps the world in balance by collecting and sharing stories. I love that idea! My favorite story was the first one, the story of Cinderella from the perspective of the lizard coachman made human. This would be a good book discussion book
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Jul 05, 2009
Clickety
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I loved, LOVED this book. It's not just a collection; you've got a frame story and each of the stories in the collection is told by a character in the frame story. It's short and fun. It doesn't tie everything up in a neat little package, but I didn't feel like there were dangling plot threads - more that things were just kind of open, if you know what I mean.
Each of the stories touched on familiar tales, but shifted them a bit. This is definitely a set of stories for people who love More...
Each of the stories touched on familiar tales, but shifted them a bit. This is definitely a set of stories for people who love More...
Aug 05, 2009
Allison
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The story is a tale of a community bringing the earth back to a healthy and balanced state through story. Each character tells his or her story and each one is a surprise. I read until the wee hours every night because I couldn't wait to find out what story, from the character's own life, each would share. Some of the stories are told by a pair or a group of characters and the banter between them all made me smile! If you choose to read this novel you will recognize favorite fairy, folk and
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Aug 18, 2010
Allison
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while it took me a while to get into this book, I absolutely loved it. it reminded me of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which a frame story is used to get characters together to tell their stories. Serendipity Market does the same thing, only the stories they tell are all re-told fairy tales, like Cinderella and Tam Lin/Thomas the Rhymer and the Elves and the Shoemaker. Very good and almost addicting--it was hard to put it down!
Jul 12, 2010
Erin
rated it:
I was initially turned off by the first few pages of this book. Once I figured out the general premise it was interesting enough. The book format (retellings of classic fairytales each presented one chapter per story) did not make me want to continue reading. Since there is not a lot of continuity or an overall plot binding the stories together it begs to be read in one chapter per sitting.
Nov 23, 2009
Alissa
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The world is out of balance again, and the only way to restore it to its rightful state is through stories. Here at the Serendipity Market, a group of seemingly ordinary people (strangers to each other) gather to share their personal stories. These stories will seem familiar to the reader, but wait! There's a twist! A diffenent angle! And when the last words of the last story are spoken, the world has retained its former balance--as if by magic.
A truly unique read!
A truly unique read!
Feb 22, 2010
Caroline
rated it:
Maybe 3.5? Serendipity market was well written and would make a wonderful read aloud, but I didn't feel any great pull to get to the end. Readers who like their fantasy to be action packed and page turning will be disappointed, but readers who can appreciate a story for the way that its told will enjoy the inventive twists on traditional tales.
Jun 15, 2009
Natalie
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I really wanted to give this 3.5 stars. This is a really beautifully written collection of mini fairy tales woven into one main story- one that I wish she would have developed more. It almost seems like a children's book in it's simplicity and length, but really nicely done at the same time.
Aug 03, 2009
Dragon Eyes Loves Manga
rated it:
Serendipity Market is a very unique book. It's a collection of short stories, but it isn't an anthology. It's about a group of people who have gathered to tell their stories. And most of the stories are an interesting twist on old folk tales. All in all, I enjoyed this book.
Jan 19, 2011
Jenni
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I really liked the premise but how the stories "balanced the world" I did not ever get. The different twists on the fairy tales were interesting but when the Princess and the Pea became the Prince and the Pea I had to cringe. There were a few mild swear words as well.
Jun 21, 2011
Heather
rated it:
The first 38 pages had me totally bored and ready to put the book away. Then, the stories began. And it was another book entirely! I really liked the clever ways these folk tales and fairy tales were adapted, and it was fun to see Mama Inez or Toby having a hand in each one. This one is recommended for fans of revamped fairy tales. They won't be disappointed.
Sep 16, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
The initial premise was a bit of a turn-off: a mysterious woman with magical powers invites 10 people to come tell their stories at the Market to "restore the balance in the universe"--however, the stories themselves, which turned familiar fairy-tales upside down, were a delight.
Jun 09, 2011
Ruth
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Fairy tales with lovely twists. I enjoyed reading a tale at a time so they were like short stories but they also had a story thread running through the book. Penny,s first book. A good read for middle schoolers.
Aug 01, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I believe in the important power of stories, but that power was not conveyed authentically in this contrived tale of a storytelling gathering called to re-balance the world. It has a nice cover, though!
Jun 30, 2009
MJ
rated it:
Fantasy, short stories, YA
Odd little collection of interrelated stories. Mama Inez gathers storytellers together when she notices the world is out of tilt. Fairy tale lovers will like this one!
Odd little collection of interrelated stories. Mama Inez gathers storytellers together when she notices the world is out of tilt. Fairy tale lovers will like this one!
Mar 07, 2009
Ever
rated it:
Okay, the author could have spent a little more time talking about "restoring balance to the world" through the power of stories, but I still love the way she did this book, and I'm going to give it five stars because I'm totally biased. :)
