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How to Ditch Your Fairy

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 2,858 ratings · 573 reviews

Everyone in New Avalon has a fairy. Though invisible, a personal fairy is vital to success. It might determine whether you pass a math class or find the perfect outfit. But all fourteen-year-old Charlie can do is find parking spaces—and she doesn’t even drive. At first, teaming up with Fiorenza (who has an all-the-boys-like-you fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Char...more

Paperback, 309 pages

Published September 29th 2009 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens (first published September 16th 2008)

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Jan 28, 2009 Steph (Reviewer X) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Steph by: Jocelyn

Shelves: blog-already-read

Ah, crap, this is gonna be a long one.

Favorite thing: The world building. Top notch. Now, I’m not sure this is fantasy so much as it is ... I don’t know. Supernatural? Futuristic...something? What’s the term?! It didn’t feel like fantasy anyhow, this New Avalon place. In many ways, it was inspiring to read about it—not only because of what was original (fairies), but also because certain aspects of their society are blatantly (or subtly, depending on how you view it...) parallel to existent ones...more

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Sep 20, 2008 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 12-15 year olds and anyone who likes a cute, quick read

Shelves: work-review-related-reading, ya

This book was a true giggle, set in a country that's not really Australia and not really the United States but sure seems similar to both. At New Avalon, kids work hard and go to very specialized schools, the center of this book being New Avalon Sports High, where they spend 10 hour days being monitored for everything (including calorie and protein intake, etc) and training in all manner of sports (well, mostly summer sports since it doesn't ever snow in NA) and taking classes like statistics (s...more This book was a true giggle, set in a country that's not really Australia and not really the United States but sure seems similar to both. At New Avalon, kids work hard and go to very specialized schools, the center of this book being New Avalon Sports High, where they spend 10 hour days being monitored for everything (including calorie and protein intake, etc) and training in all manner of sports (well, mostly summer sports since it doesn't ever snow in NA) and taking classes like statistics (such as figuring batting averages) and PR (how to spin it when your client tests positive for drugs after wining a big bike race), etc. Most of them, however, are helped out by their fairies (not everyone has them, but most do). But not Charlie--her fairy is a parking fairy, and since she's 14 so therefore doesn't drive and actually hates cars, this fairy is useless to her but results in her getting drug along by all and sundry who want to get a parking space when they go places. Not her idea of a good time. She wants a fairy like her best friend's (a shopping fairy, making she finds the best outfits for pennies) or the new kid around the block who has a "never get into trouble" fairy. She's been trying to starve her fairy (60 days walking everywhere when the book opens), but it just isn't working fast enough for her. Her desperation has her turning to some unexpected people and suffering some very wild consequences--all very funny.

I like the fact that the kids in this book are all tremendous achievers who are very dedicated to the lives they have chosen. I did struggle with some of the made up vocabulary in the book because I didn't discover the glossary until I finished the book (though I was happy to discover I wasn't as old and out of the slang loops as I thought--I had harbored deep suspicions that all teenagers used these words and just didn't know it. lol) I also found it interesting trivia that Larbalestier is Scott Westerfeld's (author of the hugely popular Uglies series for young adults) wife. I've never read him, so I have no idea how their writing styles compare, but talk about your successful households!
(less)

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Jul 17, 2008 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a charmer of a novel by the author of the Magic and Madness trilogy. In New Avalon, almost everyone has a fairy of their own. The fairies are invisible and some people question whether they exist, but 14-year-old Charlie knows that hers does. Since she was tiny, she has been able to find a perfect parking space for whatever vehicle she is riding in. She hates it! Not only is it awfully inconvenient to always be asked to find someone a parking space, but she smells faintly of gasoline too...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Kiri rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This was lent to me on audio which was a mistake - not the lending the having to listen. I was looking forward to this book because it just sounded cute. Not to mention the cover looked interesting. (yes I know.. reading a book for the cover is like trying wine for the label/bottle - dicey at best) The story started out well then fell apart. By the end it felt like the author had gotten a phone call about the deadline and went uh.. ok we'll do this and this and ok done! and popped it in the mail...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-stars, fantasy, fey, chick-lit, read-in-2012, young-adult

Review Posted on Reading Lark 7/22/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...

First, I love this cover. It just makes me laugh and perfectly captures the mood of this read. It's silly, fun, and teaches some valuable lessons.

Charlie lives in a world that is a combination of the US and Australia. What makes her world so different from ours is the existence of fairies. Some people are lucky enough to have fairies to assist them with some element in their life while others remain without a winged h...more Review Posted on Reading Lark 7/22/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...

First, I love this cover. It just makes me laugh and perfectly captures the mood of this read. It's silly, fun, and teaches some valuable lessons.

Charlie lives in a world that is a combination of the US and Australia. What makes her world so different from ours is the existence of fairies. Some people are lucky enough to have fairies to assist them with some element in their life while others remain without a winged helper. Charlie loathes her fairy - its a car parking fairy - which isn't super important to a fourteen year old who walks everywhere and hates cars. To make matters worse, everyone knows about her fairy and wants her to ride with them when they need to be able to park at an important event. Charlie is fed up and starts out on a journey to rid herself from the irksome fairy.

I really liked that Charlie learned a lot about herself throughout her quest. She found that people weren't always as they seemed and that she could be quite moody and judgmental. It was nice to see her grow up a little bit and shed some of her immature ways. She also become more open minded as the book progressed. Her emotional journey is one of the biggest strengths of this read; it carries a strong message for younger teens. Charlie also was forced to really think about what was important to her. She learned to balance her own selfish nature with the needs and desires of family and friends.

Overall, this is a really cute, light hearted tale that made me laugh. I also couldn't help considering what type of fairy I would love to have. I think I would most like to have the shopping fairy. Who doesn't want great deals and clothes that fit you perfectly? I also think this book would be most enjoyable for younger teen readers and older middle grades readers. Its perfect for that age group. It's also a perfect summer read!

One Last Gripe: If Charlie had said doos or malodorous one more time, I think I would have started throwing things. Seriously, she must have used those words at least fifty times.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The fairies and their functions in this society

First Sentence: My spoffs looked funny in the top, which is odd because my spoffs are tiny.

Favorite Character: Charlie

Least Favorite Character: Danders(less)

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Aug 24, 2010 Margo Berendsen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-my-reads, young-adult, ya-paranormal

This is not your average paranormal YA, even though it involves fairies. Well, it sort of involves fairies. You'll never see one, hear one, or fall in love with one in this book. They have no personality, no form or appearance, but they do cause havoc in teenager's lives.

This is a world very similiar to ours, where almost everyone admits to the existence of fairies, but no one has ever been able to prove their existence by actually catching one. When a fairy attaches itself to you, it gives you...more This is not your average paranormal YA, even though it involves fairies. Well, it sort of involves fairies. You'll never see one, hear one, or fall in love with one in this book. They have no personality, no form or appearance, but they do cause havoc in teenager's lives.

This is a world very similiar to ours, where almost everyone admits to the existence of fairies, but no one has ever been able to prove their existence by actually catching one. When a fairy attaches itself to you, it gives you very specific gifts. Before you even start reading this book, or least before you get past the first chapter, go to the very back and read the List of Known Fairies. There's a Clothes-shopping fairy, who will also find you amazing clothes and great deals; a Bladder fairy, who gives you the ability to never have to go to the bathroom during a movie, or when you DO have to go, there's always a bathroom nearby. A Getting-out-of-trouble fairy. A Good-hair fairy, a Photogenic fairy, a Grip fairy (very handy for sports: whatever you grasp stays in your hands until you decide to let it go), a Knowing-what-your-children-are-up-to fairy (I could use this), and your very basic common Loose-change-finding-fairy.

There is also a very handy glossary at the back of this book, which I highly recommend, otherwise you will be somewhat frustrated by all the unsual terms that the teenagers use in this book - I was almost tempted to give up on the book at one point and this glossary would have helped. For instance, "doos" means cool, ace, brilliant; a "doxhead" is an annoying person; "pulchy" means beautiful, good-looking.

Okay, enough about the particulars. The bottom line is that once you get all the terms sorted, this is a great book about learning the consequences of wishing for someone else's gift and getting to see that it doesn't work out for you.

For someone who had devoured high adventure books recently like Hunger Games, the Iron King and the Red Pyramid, this book was a definite change of pace. This is just the plain old real world, don't let the fairies or the funny terms decieve you. Fourteen-year-old Charlie goes to a sports school where she's just failed to get on the basketball team - her dream. This school is also absolutely crazy about rules. There are rules for everything. And the weird thing, the kids seem okay with this - but you really need to read this because there is a very good reason WHY they live with all the rules. At first you're going to be scratching your head wondering why they put up with all the crap, but keep reading, there's a good reason! As a nice counterpoint to the sports school, Charlie's little sister goes to an art school. Both Charlie's sister and her parents are very well done - humorous and supportive but annoying enough to be realisitic.

Another thing I liked about this book is how the author works in a lesson about how we all have the tendency, at times, to get too self-focused and to think that our own little corner of the world is the best and brightest. She doesn't do it in a heavy-handed way. The writing is light with great voice and full of high-school mischief.

Each chapter begins with a list that Charlie keeps: Number of demerits, number of conversations with her crush, number of cool "doos" clothes acquired... and as the book progresses there's some interesting additions to this list: "kidnappings thwarted" "boys who like me" "girls who hate me", etc.

There's a touch of romance, but don't expect anything that'll make you swoon. Once I made the adjustment, it was kind of a nice break from the high stakes YA/MG books I've been reading lately. (less)

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Nov 28, 2008 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Trin, Heather

Recommended to Shelley by: Sarah Rees Brennan

Shelves: fantasy, youth

This was clever and fun. It opened with a lot of futuristic slang, which usually turns me right off, but I kept going. In New Avalon, a futuristic hybrid of Australia and the US, citizens have fairies that help them in their lives - never get cold fairy, find loose change fairy, etc. Charlie is stuck with a finding a parking space fairy, but at age 14, she can't even drive. She's stuck being borrowed by drivers, including school bully Danders.

At the start, this seemed to be setting up a lot of...more

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Oct 25, 2008 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, 2008-reads, faeries

Charlie has a parking fairy. For a fourteen-year-old who can’t even drive, a parking fairy is pretty useless. Charlie would much rather have a shopping fairy like her best friend or even a bathroom fairy. At least that way she’d never have to go to the restroom in the middle of a movie. Charlie always smells like gasoline and people constantly bug her to go places with them so they can benefit from her fairy and get great parking spaces. Charlie has had enough. She has decided - NO - vowed to ge...more

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Oct 04, 2008 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, fantasy, own, faries

How to Ditch your fairy is set in an altered world, where of coarse, fairies are real and are attached to a particular person, even thought the fairy cannot be seen. Charlie's fairy is a parking fairy, which she hates, because everyone makes her ride with them so they can always get a great spot to part. Her best friend has a shopping fairy so she can always find the best outfit at the best deal. So Charlie is trying to get rid of her fairy because she believes she will be able to attract (or re...more

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Oct 23, 2008 Hayden rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, sci-fi, fantasy, humor, chick-lit

I quite didn't finish this one before I passed it off to an interested teen, but I was really enjoying it. I look forward to getting it back.

Charlie lives in a slightly futuristic America/Australia, where everyone has a fairy. You might get an awesome fairy, such as the all-boys-will-like-you fairy or the clothes-will-look-great-on-you fairy. Or like Charlie, you might get stuck with a crap fairy, like the every-car-you're-in-will-find-a-great-parking-spot fairy. As a 14-year-old who can't even...more

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Apr 02, 2009 cecilia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blue-covers

I had expected a cute story about a girl with a less-than-desirable fairy and her attempts to switch fairies while she attempts to get through high school. I had questions on how she manages to team up with her archenemy, imagining Fiorenze to be one of the popular girls. I imagined something similar to Freaky Friday or any of those movies where 2 characters swap places.

Little did I know that the high school in question specializes in sports, Fiorenze is far from popular (but she might be perfec...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2009

2.5

The story was face paced at times and really dragged through other parts. Overall, it's cute and those interested in "other worlds" and magic would like this read.

However, the "other world" is poorly constructed. The invented language is not done well and not interesting (in fact, it's just frustrating to read since it's so poorly done). The characters are hit and miss, and I didn't find myself caring a bit about Charlie. I thought she was a bit of a whiner. Perhaps most irritating, though, w...more

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Aug 21, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bad-novels

You had me at parking fairy, but you lost me with the rest of the book.

Charlie is a sports loving girl in the city of New Avalon who has a problem. You see, everyone seems to have a fairy. These fairies are invisible, and are like the angels in Timothy Zahn's Angelmass in that they influence things. What they do varies from fairy to fairy. One girl has a shopping fairy, which lets her get beautiful clothing for criminally low prices. Another has one that makes all the boys her age like her.

Charl...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-lit

This is a cute girly book. I really liked the main character because, even though she wanted all the things that the stereotypical girl wants (i.e. clothes, boys, etc.), she also loves sports and doesn't mind getting dirty. As a teenager, Charlie (the main girl) had a lot of funny dilemmas that she frequently overreacted to. (Of course, she IS a teenage girl, so drama can be expected.)

While it was a girly book, I was pleasantly surprised, especially with Larbalestier's use of her made-up words....more

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May 10, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Take:
Entertaining – the language/ slang was a bit difficult to get used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, enjoyable. Spoffs was pretty funny. I like the premise that (almost) everyone is born with a fairy, some of which can be pretty mundane. Personally, I would love to have a good parking fairy, but as a teenager, I could see why you would want something else. Cute characters, but not a lot of depth – light, easy reading (other than some of the terminology). I like the Publisher’...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Mishal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eh, the starting was kinda boring but I gave the book a chance and continued reading...I always thought Fiorenze was misunderstood and boy was I right! Anyways, I love Charlie, her character and I love how her name is so long and how the teachers always call her Charlotte Adele Donna Stetto Steele or whatever her name is. Danders Anders really surprised me when she found out he was gambling which is why he needed money...I LOVE STEFFI! Honestly one of my favourites...this book really made me bel...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Heidi Turnquist rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a girl named Charlie living in a town called New Avalon. In this town most people go to either the arts or sports school. The normal schools are only for people who are extremely untalented. Charlie goes to the sports school and ,like the other students, is monitored on calorie intake and and other factors on a daily basis. In town a lot of people have "fairies" that give them special talents. For example Rochelle has a shopping fairy, Fiorenze has an every-boy-will-like-you f...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Paulina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've got mixed feelings about this book. I thought the idea sort of silly but still interesting. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of fairy I (would) have, only to decide that I most likely don't have one. Anyway, the idea was good, and I liked how they used words like 'doos', 'doxy', and 'fairy dung'. That, however, did not keep me from getting confused several times. I loved the ending, thought it was pretty cool. It did not like that I was unable to connect with Charlie - or anyone else. I...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Your Average Bookworms rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off, I'm giving mad props to Justine because of all the creative fairies she's created just to accompany the books-- and the characters. Who would've ever heard of a parking fairy (finding the perfect parking spot), or a clothes-finding fairy (speaks for itself)? Also, it must've took her a lot of time to not only create these creative fairies, but also creating a whole new world!

Characters wise-- It's very rare for me to dislike a main character, but I really didn't like Charlie. She was...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Nardia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now I know the concept of the book was aimed at people half my age, so I'm not going to go near that. I had two main problems with the book, the first being the awful made-up slang terms.
Now, slang can be annoying, but it generally follows certain rules that make it easy to figure out. For example, "cool" is a word that slides off the tongue quite easily, while "wicked", "awesome" and "bubbly" all jump from your mouth with the same exuberance they portray. However, Larbalestier's use of "pulchit...more Now I know the concept of the book was aimed at people half my age, so I'm not going to go near that. I had two main problems with the book, the first being the awful made-up slang terms.
Now, slang can be annoying, but it generally follows certain rules that make it easy to figure out. For example, "cool" is a word that slides off the tongue quite easily, while "wicked", "awesome" and "bubbly" all jump from your mouth with the same exuberance they portray. However, Larbalestier's use of "pulchitrudinous" as a word describing someone who is amazingly good-looking just doesn't click. It's an awkward word to use, far too long for teenagers/teenyboppers to really obsess over the word. You're forcing too many consonants. "Pulch" (or pulchy, officially, when they shortened it in the book) sounds like bulge/bulgy or gluggy or something which just reminds me of fat people while the "itrud" sounds like crud or intrude depending on how you want to pronounce it. "inous" at the end just reminds me of gelatinous or something. That one word was used over and over again and each time they used it, I became more tired of it. Sure, wicked started out as a word that repulsed people, describing someone utterly horrible, but there's a certain tang of rebellion attached to it, non-conformity that logically appeals to teens. "Pulchy" does not, unless you're maybe a fat person trying to make obesity sound cool.
I won't analyse every single slang word she used but suffice to say that the effect Larbalestier was going for didn't really work.

The second thing that bugged me was the moral progression of the characters. From the start, it was pretty clear that Fiorenze was a victim even while Charlie demonized her for a talent she just happened to be born with. I've experience that sort of thing myself and it made me uncomfortable, especially when Charlie seemed to be rewarded so magnificently for finally seeing the obvious. There were a lot of suggestions that Charlie's efforts in trying to change her luck would only end in failure, but the be-careful-what-you-wish-for lesson didn't stick. Fiorenze had perfectly valid reasons for needing change; Charlie was just selfish and wanted the quick way out. "Danders Anders" did bring an element of mystery and excitement to the novel that went beyond the simple 13-year-old drama, but it wasn't explained or resolved in a satisfying manner and in the end I learnt nothing from the character's involvement in his strange activities. (Yes, I could guess what they entailed but as a way of developing the story it was a big let-down, building up to something and then leaving you hanging.) In the end it seemed that Charlie didn't pay any sorts of consequences for her actions--she still got the guy, and instead of landing herself a normal fairy that she would just have to accustom herself to and thank her lucky stars it wasn't as bad as her past one, she got the AWESOME fairy that guaranteed success. She basically had the reward of a magnificent hero for either doing little at all, or things that she should not have done. She didn't gain humility, or reflect on her actions and make changes for the better. She just got her way in the end.

The story-building was interesting and the book had promise at the beginning but Charlie as a protagonist led all my expectations to disappointment. I would not recommend this book to a thirteen year old; she would learn nothing from it, and possibly even pick up bad habits or ideas from it. This book was a far cry from Larbalestier's other work and I regret giving this book a chance.(less)

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Mar 13, 2011 Rebecca C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'd been wanting to read something of Justine's for a few months now, since I discovered her online blog (which is amazing and very imformative for aspiring writers) and I've even been following her on Twitter (JustineLavaworm). Obviously, from this author, I'd expect a book with as much warmth and humor as she exhibits via her online persona: and HTDYF did not disappoint!

The world-building was a lot more intricate than I'd expected it to be (especially when compared to the 2 fantasy heavy-weigh...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Deborah Andreasen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Charlie's world, people have invisible little creatures that help them in ordinary ways. Like the never being late fairy, the loose change finding fairy, and the never getting lost fairy. Charlie is 14, and she has a parking fairy. Any car she is in will always find the perfect parking spot, no matter what. This might be useful, if she could drive, but certain aspects of it are down-right torturous. Like the fact she's always being "borrowed" by friends and relatives, or that she always smell...more In Charlie's world, people have invisible little creatures that help them in ordinary ways. Like the never being late fairy, the loose change finding fairy, and the never getting lost fairy. Charlie is 14, and she has a parking fairy. Any car she is in will always find the perfect parking spot, no matter what. This might be useful, if she could drive, but certain aspects of it are down-right torturous. Like the fact she's always being "borrowed" by friends and relatives, or that she always smells faintly of gasoline. But worst of all is one of the biggest bullies in school kidnaps her repeatedly and forces her sit in the car so he can drive around all night and get good parking spots wherever he wants. Why couldn't Charlie have been blessed with a shopping fairy like her best friend Rochelle?

Enter Fiorenze. Her fairy? Every-boy-will-like-you. It's hard to have gentle feelings towards the girl who attracts every boy at their elite sports oriented school, but when Fio starts strutting around with the new kid, Stefan, on her arm, things get ugly. Did I mention Stefan is Charlie's crush?

Unfortunately, Fio's parents are world-renowned fairy experts. If Charlie has any hope of getting rid of her fairy, she'll have to work with the enemy. At first it seems like teeming up with Fio is going to be as bad as being kidnapped and enduring hours of parking. But soon Charlie finds she and Fio have a lot in common.

This was a fun, quick read. The school Charlie and her friends attend is strictly sports oriented. Even though I am not a sports fan at all, I found it very easy to relate to the characters and care about the struggles they dealt with. How to Ditch Your Fairy is set at some point in the not-entirely-distant future, so there are some technological aspects that were mentioned, but not really explained. I understand that going into tech details may have distracted from the book, but a few explanations wouldn't have hurt either.

I felt like the teen characters were level headed and deep thinkers. It was refreshing not to read a novel that centered on drugs and alcohol and sleeping around. There is no "real" swearing in this book, but a lot of light, made-up curses. Just be careful, you might end up using doxy and torpid without meaning to.

(For your convenience, there is a guide at the back of the book with a list of known fairies, as well as translations for words like doos, astral, and hoick.)(less)

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Dec 28, 2010 Midnight rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, if you're looking for a book with real fairies in it, then this is not the book. It might seem like there are fairies, but that is up for debate even by the characters. I might look like Charlie has a 'parking fairy' because anyone who has her in the car with them always finds the perfect parking spot. Of course, Charlie hates her fairy, and she hates the smell of gasoline which seems to accompany this fairy or maybe the smell only accompanies the car. In the long run, Charlie will do almo...more Okay, if you're looking for a book with real fairies in it, then this is not the book. It might seem like there are fairies, but that is up for debate even by the characters. I might look like Charlie has a 'parking fairy' because anyone who has her in the car with them always finds the perfect parking spot. Of course, Charlie hates her fairy, and she hates the smell of gasoline which seems to accompany this fairy or maybe the smell only accompanies the car. In the long run, Charlie will do almost anything to get rid of her fairy.

On the other hand, Steffen, a boy Charlie likes but who is attracted to another girl because of her 'boy attracting' fairy, is a non-believer in fairies and yet he has a 'never get in trouble' fairy. Why else could he incur so many infractions of the strict school rules and yet never get any demerits. In fact, he caused a small riot in one class earning all the students in the class demerits, yet he received none. He was also seen holding hands and kissing a girl at school - another infraction of the rules, but he didn't get any demerits for that either. Charlie is jealous of this girl whose fairly attracts Steffen and of his fairly.

Fiorenze, who has the 'boy attracting' fairy or the 'all-the-boys-will-like-you' fairy, wants the same thing as Charlie - she too wants to ditch her fairy, and her mother has the answer to how to do it but will not share how it can be done. Fiorenze has attracted Steffen and this cause Charlie to hate her more than she did before, but Fiorenze convinces her she can help Charlie lose her fairly if Charlies helps her lose hers. Charlie is all for that because then Steffen won't be attracted to Fiorenze any more, and that will give Charlie a chance to win him over. Unfortunately something goes wrong and the two girls learn that maybe their own fairy wasn't as bad as they thought. Know they must take drastic measures to rid themselves of their new fairies, and the question is too what extremes are they willing to go.

It was a funny book, but some teens may have trouble with the language as the slang is not American. Of course, the glossary at the back, if people take the time to realize it is there - I didn't find it until the end of the book, will really help with the slang used by the author.

A person could do worse with a book, but, as I said, if you are looking for a book with real fairies, this might not be the book for you. Of course, these fairies might be real, but you never see them and they never make an appearance in the book that shows they are physically real.(less)

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Dec 23, 2010 Amanda Edwards rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 9th-grade-sof

---This book I read over the Winter Break---

How To Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier, is about a young teenager, named Charlie, that gets a fairy she doesn't want. Her fairy is named a parking fairy, so where ever she goes, she always gets a parking spot right next to the location. She doesn't want her fairy, because of Dander Anders, a teenager, about the same age as Charlie. She is always taking her after school to go and find a parking spot for her. But Charlie wants to go home and do...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Ryn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I usually pick out quotes that I like from books so that I can remember them later (yes, I am that obsessive), but it was impossible to do that for this book.

Because it wasn't a very good book. In fact, I almost couldn't get through it. I never would have picked it up myself; the only reason I did was because it was highly recommended by Sarah Rees Brennan (who is unbelievably hilarious and writes fanfiction that is horribly, sinfully good).

So Charlie has a parking fairy when other people arou...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Melani rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am... not impressed. I would go so far as to say disappointed. I was so looking forward to this book, I’d seen it recced a few places and those people loved it. But yea, this was not the book for me.

Lets start with the thing that bothered me the most, the fictional slang. Fictional slang is not something I normally have a problem with, in fact sometimes it’s really cool to see how authors play with language. The Uglies Trilogy used words differently and A Clockwork Orange smashed together seve...more I am... not impressed. I would go so far as to say disappointed. I was so looking forward to this book, I’d seen it recced a few places and those people loved it. But yea, this was not the book for me.

Lets start with the thing that bothered me the most, the fictional slang. Fictional slang is not something I normally have a problem with, in fact sometimes it’s really cool to see how authors play with language. The Uglies Trilogy used words differently and A Clockwork Orange smashed together several languages (or is it just the two, it’s been a while since I’ve read it?). I think the reason I had this major problem with it is that the slang came out of nowhere and it wasn’t any type of play on words it was just your basic nonsense substitution. The slang is basically totally new words used in place of modern slang: i.e. dooes for cool. I get that it was supposed to be some sort of indication of the setting, but it didn’t really work. In fact, hearing the new kid, who apparently sounded outdated to the narrator, was refreshing.

And that brings me to the next thing that didn’t work for me in the book, the setting. Ok, it’s a modern setting fantasy? In a fictional city? Where the fairies have only been around for a few generations? I don’t think it was supposed to be our world in the future. But that’s really all dressing, because what didn’t work for me the most about the setting was the fairies. Yea, that major thing the whole book was about and it didn’t work for me. Partly because there was no reason given for them, they just were, and partly because they majorly squicked me.

The fact that they just existed shouldn’t have bothered me. It should have just been covered by the ‘fantasy novel hand waving’ and yet it wasn’t. I think because they’re a mystery inside the story as well. No one inside the story really knows much about them either, they just showed up a few generations ago and some people still don’t believe in them and so you just have this question hanging over the book, and not in a way which indicates that the characters know it and you don’t or you know it and the characters don’t, just a mystery. It’s like the author said, well I need so and so to be good at this, and for so and so to learn this, oh I know lets make their talents the fault of some outside agency and that way I can shift them around.

And having shiftable talents sounds like a cool idea, until you start to think about the consequences. And those consequences are just brushed over feather light in the book. And that’s why the fairies majorly squicked me. I mean first of all we are presented with what is possibly the most horrifying magical ability ever, which is to make another human being totally give up their agency whenever they are around you and fall head-over-heals in romance novel love with you. And you can’t tell me that if a fairy exists that does it for boys, there isn’t also one that does that for girls. And guys, that’s just ew. And again, that ewness factor is brushed over. The main character, when she gets that fairy, is all, ‘well it sucks that the guy I like doesn’t really like me for me and it’s annoying that the boys follow me around’ but there doesn’t go further then that. And that leaves me with the nastiest feeling.

But then you also have the fact that the idea of shiftable talents takes away something from the individual. When you have a ‘shopping’ fairy, then someone who really is good at finding bargains is denied that talent, it becomes the fault of an outside force and nothing to do with the individual.

My final beef with the book is this; I wanted to know what happened with the trial. No really, I thought it would be so much more interesting then the whole ditching the fairy thing. Because that is something you can relate to. A young kid who is going to go against the expectations of the society she exists in, one that worships their celebrities and testify against one of those celebrities. However the book is about ditching your fairy and once that’s done then the major plot of the book is over. I just think the more interesting novel is the one that happens after the fairy is ditched.

I did like some things about the book. I liked the characters. Once I got past the annoying slang, Charlie is a very engaging narrator. And I liked her friends and the support group. And that’s why I wanted to see what happens in the trial. You could have Charlie realize New Avalon isn’t the center of the world (it happened rather quickly in the book, one sentence, and so it’s unbelievable) along with the drama of going against her societies expectations. But no.

To sum up: I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t even like it while I was reading it and I was even more disappointed when it was over. BLEH.(less)

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Aug 17, 2010 Libby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, fantasy, young-adult-fiction

This is a book I never would have picked up on first glance, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. I have been trying to increase my running mileage and my MP3 player isn't working, so I'm limited to the audio playaways at the library. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I was intrigued by the title and felt it couldn't hurt to give it a try. The reader was very good (I don't think I would have enjoyed it so much reading on my own.) Also, Larbalestier creates a very unique alternate real...more

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Jul 24, 2010 Gerri Leen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-author

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

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Mar 15, 2010 Reading Teen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you could have any kind of personal fairy, what kind would you want? Unfortunately for Charlie, she didn't get to pick her fairy. If she had, she would have chosen a loose change fairy, a clothes shopping fairy, or better yet, an all boys like you fairy. But Charlie didn't get any of those fairies, she got a parking fairy. Now you might think that this would be a great fairy to have, never having to worry about finding a parking spot, but Charlie doesn't drive, and she's sick of being used by...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Lourdes Q. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lourdes quizhpi reading response

I think that Charlie really learned her lesson by swapping fairies with Fiorenze. she thought there couldn't be a fairy worst than a parking fairy. but when she swapped fairies she learn that a every-boy-would-like-you fairy is worst. but before she swapped, she thought the fairy would be the best in the world. she was wrong. which should really suck.

I think that this lesson can go into the real world too. every person sometime in their life, wants something tha...more

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About Justine Larbalestier

Justine Larbalestier is an Australian young-adult fiction author. She is best known for the Magic or Madness trilogy: Magic or Madness, Magic Lessons and the newly released Magic's Child. She also wrote one adult non-fiction book, the Hugo-nominated The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction (Best Related Book, 2003), and edited another, Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentiet...more

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“He didn't mean to corner me, but when you're as tall and wide as he is and I'm as little as I am, merely standing beside me constitutes menacement.” — 4 people liked it

“Would you like to press charges?" the officer asked. She was not serious. Nobody pressed charges against stars of A-stream teams, especially ones like Danders Anders who were in their final year and on the brink of superlative careers.
"I'd love to press charges," Rochelle answered. "That would be joyous."
The officer grinned. "Wouldn't it?” — 4 people liked it

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