What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa s...
read full description
reviews
Feb 06, 2011
Linna
rated it: 
Sarah Beth Durst is already one of my favorite new fantasy authors, and Enchanted Ivy is simply magical. Really. (All books, to some degree, are magical, but I regress.) While the topic of college is rising in the trends of YA, Enchanted Ivy didn't go for the tell-all, gossipy path, like The Ivy did for Harvard. And it's no Secret Society Girl either; this is a story that takes place at Princeton, but it whisks you away into a fabulous parallel world filled with magical beings, blending the real
More...
Apr 09, 2011
This book reminded me what's so great about fantasy novels--they suck you into another world and you don't want to be pulled out. Gargoyles coming to life, were-tigers, knights, dragons...yeah, all that and more. I wish this alternate Princeton really existed! The author provides wonderful imagery and as the reader you want to walk through this magical campus, but you'll just have to settle through living it through Lily's eyes.
This story is so much more than just a quest for a key and More...
This story is so much more than just a quest for a key and More...
Nov 09, 2010
~Tina~
rated it: 
Lilly has always had one dream. To get into Princeton University.
Now she has a chance. Take a test, but not just any test. A Legacy Test.
Task- Find the Ivy Key.
What's she get? An automatic acceptance to Princeton. That's right.
"Find the key and your future is assured. Your destiny, secured".
Sure...easy peasy.
I absolutely loved this book! Already a fan of Sarah Durst Ice. I couldn't wait to read her next book. It did not disappoint. Enchanted Ivy is a More...
Now she has a chance. Take a test, but not just any test. A Legacy Test.
Task- Find the Ivy Key.
What's she get? An automatic acceptance to Princeton. That's right.
"Find the key and your future is assured. Your destiny, secured".
Sure...easy peasy.
I absolutely loved this book! Already a fan of Sarah Durst Ice. I couldn't wait to read her next book. It did not disappoint. Enchanted Ivy is a More...
12 comments
like
(12 people liked it)
Jul 07, 2011
Jenn
rated it: 
i don't really get why everyone is all about this book. it wasn't so terrible that i wanted to throw it across the room. or, even, sit in my apartment and nitpick it on the internet. (although i totally could if i wanted. just saying. ) but it was also not all that spectacular. much of it irked me and the characters seemed more like vehicles for the plot than actual characters. but maybe i am just jaded or biased by my obviously inferior not-ivy education. or something. a pretty cover and some b
More...
2 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 29, 2011
Michelle
rated it: 
Lily is attending her grandfather’s yearly class reunion at Princeton University. Her dream is to follow in his footsteps and attend Princeton, but she is a little worried about being accepted into the prestigious school. Then her grandfather introduces her to a group of his fellow alumni. They give her a challenge, find the Ivy Key and she will get an automatic entrance to Princeton. She is joined by Tye, who says he is there to protect her. At first, she is not sure why she would need a
More...
Nov 01, 2011
Lucie
rated it:
Impressions:
By opening this novel, the reader is immersed in a fantasy quest. As in "The Skulls", with Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker, is started by a secret society that offers initiation rites on campus. But in this book, members of this Brotherhood are selected Knights working to save the world from supernatural dangers.
As in "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C. S. Lewis, crossing doors can be dangerous.
As in the saga "Iron Fey" by Julie Kagawa, bod More...
By opening this novel, the reader is immersed in a fantasy quest. As in "The Skulls", with Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker, is started by a secret society that offers initiation rites on campus. But in this book, members of this Brotherhood are selected Knights working to save the world from supernatural dangers.
As in "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C. S. Lewis, crossing doors can be dangerous.
As in the saga "Iron Fey" by Julie Kagawa, bod More...
Oct 08, 2011
Kailia
rated it:
I fell in love with Sarah Beth Durst’s writing and storytelling abilities after reading her debut novel, Ice. When I heard that she was going to come out with another book, I jumped at the chance of receiving a copy for review! I wanted to know if Sarah would fall in the horrible second book mode or if she would prevail. I’m happy to say that I am wholeheartedly happy with this one!
Sarah’s writing ability and how she is able to weave such great stories together continues to astonish me More...
Sarah’s writing ability and how she is able to weave such great stories together continues to astonish me More...
Jul 01, 2011
Kim (vnfan)
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jun 26, 2011
Rhyme
rated it:
I thought this book was fine. Just that, fine. THe author did a pretty good job at giving you an idea of what Lily was like, through her language and actions. But when it came to the other minor characters, and the frequent drops in the story plot, the well drawn Lily couldn't make up for the many other faults.
First, the plot was nice. It was a good idea, fantastical. I liked the setup in Princeton, the lore and all the descriptions of its famous gargoyles.
In the begin More...
First, the plot was nice. It was a good idea, fantastical. I liked the setup in Princeton, the lore and all the descriptions of its famous gargoyles.
In the begin More...
May 01, 2011
Paradoxical
rated it: 
The beginning of Enchanted Ivy starts out promising. Lily really wants to go to Princeton and her grandfather, an alumnus, gives her an opportunity to automatically pass the application process as long as she accomplishes a certain task. I rather liked the beginning and I'm a huge sucker for an adventure where the main character has to reveal clues, which takes her to new places, but that part of the book ends fairly quickly. The main plot line is this tension between the magical world and our r
More...
Apr 29, 2011
Jenna
rated it:
This book suffered a bit by being the one I read after the stellar "Life As We Knew It" and it fails most in the area the previous book succeeded so well -- characterization. "Enchanted Ivy" is just very fluffy and light. We are told more than we are shown, and I didn't feel as if I got to know any of the characters well enough to carry the story. I've read other books set in the alma maters of the authors and this one probably suffered the most from "you had to be there
More...
Feb 08, 2011
K.
rated it:
Following up Durst's impressive Ice is an unrelated, but just as lovely and readable story about Lily Carter, a high school junior tagging along with her Grandfather at his Princeton reunion weekend.
But Grandpa has a surprise for Lily, she's to undergo a test at the exclusive dining club, the Vineyard, with a prize of instant admission to Princeton if she is successful, and banishment from the club if she is not.
Lily undertakes the quest to find the "ivy key", l More...
But Grandpa has a surprise for Lily, she's to undergo a test at the exclusive dining club, the Vineyard, with a prize of instant admission to Princeton if she is successful, and banishment from the club if she is not.
Lily undertakes the quest to find the "ivy key", l More...
Feb 02, 2011
Avery
rated it:
This book has This book has the stereotypical YA plot line- Nerdy/ unpopular female character who is an overachiever. Check. Girl whose life does a complete 360 when she learns that everyone she has ever trusted/ cared about has lied to her? Check. Love triangle? Check. One of the boys being the all American apple pie kind of guy whereas the other is an outcast? Check. Girl falling for the boy who is immersed in the fantastical world/ the "dangerous" boy? Check.
But you know w More...
But you know w More...
Feb 01, 2011
Vinaya
rated it:
This book ought to have gotten 2.5 stars, but I've given it a grace of an extra half-star!
RECIPE FOR BLAND, GENERIC YOUNG ADULT FANTASY BOOK IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Ingredients:
Heroine: 1 (Make sure your selected heroine is nerdy, unpopular and supposedly smart. NEVER make your heroine both smart and popular, and as for a personality... forget it! This is just asking for trouble, because soon people will start expecting her to think, and fend for herself and acqui More...
RECIPE FOR BLAND, GENERIC YOUNG ADULT FANTASY BOOK IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Ingredients:
Heroine: 1 (Make sure your selected heroine is nerdy, unpopular and supposedly smart. NEVER make your heroine both smart and popular, and as for a personality... forget it! This is just asking for trouble, because soon people will start expecting her to think, and fend for herself and acqui More...
10 comments
like
(25 people liked it)
Dec 14, 2010
Bonnie at
rated it:
Every college-bound high school student dreams of being accepted into their first-choice college. For Lily Carter, getting into her family's alma mater, Princeton University, is an easier process than she thought it would be. During her grandfather's reunion, she discovers that if she passes the secretive Legacy Test by finding the Ivy Key, she'll not only be enrolled in a secret society on campus, she'll also be guaranteed admission to Princeton. She'll still have to formally submit an applicat
More...
Dec 15, 2010
Lydia
rated it:
I didn't cave to the pressure of The Ivy or any of the other gossipy-type books dealing with ivy league schools, but I couldn't resist the fantasy element of Enchanted Ivy. I'm glad as well, because this was an incredibly fun book with a lot of fun information filling its pages.
Sarah Beth Durst went to Princeton and the cover indicates that she spent some time there wondering what the gargoyles would say if they could talk...and so a story woven around the history and architecture o More...
Sarah Beth Durst went to Princeton and the cover indicates that she spent some time there wondering what the gargoyles would say if they could talk...and so a story woven around the history and architecture o More...
Dec 01, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
Enchanted Ivy seduced me with it's rich lore, and held me captive by it's vivid setting. Sarah Beth Durst's breathe taking descriptions of her setting had me wishing I could travel to Princeton to walk through the FitzRandolph Gate just to see the land that lies on other side.
Lily Carter has a dream to attend Princeton University like her parents and grandfather before he did. When she and her mother accompany her Grandfather to a reunion weekend at this prestigious university, Lily is More...
Lily Carter has a dream to attend Princeton University like her parents and grandfather before he did. When she and her mother accompany her Grandfather to a reunion weekend at this prestigious university, Lily is More...
Nov 11, 2010
Lisa
rated it:
Enchanted Ivy is about a teenager named Lily who takes a trip with her grandfather (a Princeton alumni) and mother for a reunion at the Princeton campus. Lily wants to follow so bad in her grandfather's footsteps and become a Princeton graduate. While on campus, she is given a chance to take the Legacy Test. If she passes it will guarantee her acceptance. All she has to do is find the Ivy Key...
Along the way she meets an orange and black haired boy named Tye. She finds out that there a More...
Along the way she meets an orange and black haired boy named Tye. She finds out that there a More...
Nov 02, 2010
Pamela
rated it:
Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst has a story line that at first seems only mildly interesting, but once started, the book is difficult to put down. Durst take the "interesting" story line and with her deft prose and runaway imagination creates a tale filled with rich characters, wonderful story-telling, and puzzle pieces that fall together perfectly.
Lily, the protagonist, is a wonderful heroine--not too perfect, not too beautiful, not too athletic--but like Goldilocks, sh More...
Lily, the protagonist, is a wonderful heroine--not too perfect, not too beautiful, not too athletic--but like Goldilocks, sh More...
Oct 25, 2010
Dawn
rated it:
I read "Enchanted Ivy" in a little bit more than a day. I was totally enthralled. This is a very original story and I hope this is the start of a series that could be totally wonderful.
Our heroine is Lily. She's a normal, mostly happy high school junior who wants nothing more than to go to Princeton like her father and her grandfather before her. The biggest obtacle for her to overcome is her mother's mental illness, that is sometimes under control and sometimes not. But, s More...
Our heroine is Lily. She's a normal, mostly happy high school junior who wants nothing more than to go to Princeton like her father and her grandfather before her. The biggest obtacle for her to overcome is her mother's mental illness, that is sometimes under control and sometimes not. But, s More...
Oct 14, 2010
Rachael
rated it:
Lily Carter just wants to get into college, or if you want to be specific, Princeton University, the alma mater of her Grandpa. So when Grandpa invites her to come along during Princeton Reunions weekend, Lily jumps at the chance to visit her dream school. So when she’s asked to take the secret Legacy Test, which will guarantee admittance to Princeton if she passes, of course she accepts this challenge to find the Ivy Key. Little does Lily know that this undertaking will change life as she knows
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 04, 2010
Angela
rated it:
Lily's hopes and worries about college really brought me back to my junior year of high school, when I also was obsessing about colleges and going on tours already. With all of the magic and fantasy that surrounds this story, Durst does an excellent job of still bringing out the humanity and normalcy in Lily.
This story isn't nearly as epic in scope as the last book of Durst's I read, ICE, and follows many of the paranormal romance tropes that are in danger of becoming predictable - a More...
This story isn't nearly as epic in scope as the last book of Durst's I read, ICE, and follows many of the paranormal romance tropes that are in danger of becoming predictable - a More...
Feb 02, 2011
Alicia
rated it:
Although my feelings towards Sarah Beth Durst's other novel, Ice, could be summed up with a general "meh", I decided to give her another chance to wow me with Enchanted Ivy. Enchanted Ivy, the story of a narnia-esque fantasy world that is connected to the human world through the front gates of Princeton University, unfortunately fell flat as well. It was decently written. It had likable enough, if perhaps slightly dull, characters, along with your standard sexed-up cast of fuzzy fan
More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 29, 2010
Beverly
rated it:
Amazon Product Description:
What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!
Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who sa More...
What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!
Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who sa More...
Aug 10, 2011
Marina
rated it:
The Scoop:
Lily Carter doesn't know there are two Princetons (as in Princeton University). Two Princetons that exist parallel to each other--one mystical, one normal. All it takes is one step through the FitzRandolph Gateway to get from one Princeton to the other. As long as you have "the key."
Lily and her mother travel with Lily's grandfather to his 50th class reunion. Upon her arrival she is given the option for early admission that is guaranteed without having to submit More...
Lily Carter doesn't know there are two Princetons (as in Princeton University). Two Princetons that exist parallel to each other--one mystical, one normal. All it takes is one step through the FitzRandolph Gateway to get from one Princeton to the other. As long as you have "the key."
Lily and her mother travel with Lily's grandfather to his 50th class reunion. Upon her arrival she is given the option for early admission that is guaranteed without having to submit More...
Aug 10, 2011
Hope
rated it:
I’ve had this book on my to-be-read list for a while, well since the day I discovered it on Goodreads. I just never got around to buying it, I think I checked my local book store to see if they had it. They didn’t and since then I forgot about it. So week or so ago I was at the library and I saw the book, I started to read it right there at the library.
This book was alright, there was nothing wow about it. It was decant read, I enjoyed it, but I found that there is that somethi More...
This book was alright, there was nothing wow about it. It was decant read, I enjoyed it, but I found that there is that somethi More...
Dec 12, 2010
Cherylann
rated it:
After hearing Sarah Beth Durst read from Enchanted Ivy at my local Barnes and Noble, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book; unfortunately, there were a few books in the queue already. When I finally was able to dive into the book, I was not disappointed. Enchanted Ivy has something for everyone: family angst, romance, growing pains, and battle - lots of battle! The novel opens with Lily accompanying her grandfather to his 50th Princeton Reunion, and once Lily sets foot on campus, she lear
More...
Oct 23, 2010
Aimee
rated it:
"Enchanted Ivy" is a fun, fast read with a unique plot that sucks readers in. I absolutely loved Sarah Beth Durst's book "Ice" and am happy that I was not disappointed with "Enchanted Ivy", which is impressive because I've been dying to read it since I first heard the synopsis. I had very little time to read this week, but every second I got I spent reading this book. I was almost late to one of the lectures because I was so wrapped up in the book I forgot to look a
More...
Jun 29, 2011
Libby
rated it:
Reading the book summary made me skeptical about Enchated Ivy. It honestly sounded a little cheesy and the only reason I read it was because it was on Tamora Pierce's top picks for 2011. Cheesy? Yes, just a little bit, but a creative idea well executed.
When Lily goes with her grandfather to apply to Princeton, she is told by his secret fraternity that if she passes their test she will get unconditional admittance. However, in the course of the test, she learns there are two sid More...
When Lily goes with her grandfather to apply to Princeton, she is told by his secret fraternity that if she passes their test she will get unconditional admittance. However, in the course of the test, she learns there are two sid More...
Jan 18, 2011
Skedatt
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
