Mary's review
Fairest
by Gail Carson Levine
I have to agree with your complaint about the songs! Though I liked the story as a whole they drove me nuts, and I skipped over them as well in order to keep the plot moving.
Hi Mary - I was curious to read your review after you mentioned in class how irritating the songs were to you. For me, listening to the recorded version, the songs were ok because of the singers' great voices (though the settings were not very melodic). But after a while it did feel as though the story was going on and on and on ... Interesting that the Booklist and SLJ reviewers were so taken with the book -- I wonder if they were influenced by Levine's reputation and earlier books.
I just finished the book, and I would have to say I agree with you. The story was simply missing something that "Ella, Enchanted" had. I'm still not quite sure what it's missing, but I think your complaints about the story are spot on.
I'd have to agree with you as well. The characters were far too one dimensional, and the songs were rather dull. However, I really enjoyed the book as a whole
Mary's review
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Mary's review
rating:
bookshelves:
fantasy-chap,
lis-565
** spoiler alert **
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 the character of Skulni, the inhabitant of a magic mirror. Aza herself is likable enough but the use of lengthy song lyrics in place of dialogue slows what is already a plodding story and I found myself simply skipping over them.
CIP Summary:
In Ayortha, singing and beauty are prized above all else. Aza, a commoner, can sing, and Queen Ivi is a beauty. The Queen forces Aza to use her voice to deceive the entire court.
From Booklist:
Levine slowly ...more
CIP Summary:
In Ayortha, singing and beauty are prized above all else. Aza, a commoner, can sing, and Queen Ivi is a beauty. The Queen forces Aza to use her voice to deceive the entire court.
From Booklist:
Levine slowly ...more
I have to agree with your complaint about the songs! Though I liked the story as a whole they drove me nuts, and I skipped over them as well in order to keep the plot moving.
Hi Mary - I was curious to read your review after you mentioned in class how irritating the songs were to you. For me, listening to the recorded version, the songs were ok because of the singers' great voices (though the settings were not very melodic). But after a while it did feel as though the story was going on and on and on ... Interesting that the Booklist and SLJ reviewers were so taken with the book -- I wonder if they were influenced by Levine's reputation and earlier books.
I just finished the book, and I would have to say I agree with you. The story was simply missing something that "Ella, Enchanted" had. I'm still not quite sure what it's missing, but I think your complaints about the story are spot on.
I'd have to agree with you as well. The characters were far too one dimensional, and the songs were rather dull. However, I really enjoyed the book as a whole
