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Once Upon a Marigold
(Upon a Marigold #1)
by
Christian is gaga for Princess Marigold. But he's just a commoner, and no match for royalty. Heck, he lives in a cave with a troll! And now he's discovered another reason to put his love-soggy heart on ice: Queen Olympia is scheming to take over the kingdom--and she'll bump off her own daughter to do it. Can Christian foil her diabolical plans?
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Paperback, 271 pages
Published
June 1st 2004
by Harcourt, Inc.
(first published October 1st 2002)
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of Once Upon a Marigold (Upon a Marigold, #1)
This is the cutest book in the entire world. You kind of just want to hug it and squeeze it and call it George, because it's just that damned cute.
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where the author was clearly trying too ...more
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where the author was clearly trying too ...more
OH. MY. CUTENESS.
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so it's about this 6-year-old b ...more
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so it's about this 6-year-old b ...more
I totally judged a book by its cover on this one. The font the words are printed in reminded me of the font from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (easy read, I knew), and it proclaimed itself to be “part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink; happily-ever-after turned upside down, inside out, and completely over the top!” Well, I don’t know about all that, but it was an entertaining read — a fairy tale with a modern, fun, whimsical feel to it.
I must admit I liked the fir ...more
I must admit I liked the fir ...more
Absolutely delightful even the second time around. I am glad to have a chance to re-read the first two, and to finally read the third.
EtA: I like how this one is from the pov of the male character.
Btw, I guess I really do love this author. I also own her Love Among the Walnuts (which I found at a thrift store, sans jacket, and did not realize as YA because it read as adult) and am going to reread that before releasing it. ...more
EtA: I like how this one is from the pov of the male character.
Btw, I guess I really do love this author. I also own her Love Among the Walnuts (which I found at a thrift store, sans jacket, and did not realize as YA because it read as adult) and am going to reread that before releasing it. ...more
My name is Christian- I don’t know what my last name is, because when I was five years old, I decided I’d had enough with boring lessons about how to sip tea properly and wearing silly uncomfortable clothes all day. So I ran away- and that’s how I met Ed. Ed’s my dad. He found me hiding in the woods and tried to take me back to my parents, but I decided I liked Ed way more than them, so I tricked him into adopting me. Oh, yeah, Ed’s also a troll, and he pretends to be all grumpy and troll like m
...more
I unabashedly love children's books, but this was even too juvenile for me.
Marigold is a strong-willed princess who is being forced to marry a prince she doesn't love. Christian is a bright young man who doesn't realize he's actually a prince. You already know how this is going to end. Beyond being predictable, the story tries very hard to have an irreverent, almost Shrek-like tone. But it fails by being unfunny and weighed down by trite concepts like p-mail (it's like email but with pigeons, g ...more
Marigold is a strong-willed princess who is being forced to marry a prince she doesn't love. Christian is a bright young man who doesn't realize he's actually a prince. You already know how this is going to end. Beyond being predictable, the story tries very hard to have an irreverent, almost Shrek-like tone. But it fails by being unfunny and weighed down by trite concepts like p-mail (it's like email but with pigeons, g ...more
5/10
I feel bad giving this such a low rating because I think there are a lot of young girls who would really, really like it. But, for me, it was just too juvenile...and that's coming from someone who LOVES children's and young adult literature.
I know it's a little unfair to say that a middle-grade book (written for 9-12 year-olds) was "too juvenile." But I'm comparing it to other books for the same age group (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, anyone?), and it can't even hold a candle aga ...more
I feel bad giving this such a low rating because I think there are a lot of young girls who would really, really like it. But, for me, it was just too juvenile...and that's coming from someone who LOVES children's and young adult literature.
I know it's a little unfair to say that a middle-grade book (written for 9-12 year-olds) was "too juvenile." But I'm comparing it to other books for the same age group (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, anyone?), and it can't even hold a candle aga ...more
Wonderful and orginal fairy tale! And one that is not like any other fariy tale out there.
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and cheesy. That's basically the novel in a n ...more
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and cheesy. That's basically the novel in a n ...more
Oh my goodness this was such an amazing book!!! SO CUTE! SO FUNNY! SO GOOD! It nails all the elements of a nice story, and has just enough action to keep things lively, but not so much that it becomes a super intense read (which are great in their own right, depending on what you want to read). It was a nice change of pace compared to all the other books I’ve been reading lately, and honestly I appreciated every single part of it, even the romance! (Don’t tell all my friends I said that) All in
...more
Well this was utterly adorable. Full review to come.
Cute
Rating: 4.5
I really enjoyed this book. I was a light, fun, fairytale read reminiscent of Ella Enchanted, The Princess Bride, Disney Princess Movies, and Barbie Princess Movies. A Mishmash of a bunch of storybook tropes and cliches, creating a wonderfully odd, but familiar, world. There weren’t any swear words, but some cartoonish violence and a few kisses occur.
I was a little nervous to read this because I wasn’t sure on the content. Not one of my friends of here reviewed it, so I didn’t know w ...more
I really enjoyed this book. I was a light, fun, fairytale read reminiscent of Ella Enchanted, The Princess Bride, Disney Princess Movies, and Barbie Princess Movies. A Mishmash of a bunch of storybook tropes and cliches, creating a wonderfully odd, but familiar, world. There weren’t any swear words, but some cartoonish violence and a few kisses occur.
I was a little nervous to read this because I wasn’t sure on the content. Not one of my friends of here reviewed it, so I didn’t know w ...more
What do you get when you mix an evil mother, a not so typical princess, a grumpy troll and a lost boy? You get “everything but the kitchen sink”. Once upon a Marigold is a book that follows a young boy falling in love with a princess across the river who exchanges little notes with him using p-mail (pigeon mail) creating a beautiful distant relationship. That’s when Christian decides it’s time for him to pursue his dreams and decides to leave his father troll, who has raised him since he found C
...more
This book is just as cute as a pile of puppies and kittens licking each other's ears on a glittery pink blanket. Surrounded by cupcakes.
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relatively enlightened buddies. While Princ ...more
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relatively enlightened buddies. While Princ ...more
Ok. So I decided to read up on some of my favorite books ever just to remember how much I really do love them. And it also reminded me how sad some of the science fiction stuff can be compared to this lovely and just plain cute fantasy! I freaking love this book! It's just adorable. It makes me happy and joyous and I must say, a bit hyper. :) This is one of those books that you just have to read when you're having a dumper day. And I was kinda having one when I read it all yesterday when I was s
...more
This was actually the second time I had read this book and I always love it. It is a good story and not some heavy book that makes you think all deep. It is just a good book with trolls and princess and an even mother who wants to take over the kingdom. It is a good book for anyone who is ready to get out of reading super serious books. It's a great book and I do recommend it.
...more
This is super cute and sweet as hell. I loved Christian, Marigold, Ed and the dogs...all five of them.
I particularly liked Ed because he reminded me of Eve Dallas (In Death series) with all his mixed cliches. Made me smile every time.
"He'd buttered his bread, and now he'd have to lie in it."
"What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the eager beaver."
"You just have to take the bear by the horns."
I'm looking forward to Twice Upon A Marigold. ...more
I particularly liked Ed because he reminded me of Eve Dallas (In Death series) with all his mixed cliches. Made me smile every time.
"He'd buttered his bread, and now he'd have to lie in it."
"What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the eager beaver."
"You just have to take the bear by the horns."
I'm looking forward to Twice Upon A Marigold. ...more
"Once Upon a Marigold" is a romantic comedy book. In the story, a commoner who lives in a cave with a troll and two dogs falls in love with the youngest princess of their kingdom. They start off as best friends through "p-mail" (basically handwritten letters sent by pigeons), but soon they meet at one point in the book and become something more. This is a very cheesy book filled with corny jokes, so I think only a few section of readers would enjoy reading this and apparently I'm a part of that
...more
Dec 01, 2020
Andrea Faria
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
fantasy
This was so cute, and it literally gave me both Pippin and Ella Enchanted vibes, so, like, love that. I'm also so proud of myself for finally finishing it, considering I wrote a book report on it over 11 years ago now...
...more
I read this as a teenager and remembered it being super cute and funny with well-rounded characters and a charming love story...I'm very happy to say it's just as amazing as I remembered. It's a fantastic light read and hard to put down.
...more
My preteen niece recommended this one to me. It was cute, and very much for preteens :)
4.5
Reader thoughts: I almost put the book down on page two. So glad I didn't! (It starts with an old man walking through the woods. Not interesting, until you find out he's a troll.)
The book's climax reminded me of Ella Enchanted. There was a curse to break, a step-mother to face, a prince to marry, people shouting, and a dog-powered flying machine (okay, not exactly like Ella Enchanted). Fun though, and lots happening at once.
The relationship between Christian and his foster father was well-don ...more
Reader thoughts: I almost put the book down on page two. So glad I didn't! (It starts with an old man walking through the woods. Not interesting, until you find out he's a troll.)
The book's climax reminded me of Ella Enchanted. There was a curse to break, a step-mother to face, a prince to marry, people shouting, and a dog-powered flying machine (okay, not exactly like Ella Enchanted). Fun though, and lots happening at once.
The relationship between Christian and his foster father was well-don ...more
I picked up this book because a friend of mine really enjoyed it. I tried to get into it, because there were a couple of cute ideas in the book, but in the end the writing was simply too poor to keep me engaged. Every time I managed to get involved in the story for a few paragraphs, I would be tossed out of the story again by a particularly awkward bit of exposition. The characters weren't well-developed (with the possible exception of Marigold), and the plot was slow-moving and awkwardly contri
...more
I need to not read any Medievalish fantasy ever again, especially the truncated and sterilized version in novels for kids. All I can do is think "marriage alliances do not work that way" and "living in a castle was way dirtier than that" and "the politics of a monarchy are just ... NOT THAT WAY." I also really disliked the narrative style of this audiobook and found the plot just sickeningly predictable. I knew I'd hate it once I came across the phrase "p-mail" - shudder. Of course I see the app
...more
Sep 11, 2008
Sherylcarlin
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Tween/Early Teens & Parents
Recommended to Sherylcarlin by:
Once Upon A Time
This is a great book for tweens and early teens. It is a clever story that communicates that true love is based on friendship, partnership, and being someone's "bulwark." My daughter, (11) and I have truly enjoyed reading it together and she cannot wait to start the next in the series, "Twice Upon A Marigold"
...more
This is fantasy in a fairy tale kind of way for kids and I just have to say that this was such a cute little story. I enjoyed this one....and the ending....oh my. What a perfect set up for the next one. This is one book that I would read to my own kids if they were still little, especially my girls, but I think my boys would have thought it was kind of cool too.
My younger brothers were complaining about listening to a "princess girly-girl book," but a few magic spells later, they said that they loved it.
...more
This book is so cute and sweet. It always puts me in a better mood. I’ve read it multiple times now and it’s always been great. It’s very descriptive and a fun read.
I'm a sucker for a good romance. Really, I'm weak when it comes to romantic gestures.
The book began with Christian, a six-year-old, that ran away from home being found in the forest by a troll, Ed. The humor of the story, the ridiculousness of it, began here. From the beginning the dialogue contained a light, airy, and modern quality that didn't fit with the time period common with princes and princess. The anachronistic air reminded me of The Princess Bride. Since it's one of my favorite roman ...more
The book began with Christian, a six-year-old, that ran away from home being found in the forest by a troll, Ed. The humor of the story, the ridiculousness of it, began here. From the beginning the dialogue contained a light, airy, and modern quality that didn't fit with the time period common with princes and princess. The anachronistic air reminded me of The Princess Bride. Since it's one of my favorite roman ...more
I'm writing this at like 10pm and my ADHD meds have long worn off, so forgive the scattered tone of this review.
I'm working my way out of a horrendous reading slump right now (that has lasted for over a year), and I'm pleased to say time flew as these pages did. For the first time in a long time, I lost myself in my reading, somehow not annoying my roommate with my overexcited exclamations and comments from time to time (but only because I have such a great roommate and not because I wasn't maki ...more
I'm working my way out of a horrendous reading slump right now (that has lasted for over a year), and I'm pleased to say time flew as these pages did. For the first time in a long time, I lost myself in my reading, somehow not annoying my roommate with my overexcited exclamations and comments from time to time (but only because I have such a great roommate and not because I wasn't maki ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| what do u think??? | 5 | 22 | Dec 10, 2012 03:29PM |
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