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Ella Enchanted #2
Fairest
In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has-a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince - and a dangerous new queen. In this masterful novel filled with humour, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.
Ages 8 - 14
Ages 8 - 14
326 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2006
618 people are currently reading
22331 people want to read
About the author
Gail Carson Levine
66 books9,690 followersJust letting you all know: I'm only going to review books I love. There's enough negative criticism without me piling on. A book is too hard to write.
Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a 1790 farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.
Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a 1790 farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,631 reviews
January 20, 2011
I pulled this book off of the Young Adult shelves expecting some light fiction, but I really enjoyed some of the deeper meanings behind this story! Yes, it is a retelling of Snow White, but with insights that really apply to most women today.
First of all, the two most prominent female characters are alike in that they find themselves unacceptable- like two sides of a coin, even their names are like each other. One, however, becomes the villain, and the other, the heroine. But Levine paints the two characters so you can see how one, in coming to accept herself as she is, finds happiness and bestows grace on those around her, and how the other, in hating herself and trying to be other than what she is, ends up destroying the kingdom.
Women are so good at obsessing over their weaknesses - an extra ten pounds, a lower grade in math than someone else, etc. What is interesting about this story is that Aza (the heroine) has one of the best singing voices in the kingdom, but thinks and worries more about her ugly face. She gets to the point where she will do almost anything to be beautiful. She finds her appearance so offensive that she believes that she causes pain to anyone who has to look at her.
But another character, Ivi, is so obsessed with the idea of beauty that she actually does begin to destroy people in order to appear to the best advantage. Her pursuit to correct her one weakness begins to cause major problems in her life and those of others.
We are constantly distracted by the idea that our external weaknesseses hold us back from true happiness; when really it is the inability to accept our imperfection that is the bane of our existance. Why is it easier to notice and worry over an extra five pounds, when the real problem is a dissatisfaction with ourselves and a belief that if we were other than what we are in every respect, things would be better? Levine poignantly portrays the incredible harmfulness of envy and shows how hatred of self can come to destroy our worlds, if we let it.
First of all, the two most prominent female characters are alike in that they find themselves unacceptable- like two sides of a coin, even their names are like each other. One, however, becomes the villain, and the other, the heroine. But Levine paints the two characters so you can see how one, in coming to accept herself as she is, finds happiness and bestows grace on those around her, and how the other, in hating herself and trying to be other than what she is, ends up destroying the kingdom.
Women are so good at obsessing over their weaknesses - an extra ten pounds, a lower grade in math than someone else, etc. What is interesting about this story is that Aza (the heroine) has one of the best singing voices in the kingdom, but thinks and worries more about her ugly face. She gets to the point where she will do almost anything to be beautiful. She finds her appearance so offensive that she believes that she causes pain to anyone who has to look at her.
But another character, Ivi, is so obsessed with the idea of beauty that she actually does begin to destroy people in order to appear to the best advantage. Her pursuit to correct her one weakness begins to cause major problems in her life and those of others.
We are constantly distracted by the idea that our external weaknesseses hold us back from true happiness; when really it is the inability to accept our imperfection that is the bane of our existance. Why is it easier to notice and worry over an extra five pounds, when the real problem is a dissatisfaction with ourselves and a belief that if we were other than what we are in every respect, things would be better? Levine poignantly portrays the incredible harmfulness of envy and shows how hatred of self can come to destroy our worlds, if we let it.
July 22, 2008
When I read a book, especially when I read fantasy, I find myself mentally putting myself in the place of the protagonist. Which is why my very favorite books of all time are the books that have strongly developed protagonists that I can identify with well in some way or another. I had a hard time enjoying this book at all to start with because the protagonist and I could not be more different.
Superficially, Aza is tall, wide, has dark hair and white skin (I'm short, small, blond, and tan easily). Also she has an amazing singing voice (I can't sing to save my life). Small things like this could be overlooked if she had some mental or personality characteristic I could identify with or get to like. But she doesn't. She starts off by being socially awkward, lying to everyone, and allowing herself to be pushed around. I HATE it when main characters are this stupid!
And the prince falling for her right away is totally not even believable. I'm sorry, but people don't fall in what is apparently love at first sight with people who are physically unattractive (and especially men do not do this). Maybe he could have come to be attracted to her with time and as he got to know her, but with the way this story is set up, I'm finding it very hard to suspend my disbelief for the entire length of it.
Anyway, the idea of a country where everyone sings instead of speaks as often as possible and birds fly around in the halls and make messes on people seemed pretty ridiculous to me. And to sum it up, that was the impression this story left on me. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be just that: ridiculous.
I generously gave it two stars because there are probably some young girls who would enjoy the fairy tale aspect despite all the cheesy and irritating elements.
Superficially, Aza is tall, wide, has dark hair and white skin (I'm short, small, blond, and tan easily). Also she has an amazing singing voice (I can't sing to save my life). Small things like this could be overlooked if she had some mental or personality characteristic I could identify with or get to like. But she doesn't. She starts off by being socially awkward, lying to everyone, and allowing herself to be pushed around. I HATE it when main characters are this stupid!
And the prince falling for her right away is totally not even believable. I'm sorry, but people don't fall in what is apparently love at first sight with people who are physically unattractive (and especially men do not do this). Maybe he could have come to be attracted to her with time and as he got to know her, but with the way this story is set up, I'm finding it very hard to suspend my disbelief for the entire length of it.
Anyway, the idea of a country where everyone sings instead of speaks as often as possible and birds fly around in the halls and make messes on people seemed pretty ridiculous to me. And to sum it up, that was the impression this story left on me. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be just that: ridiculous.
I generously gave it two stars because there are probably some young girls who would enjoy the fairy tale aspect despite all the cheesy and irritating elements.
March 5, 2009
This was a really pathetic book - a sad departure Levine's other fantastic novels. The idea was interesting (a take on the story of "Snow White" where her desirable trait isn't beauty, but instead is her singing voice), but the execution was horrible.
The book staggered under one major inconsistency: the main character is horribly ugly, but the prince falls in love with her very quickly anyway. Hopelessly romantic? Perhaps. But I call it an inconsistency because Aza was not only unlovely, but almost unlovable. Many wonderful heroines are not particularly beautiful (Jane Eyre, Jo March, Anne Shirley, Princess Amy, etc.), but they have wit, strength, courage, charm, or passion that makes them remarkable. Aza had none of these - she was whiny, miserable, thoughtless, and full of self-loathing throughout the entire book.
Also, the prince likes her almost immediately, before he has any chance to get to know her: this would suggest to me that either the prince has horrible taste in looks, or that Aza really isn't as ugly as she constantly tells us she is (which would only make her whining all the more exasperating). Her amazing voice and ability to compose music are impressive to him I suppose, and her "ability to make him laugh" was apparently important...but he lives in Ayortha, where almost everyone sings and composes well, and he was called "merry," "smiling," and "laughing" long before Aza captured his heart. Even knowing that she deceived him, he falls for the ugly wet blanket. She was never clever, except in her skill at singing. She didn't do anything smart, and certainly didn't act brave. Her sister says she is kind, but we never see her acting like it. What on earth is there to like about her? Her characterization, in my opinion, ruined the entire book.
There were other problems as well: Couldn't Levine have come up with a more realistic antagonist than...Lucinda? Of course everyone who read "Ella Enchanted" dislikes her already - it was so much easier to use her, than to actually design a characterization for someone who would hand out such a dangerous gift at weddings. Unfortunately, it didn't fit her character at all (Lucinda loves attention and admiration - she would never visit the bride alone and give the gifts with absolutely no ceremony or a huge crowd of people around; and why would she give a potion of disguise to someone she was making beautiful?), and it even discredits her change of heart that comes at the end of "Ella." It was a total cop-out.
Last of all, it was predictable. Not just in the way that all fairy tales are rather predictable, but in the way that makes the book really boring because the main character is being such a blind fool, predictable. Besides the fact that it was clean, there is nothing in this book to recommend.
The book staggered under one major inconsistency: the main character is horribly ugly, but the prince falls in love with her very quickly anyway. Hopelessly romantic? Perhaps. But I call it an inconsistency because Aza was not only unlovely, but almost unlovable. Many wonderful heroines are not particularly beautiful (Jane Eyre, Jo March, Anne Shirley, Princess Amy, etc.), but they have wit, strength, courage, charm, or passion that makes them remarkable. Aza had none of these - she was whiny, miserable, thoughtless, and full of self-loathing throughout the entire book.
Also, the prince likes her almost immediately, before he has any chance to get to know her: this would suggest to me that either the prince has horrible taste in looks, or that Aza really isn't as ugly as she constantly tells us she is (which would only make her whining all the more exasperating). Her amazing voice and ability to compose music are impressive to him I suppose, and her "ability to make him laugh" was apparently important...but he lives in Ayortha, where almost everyone sings and composes well, and he was called "merry," "smiling," and "laughing" long before Aza captured his heart. Even knowing that she deceived him, he falls for the ugly wet blanket. She was never clever, except in her skill at singing. She didn't do anything smart, and certainly didn't act brave. Her sister says she is kind, but we never see her acting like it. What on earth is there to like about her? Her characterization, in my opinion, ruined the entire book.
There were other problems as well: Couldn't Levine have come up with a more realistic antagonist than...Lucinda? Of course everyone who read "Ella Enchanted" dislikes her already - it was so much easier to use her, than to actually design a characterization for someone who would hand out such a dangerous gift at weddings. Unfortunately, it didn't fit her character at all (Lucinda loves attention and admiration - she would never visit the bride alone and give the gifts with absolutely no ceremony or a huge crowd of people around; and why would she give a potion of disguise to someone she was making beautiful?), and it even discredits her change of heart that comes at the end of "Ella." It was a total cop-out.
Last of all, it was predictable. Not just in the way that all fairy tales are rather predictable, but in the way that makes the book really boring because the main character is being such a blind fool, predictable. Besides the fact that it was clean, there is nothing in this book to recommend.
October 2, 2023
Perhaps I could learn to wear myself without apologies, with dignity. Perhaps someday I might even be able to smile at myself in a mirror.
I think this story had a great message and all. About the concept of beauty, and how let that affect how we view and judge other people. I just didn't really get attached to the characters like I did with Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre. Didn't care for the love story much either.
I do believe I would have liked this more as a kid. So perhaps this is just my own adult mind's limitation.
I think this story had a great message and all. About the concept of beauty, and how let that affect how we view and judge other people. I just didn't really get attached to the characters like I did with Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre. Didn't care for the love story much either.
I do believe I would have liked this more as a kid. So perhaps this is just my own adult mind's limitation.
April 12, 2016
The title of this book suggests that the story would be a fantastic tale about a beautiful young girl in distress who is the fairest of all waiting to be scooped away by a fine handsome prince. But that is not the story of this book at all which makes it really unique especially that the title totally negates the actual description of the main character and of the main conflict of the story. I liked that the main character is not those stereotypical female heroines in fantasies. I also like that there are no total makeovers done in the character despite her imperfect physical characteristics.
May 2, 2012
Snow White but so much more. When I picked up this volume I was unaware of the ties to Ella Enchanted so I giggled maniacally when I came to mentions of Sir Peter of Frell and Areida. I love Ella but I feel like with Aza there is so much more like Levine simply stepped everthing up a notch. I think people tend to see fairy tales as having to be about the pretty princess getting the handsome prince and happily ever after, but personally I love fairytales because they can call into question what is beauty? What is friendship? What is love? What is happiness? And they ask these questions in a way that makes you see the story as if there was a fun house mirror but it has been taken away. Aza has a beautiful voice and a beautiful spirit but physically she is nothing to be admired. She gets swept away from the Inn of those who raised her to the castle and there meets the beautiful new queen who is her polar opposite, only attractive on the outside or so it seems. The prince has ears that are too big and a saucy hound by the name of Oochoo. In this tale of magic and mystery things are not hardly ever as they seem, they are never as they seem.
July 22, 2022
It was really hard for me to decide between 4 and 5 stars. I wish I could give it 4 1/2!
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, and has one or 2 characters from that book, which is excellent, because that book is one of my most favorites. In fact, this world seemed instantly recognizable, after reading Ella Enchanted. It was like revisiting that book, in a way.
It's a take on Snow White, but only in the loosest of ways, and only after 200 pages. That's the area that I wanted to give 4 stars...or even less.
The story is about a girl named Aza who is found as a baby by owners of an inn. She is different looking than everyone else around her, and she finds herself very ugly. Think Snow White's appearance, but in a world that doesn't appreciate that asthetic. She also lives in a world that loves singing. Singing for any reason, and sometimes no reason. At this she excels, and in fact discovers she has a gift of throwing her singing voice. A dame visiting the inn decides to take Aza to the castle, to be her lady in waiting. She's going to the castle because the King is getting married to an out-of-towner who can't sing. When the new Queen discovers Aza's gift of throwing her singing voice, she hires her as her lady in waiting, and binds them together with a secret...whether Aza likes it or not.
As long as that took to describe, that's only about the first 50 or so pages.
Sounds nothing like Snow White, right? Whereas Ella Enchanted was so brilliant because it answered a question that Cinderella left in a totally plausible way, i.e. why does Cinderella humble herself by working as a servant for her evil mother-in-law? Because she has to do what anyone commands her to. That just makes sense. But, in this story: ah! The story Snow White is the way it is because she can throw her singing voice??? It didn't fit in the traditional story, and didn't add anything to it. I would have prefered if Fairest had been an original story, rather than trying to be a retelling of Snow White. The connection to the classic story made this story worse, whereas the connection to Cinderella made Ella Enchanted better.
Another reason that I wanted to give it less than 5 stars is because there are a lot of songs in the book. It's a world that loves singing, and the author made up songs for it...but most of them are just STRANGE. Due to my years of choir experience, I tried to figure out their melody as I read them, but the number of syllables changed constantly, so that was impossible. In addition to that the lyrics of most of the songs are very weird.
As for why I wanted to give it more than 4 stars...it's just a great enjoyable read. It was great being in Ella Enchanted's world again. I didn't want to stop reading. It was a great romance, very adventurous, funny, a good sense of character, and after I finished, I wished there was more. All the signs of a good book... which is why I'm torn!!
Fairest takes place in the same world as Ella Enchanted, and has one or 2 characters from that book, which is excellent, because that book is one of my most favorites. In fact, this world seemed instantly recognizable, after reading Ella Enchanted. It was like revisiting that book, in a way.
It's a take on Snow White, but only in the loosest of ways, and only after 200 pages. That's the area that I wanted to give 4 stars...or even less.
The story is about a girl named Aza who is found as a baby by owners of an inn. She is different looking than everyone else around her, and she finds herself very ugly. Think Snow White's appearance, but in a world that doesn't appreciate that asthetic. She also lives in a world that loves singing. Singing for any reason, and sometimes no reason. At this she excels, and in fact discovers she has a gift of throwing her singing voice. A dame visiting the inn decides to take Aza to the castle, to be her lady in waiting. She's going to the castle because the King is getting married to an out-of-towner who can't sing. When the new Queen discovers Aza's gift of throwing her singing voice, she hires her as her lady in waiting, and binds them together with a secret...whether Aza likes it or not.
As long as that took to describe, that's only about the first 50 or so pages.
Sounds nothing like Snow White, right? Whereas Ella Enchanted was so brilliant because it answered a question that Cinderella left in a totally plausible way, i.e. why does Cinderella humble herself by working as a servant for her evil mother-in-law? Because she has to do what anyone commands her to. That just makes sense. But, in this story: ah! The story Snow White is the way it is because she can throw her singing voice??? It didn't fit in the traditional story, and didn't add anything to it. I would have prefered if Fairest had been an original story, rather than trying to be a retelling of Snow White. The connection to the classic story made this story worse, whereas the connection to Cinderella made Ella Enchanted better.
Another reason that I wanted to give it less than 5 stars is because there are a lot of songs in the book. It's a world that loves singing, and the author made up songs for it...but most of them are just STRANGE. Due to my years of choir experience, I tried to figure out their melody as I read them, but the number of syllables changed constantly, so that was impossible. In addition to that the lyrics of most of the songs are very weird.
As for why I wanted to give it more than 4 stars...it's just a great enjoyable read. It was great being in Ella Enchanted's world again. I didn't want to stop reading. It was a great romance, very adventurous, funny, a good sense of character, and after I finished, I wished there was more. All the signs of a good book... which is why I'm torn!!
May 7, 2017
Snow White is a story that doesn't necessarily appeal to me. It's about beauty and jealousy and the cliche evil stepmother. That is not what this book is about.
Fairest is an incredibly subvervise retelling. The main character is not beautiful, and the queen is not jealous of her beauty. Aza's most praised quality is her beautiful singing voice. She's not a flawless, saintly character either.
I like the message sent here around beauty, that everyone is beautiful to someone. Snow White has such an emphasis on beauty, and it was nice to see that subverted.
VERDICT: Gail Carson Levine's retellings are truly so amazing, and I'm so glad I read these as a kid. Definitely recommended to preteens, although maybe not quite as much as Ella Enchanted.
Fairest is an incredibly subvervise retelling. The main character is not beautiful, and the queen is not jealous of her beauty. Aza's most praised quality is her beautiful singing voice. She's not a flawless, saintly character either.
I like the message sent here around beauty, that everyone is beautiful to someone. Snow White has such an emphasis on beauty, and it was nice to see that subverted.
VERDICT: Gail Carson Levine's retellings are truly so amazing, and I'm so glad I read these as a kid. Definitely recommended to preteens, although maybe not quite as much as Ella Enchanted.
September 28, 2007
Once I started to read this I couldn’t stop it took me two days to read it and it was good! Fairest by Gail Carson Levine is a Fiction book and is told in first person. Fairy Lucinda has done it again but instead of having a gift to obey like in Ella Enchanted this time it’s a magic mirror.
Ever since Aza was left on her adoptive parents' doorstep as a baby, she's been a mystery. She is plain-looking, with large bones, pale white skin, ruby red lips, "a big sphere of a face and round button eyes." For all this, though, she makes up with a beautiful, even magical voice. In the kingdom of Ayortha, music and singing are prized among all other gifts, sometimes they sing for no reason which I didn’t get, and Aza has the most beautiful voice in her whole region. What Aza has that all other Ayorthaians don’t have, is the gift of "illusing," of throwing one's voice and mimicking the song or speech of almost any other person, which she invented by starting to hiccup. Growing up in a happy, caring family and helping to run the family's Featherbed Inn. Aza wants to be beautiful. Through a series of events, Aza is chosen to go with a duchess to the marriage of King Oscaro to a foreign princess, her quiet life will change forever. Shortly after Aza arrives, King Oscaro becomes injured ny getting hit by an iron ring, making his teenaged bride the ruler of Ayortha. When Queen Ivi becomes aware of Aza's power of illusing, she secretly tells Aza to use her voice when Ivi , who can't sing, must perform at the high-profile courtly Sings. Soon, Ivi, directed by some mysterious advisor lets her power of being Queen go to her head, as she abuses her crown and takes away many Ayorthaian rights and privileges. Anyway, Aza falls in love with the Prince Ijori and Prince Ijori falls in love with het too, not caring that she is ugly. I soon found out that the magic mirror made queen Ivi prettier but she was already pretty. At the end Queen Ivi is exiled from her crown and Prince Ijori and Aza get marriend and live happily ever after.
The author’s purpose in this book was to send a message about the value of inner beauty and that it shouldn’t matter what somebody looks on the outside and also to entertain us in another Great book by Levine. This book is supposed to be like Snow White but more interesting. It’s also romantic which I like.
I am a great Gail Carson Levine fan for her books. So you would already know that I like this book! I would recommend this book to anyone definitely because its just good if you have read Ella Enchanted you can see that these to books are great and interesting. Like a lot of fairy tale books I read I like then end because good always wins and they live happily ever after like in this book and almost in every other fairy tale book. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because once I started to read it I couldn’t stop, even at school in classes the teachers would tell me to put it up. It kept me entertained just like Ella Enchanted did.
Ever since Aza was left on her adoptive parents' doorstep as a baby, she's been a mystery. She is plain-looking, with large bones, pale white skin, ruby red lips, "a big sphere of a face and round button eyes." For all this, though, she makes up with a beautiful, even magical voice. In the kingdom of Ayortha, music and singing are prized among all other gifts, sometimes they sing for no reason which I didn’t get, and Aza has the most beautiful voice in her whole region. What Aza has that all other Ayorthaians don’t have, is the gift of "illusing," of throwing one's voice and mimicking the song or speech of almost any other person, which she invented by starting to hiccup. Growing up in a happy, caring family and helping to run the family's Featherbed Inn. Aza wants to be beautiful. Through a series of events, Aza is chosen to go with a duchess to the marriage of King Oscaro to a foreign princess, her quiet life will change forever. Shortly after Aza arrives, King Oscaro becomes injured ny getting hit by an iron ring, making his teenaged bride the ruler of Ayortha. When Queen Ivi becomes aware of Aza's power of illusing, she secretly tells Aza to use her voice when Ivi , who can't sing, must perform at the high-profile courtly Sings. Soon, Ivi, directed by some mysterious advisor lets her power of being Queen go to her head, as she abuses her crown and takes away many Ayorthaian rights and privileges. Anyway, Aza falls in love with the Prince Ijori and Prince Ijori falls in love with het too, not caring that she is ugly. I soon found out that the magic mirror made queen Ivi prettier but she was already pretty. At the end Queen Ivi is exiled from her crown and Prince Ijori and Aza get marriend and live happily ever after.
The author’s purpose in this book was to send a message about the value of inner beauty and that it shouldn’t matter what somebody looks on the outside and also to entertain us in another Great book by Levine. This book is supposed to be like Snow White but more interesting. It’s also romantic which I like.
I am a great Gail Carson Levine fan for her books. So you would already know that I like this book! I would recommend this book to anyone definitely because its just good if you have read Ella Enchanted you can see that these to books are great and interesting. Like a lot of fairy tale books I read I like then end because good always wins and they live happily ever after like in this book and almost in every other fairy tale book. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because once I started to read it I couldn’t stop, even at school in classes the teachers would tell me to put it up. It kept me entertained just like Ella Enchanted did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2018
I don't hate myself enough to continue to read this book. Going to find something else to fit the "A Grimm Tale" square. I just don't have the patience for the singing or Aza and others talking about how ugly she is every freaking five seconds. My biggest issue is that Aza's not interesting enough to read as a re-imagining of "Snow White." She's mean at times to her sister and family cause she's not beautiful, though it makes no sense why she's not besides the fact she doesn't look like others around her. She apparently has a fantastic singing voice she can throw and bah. I just don't care.
Aza is a foundling in the kingdom of Ayortha. Apparently being beautiful and being able to sing are the only things people care about. Aza is tall, has dark hair, pale skin, and red lips and is therefore ugly (I am playing the world's smallest violin). Her family hides her away in the tavern (not really, she acts like a fool if anyone sees her and most people don't seem to care and or know her) until a Duchess needs Aza to accompany her to the royal wedding. So even though Aza is so ugly that she can make death die, she is still invited as companion (this made zero sense to me and I don't care enough to fixate on it). Aza goes to court and of course the new Queen has zeroed in on her.
The writing is repetitive, and I loathed all the songs. Maybe I hate happiness? Who knows. I think the main thing is that there is barely any character development to Aza and zero to everyone else. I just didn't have the energy to completely finish a book I knew I was going to be lukewarm about.
Aza is a foundling in the kingdom of Ayortha. Apparently being beautiful and being able to sing are the only things people care about. Aza is tall, has dark hair, pale skin, and red lips and is therefore ugly (I am playing the world's smallest violin). Her family hides her away in the tavern (not really, she acts like a fool if anyone sees her and most people don't seem to care and or know her) until a Duchess needs Aza to accompany her to the royal wedding. So even though Aza is so ugly that she can make death die, she is still invited as companion (this made zero sense to me and I don't care enough to fixate on it). Aza goes to court and of course the new Queen has zeroed in on her.
The writing is repetitive, and I loathed all the songs. Maybe I hate happiness? Who knows. I think the main thing is that there is barely any character development to Aza and zero to everyone else. I just didn't have the energy to completely finish a book I knew I was going to be lukewarm about.
July 28, 2011
This book was somewhat charming in that typical YA way, except I couldn't help compare it to Ella Enchanted, and it didn't measure up. The main character (Aza) is very ugly and unlike most YA where ugly isn't ugly, she's described as actually not attractive. And then she spends the whole book obsessing about how ugly she is and wanting becoming pretty. I knew almost nothing about her character other than that she hated being ugly.
One of the awesome things about Ella Enchanted was that GCL showed us Ella and the Prince falling in love. We saw what attracted them to each other, we saw how she made him laugh and how he tried to impress her. In Fairest, I had no idea what attracted Aza to the Prince. Was it because he was handsome? Was it because he was funny? We saw so few of their interactions that I had no idea of their chemistry.
Essentially, they loved each other because GCL said that then they were in love, which was incredibly disappointing.
Finally, the plot was random and kind of forced. I was annoyed because the plot of Ella Enchanted seems to flow naturally and everything makes sense. Here, there wasn't any payoff, the people who were mean to her never get punished and the resolution is a giant Deus Ex Machina.
I'm curious to read another GCL book to see if it is more like Ella Enchanted or Fairest.
One of the awesome things about Ella Enchanted was that GCL showed us Ella and the Prince falling in love. We saw what attracted them to each other, we saw how she made him laugh and how he tried to impress her. In Fairest, I had no idea what attracted Aza to the Prince. Was it because he was handsome? Was it because he was funny? We saw so few of their interactions that I had no idea of their chemistry.
Essentially, they loved each other because GCL said that then they were in love, which was incredibly disappointing.
Finally, the plot was random and kind of forced. I was annoyed because the plot of Ella Enchanted seems to flow naturally and everything makes sense. Here, there wasn't any payoff, the people who were mean to her never get punished and the resolution is a giant Deus Ex Machina.
I'm curious to read another GCL book to see if it is more like Ella Enchanted or Fairest.
November 10, 2016
Sequel to the Newberry Honor Award-winning Ella Enchanted and a retelling of Snow White, completely its own, Gail Carson Levine's Fairest tells the story of Aza -- a young woman with hideous looks yet a voice to make up for them; abandoned at an inn when she was a child.
I really enjoyed Ella Enchanted, so I had rather high expectations for Fairest. Though the beginning and end were both rather slow, Gail's tasteful writing and curious plot in between helped to make up for it. I greatly admire how Gail can so boldly weave unique cultures and intricate languages into her stories!
The characters, I had a hard time coping with. Aza's battle with discovering inner beauty was certainly relate-able, but I didn't feel like she truly struggled with it -- at least enough to make me empathize much with her.
I also felt no connection to Ijori, Ivi, Areida, or many of the main characters; the character I enjoyed the most was probably zhamH. (Random comment: Gnome Caverns sound like so much fun!)
The setting was good, but I rather wish there had been more description. As interesting as Ayortha's musical culture was, it wasn't enough to make me fall in love with the kingdom.
I do think I'd recommend this book, though likely more so after one's read Ella Enchanted, so they'd have a better knowledge of the setting. Fairest makes for a fun little read, and would probably be enjoyed most by pre-teen girls. :)
You may want to know: There is kissing and mild fantasy violence, along with some magical elements.
I really enjoyed Ella Enchanted, so I had rather high expectations for Fairest. Though the beginning and end were both rather slow, Gail's tasteful writing and curious plot in between helped to make up for it. I greatly admire how Gail can so boldly weave unique cultures and intricate languages into her stories!
The characters, I had a hard time coping with. Aza's battle with discovering inner beauty was certainly relate-able, but I didn't feel like she truly struggled with it -- at least enough to make me empathize much with her.
I also felt no connection to Ijori, Ivi, Areida, or many of the main characters; the character I enjoyed the most was probably zhamH. (Random comment: Gnome Caverns sound like so much fun!)
The setting was good, but I rather wish there had been more description. As interesting as Ayortha's musical culture was, it wasn't enough to make me fall in love with the kingdom.
I do think I'd recommend this book, though likely more so after one's read Ella Enchanted, so they'd have a better knowledge of the setting. Fairest makes for a fun little read, and would probably be enjoyed most by pre-teen girls. :)
You may want to know: There is kissing and mild fantasy violence, along with some magical elements.
January 28, 2018
I don't love Fairest as much as Ella Enchanted, but I still find this is one of those classic fairy-tale retellings that deserves repeated reads. I've read this one quite a few times but apparently it never occurred to me how much of a Snow White retelling it really is. And how young Aza is...
April 9, 2017
4 charming stars
I listened to this on audio, so please forgive me if I make any egregious misspellings of character or place names. I'm actually going to skim some reviews to see if I can find how to spell these names...
"Fairest", a Snow White retelling, was the first book by Gail Carson Levine I've ever read. I'm familiar with her work because of the Ella Enchanted movie, but only now got around to picking up her books. (Seeing the movie did at least allow me to notice and appreciate the references this book made to Ella Enchanted.) Now that I have read one of her books, I see what all the fuss is about. The world she has created is charming with it's many fantastical creatures and Ayortha's music-based culture, and I know Aortha is only one small part of the world.
I enjoyed many of the characters too, Prince Ijori probably being my favorite. He loved Aza for who she was despite her "ugly" appearance, and even when she turned herself beautiful, he liked her better the way she was before because that was the real her.
Aza herself was a good character too, though I probably would have related to her more when I was much younger and still struggling with self-image issues. I admit that I didn't initially find her all that interesting, and for some reason, at the beginning of the story especially, I had trouble believing she truly was as horribly ugly as she and certain others seemed to think she was. But much like the story, she grew on me as things went along, and I was happy to see her overcome her problems in the end. I'll give some points to Aza's adopted family too. While not perfect, they did seem to love her and treat her well.
The "evil" queen (Ivi) was interesting (though not necessarily likable) because she wasn't actually all that evil -- more like misguided and infuriatingly self-centered. But I did think it was an interesting and refreshing twist on the character.
That Lucinda, though. *shakes head* Need I say more?
As for some of those fantastical creatures, I adored the gnomes the most. Their whole culture and living situation fascinated me, and I'd say I finally really started enjoying the story around the time Aza
The reason I've taken off a star is because the pacing in the beginning of the story could have used some improvement. It was enjoyable and all, but the story didn't truly suck me in until around the time they were headed for the gnome cavern, and that was a good 3/4ths of the way through the book. Truthfully, I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was the target age for the book, rather than nearly twenty-five, like I am now. I was also a little disappointed that we don't find out who Aza's birth parents were. She gets dropped off at the inn as a baby and is all wrapped up in these fine velvet fabrics with fancy gold embroidery, hinting that she was the daughter of someone important, and then we get to the end and are told that they just never found out who her parents were. Um...okay. Not the worst way to be disappointed, I guess, but after all those hints I really thought it would be revealed. *shrug*
Otherwise, this was a fun, charming little book and the ending left me with a smile and warm fuzzies.
Content Advisory for those who want to know: There are a few non-descriptive kisses. Various characters are in peril from time to time, but none of it was intense or upsetting. There is some fantasy magic. Overall, it was a very clean book, great for children and adults, but definitely aimed at pre-teens who suffer from self-esteem issues and need a good example of self-acceptance.
I listened to this on audio, so please forgive me if I make any egregious misspellings of character or place names. I'm actually going to skim some reviews to see if I can find how to spell these names...
"Fairest", a Snow White retelling, was the first book by Gail Carson Levine I've ever read. I'm familiar with her work because of the Ella Enchanted movie, but only now got around to picking up her books. (Seeing the movie did at least allow me to notice and appreciate the references this book made to Ella Enchanted.) Now that I have read one of her books, I see what all the fuss is about. The world she has created is charming with it's many fantastical creatures and Ayortha's music-based culture, and I know Aortha is only one small part of the world.
I enjoyed many of the characters too, Prince Ijori probably being my favorite. He loved Aza for who she was despite her "ugly" appearance, and even when she turned herself beautiful, he liked her better the way she was before because that was the real her.
Aza herself was a good character too, though I probably would have related to her more when I was much younger and still struggling with self-image issues. I admit that I didn't initially find her all that interesting, and for some reason, at the beginning of the story especially, I had trouble believing she truly was as horribly ugly as she and certain others seemed to think she was. But much like the story, she grew on me as things went along, and I was happy to see her overcome her problems in the end. I'll give some points to Aza's adopted family too. While not perfect, they did seem to love her and treat her well.
The "evil" queen (Ivi) was interesting (though not necessarily likable) because she wasn't actually all that evil -- more like misguided and infuriatingly self-centered. But I did think it was an interesting and refreshing twist on the character.
That Lucinda, though. *shakes head* Need I say more?
As for some of those fantastical creatures, I adored the gnomes the most. Their whole culture and living situation fascinated me, and I'd say I finally really started enjoying the story around the time Aza
The reason I've taken off a star is because the pacing in the beginning of the story could have used some improvement. It was enjoyable and all, but the story didn't truly suck me in until around the time they were headed for the gnome cavern, and that was a good 3/4ths of the way through the book. Truthfully, I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was the target age for the book, rather than nearly twenty-five, like I am now. I was also a little disappointed that we don't find out who Aza's birth parents were. She gets dropped off at the inn as a baby and is all wrapped up in these fine velvet fabrics with fancy gold embroidery, hinting that she was the daughter of someone important, and then we get to the end and are told that they just never found out who her parents were. Um...okay. Not the worst way to be disappointed, I guess, but after all those hints I really thought it would be revealed. *shrug*
Otherwise, this was a fun, charming little book and the ending left me with a smile and warm fuzzies.
Content Advisory for those who want to know: There are a few non-descriptive kisses. Various characters are in peril from time to time, but none of it was intense or upsetting. There is some fantasy magic. Overall, it was a very clean book, great for children and adults, but definitely aimed at pre-teens who suffer from self-esteem issues and need a good example of self-acceptance.
October 5, 2016
This story had such an amazing theme of struggling against vanity and discovering inner beauty. Ayortha's culture of singing and all things related to it was so beautiful. Makes me want to visit it and stay awhile (especially to play the hilarious composing song). ;) I loved the world building with the songbirds, the library, and the beautiful singing hall. It was delightful to experience a similar setting to Ella Enchanted even though it was only a neighboring kingdom. I loved the dear, sweet king Oscaro; and Aza's parents were some of the best book parents I've read about in a while. The villain was very complicated, and it was easy to feel slightly sympathetic to them when you discovered who was really behind their evilness. Aza was such a realistic character! It was easy to feel sorry for her when she felt sorry for herself and . Although the romance wasn't as realistic as the one between Ella and Char, it was really sweet and . Not recommended for younger readers because of romance and thematic magic including "spells" and potions. Also there is one short scene that is slightly embarrassing.
Best quote:
Altogether, I found this to be a great read for anyone who enjoyed Ella Enchanted and doesn't mind the content issues.
Best quote:
Altogether, I found this to be a great read for anyone who enjoyed Ella Enchanted and doesn't mind the content issues.
September 25, 2025
This childhood favorite held up fairly well! The writing is a bit simplistic, but the story is lovely and I love the song-based worldbuilding. I don’t think I recognized as a child that it’s a Snow White retelling, probably because the way it uses the elements of Snow White are fresh and interesting and unexpected. I’m not sure I like how Ivy’s story ends, but still a good story. In summary, a story of a young woman who gets thrust into a situation that is way over her head and keeps getting accused of machinations when really she has no idea what is going on and is trying to make the best of it.
July 20, 2013
Fairest is a nice and entertaining retelling of Snow White, and I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I not believed it would be as good as Ella Enchanted. Yes, I know it is not fair, but I just couldn't help myself. Aza herself is a sweet character though rather bland in comparison to spunky Ella, and Ijori, nice though he is, turns out a little too generic. He felt like a slighlty watered down version of Prince Char, with a dog. I was dissapointed we did not get to see his relationship with Aza develop more before they admitted their feelings for each other, the way we did with Ella and Char. I must admit, nevertheless, that making Queen Ivi a rounded character instead of an archetypical Evil Queen was a nice touch.
One thing that surprised me was that the mystery surrounding Aza's birth was never unveiled, when from the beginning I thought it would be used as an important plot point later on. I liked Aza's gift of illusing but I believed it could have been used in a much more interesting way than it was done.
Another thing I noticed was that, in Ella Enchanted, Prince Char wrote a letter to Ella in which he commented Ayorthaian nobles hardly ever spoke, but in this book, the nobles seem quite talkative to me. Mhmm...
Overall, Fairest was good, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
One thing that surprised me was that the mystery surrounding Aza's birth was never unveiled, when from the beginning I thought it would be used as an important plot point later on. I liked Aza's gift of illusing but I believed it could have been used in a much more interesting way than it was done.
Another thing I noticed was that, in Ella Enchanted, Prince Char wrote a letter to Ella in which he commented Ayorthaian nobles hardly ever spoke, but in this book, the nobles seem quite talkative to me. Mhmm...
Overall, Fairest was good, but it just didn't live up to my expectations.
December 7, 2008
This book is very good. The story is very sweet. I love how it's based on Snow White, but the author went in-depth with the story, and the plot is much more complicated; Levine took Snow White and revised it, making it a better, more interesting story. She took the flat characters from Snow White and made them round and three-dimensional. For example, instead of making the queen completely evil and power-crazy, she made her insecure, foolish, weak, slightly barmy, and easy to manipulate. Everything horrible that the queen does, it's either out of stupidity, insecurity, or because someone else convinced her to do it. I could really sympathize with Queen Ivi, but at the same time I hated her guts; which is an interesting combination.
I love those moments of realization when a lightbulb flashes over you and you go, "Whoa! Snow White moment!" The story idea is really creative, and it's very nice. The writing style has a nice, musical tone; when I was reading the book, it felt like a song. And I love how Levine chose to portray the dangers and hype of beauty. This was great! ;D
I love those moments of realization when a lightbulb flashes over you and you go, "Whoa! Snow White moment!" The story idea is really creative, and it's very nice. The writing style has a nice, musical tone; when I was reading the book, it felt like a song. And I love how Levine chose to portray the dangers and hype of beauty. This was great! ;D
February 5, 2019
A very cute story!!! The land in Fairest sounds so nice and pretty and was very well described and had lots of character. The songs were fun, the plot was very good, and the writing was also good. Overall maybe 3.5 stars :)
May 24, 2023
{May 2023 Reread}
Doesn't hold up quite as well as it did when I was younger, but is still fun as an occasional read. I love that a decent bit of it takes place in a cavern/gnomish kingdom, because that's a setting that's far too underused in fantasy.
Sometimes Levine's simplistic writing style works and sometimes it doesn't. This book is toeing the line throughout, teetering towards either side by turns. I misplaced it as to reading level when I was younger; I'd definitely classify it as middle-grade instead of young adult, now. (Not a bad thing, of course -- just a note.)
I got a lot of secondhand embarrassment, this time around, from the characters' habit of randomly singing a lot of their lines. Levine passes this off as a part of Ayorthian culture's love of song, but there are plenty of other nods to that throughout the book (mass Sings as social events, etc.). We don't need the spontaneous warbling.
Still, again, a decently fun and quick read.
Doesn't hold up quite as well as it did when I was younger, but is still fun as an occasional read. I love that a decent bit of it takes place in a cavern/gnomish kingdom, because that's a setting that's far too underused in fantasy.
Sometimes Levine's simplistic writing style works and sometimes it doesn't. This book is toeing the line throughout, teetering towards either side by turns. I misplaced it as to reading level when I was younger; I'd definitely classify it as middle-grade instead of young adult, now. (Not a bad thing, of course -- just a note.)
I got a lot of secondhand embarrassment, this time around, from the characters' habit of randomly singing a lot of their lines. Levine passes this off as a part of Ayorthian culture's love of song, but there are plenty of other nods to that throughout the book (mass Sings as social events, etc.). We don't need the spontaneous warbling.
Still, again, a decently fun and quick read.
dnf
March 10, 2022DNF at 14%
I think I’m going to DNF this one because it is boring and the audiobook is CRAZY ANNOYING!!!! 😵💫
I think I’m going to DNF this one because it is boring and the audiobook is CRAZY ANNOYING!!!! 😵💫
September 22, 2023
I read this book more times than I can count in elementary/middle school, and though I’ve kept my copy for the past 16+ years, I’ve been a little scared to revisit it as an adult. I was worried that reading it now would reveal all the flaws I overlooked as a child and ruin the memory for me. But not so! Yes, this is very much a middle grades fantasy with the fast pace needed to keep a young readers attention. And still, the world-building shines with a cast of lovable characters. Reading this again was like returning to old friends to find that we’ve all changed but not for the worse. I took away different things than I did as a child, but I still loved Aza and Ijori and most of all Oochoo. Now as an adult, I pitied Ivi instead of feared her. She’s not truly a villain, but a young girl controlled by her anxiety and deep need for reassurance. And now, I see how clearly Aza is her foil - though I never realized just how similar the characters desires are as a kid. I’m so happy I picked this up again.
February 11, 2023
REVIEW: Who are Fairest and Ella Enchanted for in 2023?
https://youtu.be/hbm1-4SsE8E
https://youtu.be/hbm1-4SsE8E
December 3, 2018
Want to see more bookish things from me? check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
3.5/5 Stars
When Aza was just a baby, she was found wrapped in a blanket in a room of a local inn. The innkeeper and his wife decided to raise her as their own. Aza looks different from everyone around her and considers herself to be ugly. As Aza grows older, she develops a beautiful singing voice. One day a Duchess comes to the inn and quickly finds herself in need of a companion to accompany her to the King's wedding. She chooses Aza after spending some time with her. At court, Aza meets the new Queen Ivi and her life changes drastically when she is asked to be her Lady in Waiting.
I listened to this on audio book, which had a full cast which I think made the experience better for me. There is a lot of singing done in the book so having the auditory component was a great addition! This is a retelling of Snow White, but loosely in my opinion. I enjoyed Aza for the most part but her preoccupation with beauty was a bit annoying at times... which is unfortunate since that was basically the whole point of the story. Prince Ijori's interest in and immediate love for Aza didn't make must sense considering she is apparently hideous... He also turns on her very quickly even though he is apparently so in love. I did like the overall message that beauty is more than just looks and I think it gets it across in a fun and entertaining way!
3.5/5 Stars
When Aza was just a baby, she was found wrapped in a blanket in a room of a local inn. The innkeeper and his wife decided to raise her as their own. Aza looks different from everyone around her and considers herself to be ugly. As Aza grows older, she develops a beautiful singing voice. One day a Duchess comes to the inn and quickly finds herself in need of a companion to accompany her to the King's wedding. She chooses Aza after spending some time with her. At court, Aza meets the new Queen Ivi and her life changes drastically when she is asked to be her Lady in Waiting.
I listened to this on audio book, which had a full cast which I think made the experience better for me. There is a lot of singing done in the book so having the auditory component was a great addition! This is a retelling of Snow White, but loosely in my opinion. I enjoyed Aza for the most part but her preoccupation with beauty was a bit annoying at times... which is unfortunate since that was basically the whole point of the story. Prince Ijori's interest in and immediate love for Aza didn't make must sense considering she is apparently hideous... He also turns on her very quickly even though he is apparently so in love. I did like the overall message that beauty is more than just looks and I think it gets it across in a fun and entertaining way!
January 18, 2020
An absolutely wonderful and engaging read! I couldn't put it down!
And intriguing embroilment of jealousy and finding what you love in yourself set the stage for this great, easy read. The protagonist has a kind spirit and great depth that shows an emotion that especially young ladies can connect and even contrast with. The world, while I hope someday gets expanded (maybe it has?) is well spanned for the plot. A great read!!
And intriguing embroilment of jealousy and finding what you love in yourself set the stage for this great, easy read. The protagonist has a kind spirit and great depth that shows an emotion that especially young ladies can connect and even contrast with. The world, while I hope someday gets expanded (maybe it has?) is well spanned for the plot. A great read!!
August 23, 2022
I just found this kind of tedious. Did not finish. That being said I’m not the target audience and I probably would have liked it better if I was eleven.
May 14, 2009
I thought I'd just read for a hour or so before bed to make sure my bedtime snack had enough time to settle. Yeah, that didn't work. LOL Six hours after starting, and no sleep later, I finished.
I couldn't put the book down! :) I cried, I laughed, I enjoyed this story. It's a fun read, but not in a 'fluffy' way. When I picked up this book at the library, the summary didn't sound too terribly interesting, but then I saw it said 'set in the land of Ella Enchanted.' (Or something like that.) I remember reading that years (way before the movie ;) ago after one of my sister's recommeded it, and I really liked it, so I thought I'd give this one a try. I'm really glad I did! :)
I look forward to reading more of this author's work (and she may become one of my favorite authors!)
I would definitely recommend this book! :)
(The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there are some books I like more. I'd give it a 4.9 if I could.)
I couldn't put the book down! :) I cried, I laughed, I enjoyed this story. It's a fun read, but not in a 'fluffy' way. When I picked up this book at the library, the summary didn't sound too terribly interesting, but then I saw it said 'set in the land of Ella Enchanted.' (Or something like that.) I remember reading that years (way before the movie ;) ago after one of my sister's recommeded it, and I really liked it, so I thought I'd give this one a try. I'm really glad I did! :)
I look forward to reading more of this author's work (and she may become one of my favorite authors!)
I would definitely recommend this book! :)
(The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there are some books I like more. I'd give it a 4.9 if I could.)
January 19, 2023
(it cost an hour of my sleep to finish this last night. worth every bit of patience that I would have had otherwise )
“‘You have grandeur and dignity. I was sorry when you became beautiful in the commonplace way.’
Oh. Oh my.”
GIRL SAME
This was an unintentional reread, and I’m not mad. I actually love fairytale retellings (i. e. Ella Enchanted) and this was almost as good. Although, please tell me why in all fantasy books the mc has to turn out to have been born in royalty? most of us are actually peasants. I usually don’t like books with lots of songs in them that much, but there’s an exception to every rule, and this one is this book.
My least favorite part was where they all found out Aza was part gnome and Ijori was like “ew!” Ok sir? No one forced you to kiss her?
All in all it was a great book. I love the aesthetic it gave off. Immaculate. 😘👌
“‘You have grandeur and dignity. I was sorry when you became beautiful in the commonplace way.’
Oh. Oh my.”
GIRL SAME
This was an unintentional reread, and I’m not mad. I actually love fairytale retellings (i. e. Ella Enchanted) and this was almost as good. Although, please tell me why in all fantasy books the mc has to turn out to have been born in royalty? most of us are actually peasants. I usually don’t like books with lots of songs in them that much, but there’s an exception to every rule, and this one is this book.
My least favorite part was where they all found out Aza was part gnome and Ijori was like “ew!” Ok sir? No one forced you to kiss her?
All in all it was a great book. I love the aesthetic it gave off. Immaculate. 😘👌
July 16, 2020
Nice read! I loved this one when I finished it yesterday and I am so sorry I am tired and have a headache right now so I am not going to write even a decent review on this one.
PARENT NOTE: This book does talk about how she feels she is "fat" and how she wants to get it gone, but it isn't that bad... but if you are worried in any way I suggest you read it and give others your opinion on this book and comment below to tell anyone else.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up for things mentioned in the "Parent note" above.
LANGUAGE: A few words if any.
READER NOTE: Amazing book! I loved this one and it is a must read!
PARENT NOTE: This book does talk about how she feels she is "fat" and how she wants to get it gone, but it isn't that bad... but if you are worried in any way I suggest you read it and give others your opinion on this book and comment below to tell anyone else.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13 and up for things mentioned in the "Parent note" above.
LANGUAGE: A few words if any.
READER NOTE: Amazing book! I loved this one and it is a must read!
May 6, 2015
Listened to this. The full Cast Audio production is AMAZING! They actually sng all the songs. I was humming them afterwards. It was like watching a musical.
As for the story, fun but predictable as fairy tale retellings often are. I found this one, being in the same world as Ella Enchanted to be totally entertaining, though.
Very heavy-handed with the whole beauty isn't everything etc. message.
Overall, if you're going to read this book, listen to it instead!!
As for the story, fun but predictable as fairy tale retellings often are. I found this one, being in the same world as Ella Enchanted to be totally entertaining, though.
Very heavy-handed with the whole beauty isn't everything etc. message.
Overall, if you're going to read this book, listen to it instead!!
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