Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Ella Enchanted

(Ella Enchanted #1)

Gail Carson Levine (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 396,568 ratings · 10,444 reviews

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mot ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, First Scholastic Edition, 232 pages

Published September 1st 1998 by Scholastic Books (first published April 25th 1997)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Ella Enchanted, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best Young Adult Books

11,908 books — 81,338 voters

The Best Fairytales and Retellings

2,459 books — 8,851 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.98 ·

Rating details

· 396,568 ratings · 10,444 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)

Jul 07, 2014 emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-love-these-characters, 4-and-a-half-stars, fairytale, retelling, owned, recommend, reviewed, reread, children-s

just as good on the 800th read

----

i will reread this book infinity times.

----

Have I mentioned I love middle grade? Because hey, guess what, I absolutely goddamn love middle grade. (I feel like I shouldn’t say “goddamn” in a review of a children’s book, but also I am still me. I still have my brand to look out for, regardless of target audiences.)

A n y w a y. This book rules.

https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

I have a kind of complicated relationship with the movie. It has a reputation for b ...more

flag 253 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2007 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Feminists often denounce traditional fairy tales because they perpetuate the ideals of a patriarchal society by encouraging girls to behave like proper princesses and wait for charming princes to take charge and save the day. In response to these traditional fairy tales, many authors have tried to reclaim the realm of fairy tales for girls. These retellings feature active protagonists who are not scared of taking charge and do not need princes to save them. One example of this new fairy tale gen Feminists often denounce traditional fairy tales because they perpetuate the ideals of a patriarchal society by encouraging girls to behave like proper princesses and wait for charming princes to take charge and save the day. In response to these traditional fairy tales, many authors have tried to reclaim the realm of fairy tales for girls. These retellings feature active protagonists who are not scared of taking charge and do not need princes to save them. One example of this new fairy tale genre is the 1998 children’s novel "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine, which takes an untraditional approach to retelling the story of Cinderella. The novel addresses several specific feminist issues, specifically negotiating and fighting the burden of obedience, the importance of female friendships and, of course, learning to save yourself.

The story is set in an imaginary, medieval-esque kingdom called Frell. A roaming fairy named Lucinda gives Ella the gift/curse of obedience at Ella’s birth. As a result, Ella has to do everything she is told, no matter what harm it might cause to herself or others. (In the novel, the severity of Ella’s curse in constantly underscored with passages explaining how little control Ella has over her own life: “If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I’d have to do it. And hopping on one foot wasn’t the worst order I could be given. If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I’d have to do it.") As the plot moves forward Ella is compelled to leave home to try and find Lucinda and ask her to lift the curse. Along the way she also falls in love with Prince Char. For varying reasons, depending on the version, Lucinda refuses to lift the curse. Further difficulties arise as Ella continues her quest.

That's the main body of the story. The Cinderella element is relevant mainly to the last quarter of the novel where actual elements from that story (the slipper, the ball) appear in the story, although the evil step-sisters and fairy godmother are present throughout the narrative.

There are several reasons that I love this novel and recommend it to everyone. The first is that it's an imaginative retelling of Cinderella which makes the story exciting for readers familiar with the original version without making it too abtruse for readers who have never heard of Cinderella. Also, the book is full of great role models for girls. All of the female characters are strong, self-aware women--things seen far too rarely in the fairy tale genre. The novel is narrated in Ella's voice. This makes it easy to see how strong Ella is as a character (especially at the end of the novel).

The other great thing about this book is that it all seems authentic, never over the top or under-written. In addition to creating immensely likable main characters, Levine creates a compelling world within the pages of "Ella Enchanted" vivid with details ranging from Elvish and Gnomish languages to customs at a Giant's wedding. The story is an immensely entertaining page-turner that will (even better) leave readers feeling satisfied when they reach the final scene where Levine ties everything together, artfully blending empowerment with a happy-ever-after ending fit for a traditional fairy tale.

Excerpted from a scholarly article I wrote about Ella Enchanted as a book and movie. You can read the full article here: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/resear...

You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print ...more

flag 165 likes · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2017 Brina rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade-kids, fairy-tale

My daughters have watched the Disney movie Ella Enchanted many times and loved it immensely. They are enamored by the Disney princess genre, even princesses who do not fit nicely into the company's traditional definition of princess. Until last week, I had never viewed the film with them, being that I hardly fit the definition of girly girl myself, often opting for whatever sporting event is in season. I enjoyed the concept of a medieval Cinderella who is not necessarily forced to do back breaki My daughters have watched the Disney movie Ella Enchanted many times and loved it immensely. They are enamored by the Disney princess genre, even princesses who do not fit nicely into the company's traditional definition of princess. Until last week, I had never viewed the film with them, being that I hardly fit the definition of girly girl myself, often opting for whatever sporting event is in season. I enjoyed the concept of a medieval Cinderella who is not necessarily forced to do back breaking work for an evil stepmother but to be obedient to her and whoever else orders her around. Seeing the film version, lead me to this Newberry award winning book by Gail Carson Levine.

At birth, Ella of Prell is gifted by the fairy Lucinda to always be obedient at all costs. Growing up, she once had to eat an entire birthday cake, nearly relinquish a toddler gnome to an ogre, and lose more friends than she ever made, only because someone had ordered her to do so. Unable to tell anyone of her curse, Ella appears deceptive to the world, often times leading her to lead a solitary life.

As in the traditional Cinderella story, Ella's mother dies when she is fifteen years old. At her mother's funeral, she stays out of sight in case someone orders her to do something and she is too sad to be obedient. At this trying time in her life, she meets Prince Char of Kyrria for the first time, and he is instantly smitten with her, leading to a lengthy quest of his over the course of the book to win her hand in marriage. Although not instantly enamored, Ella over time realizes what her curse could do to Char and his kingdom, and seeks out Lucinda to take back this curse once and for all.

Unlike the movie, there is no shopping mall, protest, soundtrack, or evil uncle and his pet snake waiting to take over the kingdom. In Levine's original version we do meet Areida of Ayortha, Mandy the fairy godmother, and Dame Olga and her atrocious daughters Hattie and Olive. In addition to them, we meet a traditional medieval cast of elves, gnomes, ogres, and giants. All these people and other beings play a role in Ella's curse, making for a memorable book for middle grade readers.

As a mother of girls, I enjoyed that the Ella in the book is a heroine for all beings regardless of their place in society. She is assertive and is not subservient to her prince as the traditional Disney Cinderella is. In this modern retelling, Ella alone seeks out to reverse the curse cast upon her by Lucinda, making her a strong heroine character for girls. The movie was fun yet Disneyfied, but Gail Carson Levine's book version of Ella Enchanted is a fun, strong read and worthy of its Newberry, rating a solid 4 stars. ...more

flag 148 likes · Like · see review

Nov 26, 2016 Wren (fablesandwren) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 05-stars, all-time-favorites, physical-shelf

This book is so hard for me to review because I love every single thing about it, but hate every single thing about that bloody movie.

Like seriously, who decided to only use the names and the curse and rewrite everything else for the movie? Why did we need a talking snake and an evil uncle and a fan group for the prince? Wasn't evil Hattie enough?

SERIOUSLY THIS STORY IS ABSOLUTELY PRECIOUS AND PERFECT AND THE MOVIE RUINED IT, I CAN NOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH FOR YOU

There is no need for a fan club fo ...more

flag 140 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2015 Caz (littlebookowl) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

Such a cute story, it was a lot of fun!

flag 131 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2009 Cara rated it really liked it

Recommended to Cara by: Valerie (sister) and Ginny (friend)

Shelves: fairy-tales, books-made-into-movies, fantasy, recommended-to-me

Now I know why people made such a fuss when the movie came out. I watched the movie first, so I had no idea how utterly wrong everything was. It totally is not like the book. Just slap on the names and the curse and that's where the similarities end. I must say the book is MUCH better than the movie.

The style of the writing was kind of weird for me, but not in a bad way. It's not that it was too fast paced or anything, but I noticed there wasn't a lot of padding or fanfare before events would ...more

flag 119 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2019 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: 20th-century, young-adult, literature, fairy-tales, fiction, romance, united-states

Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1), Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted published in 1997, has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way natural Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1), Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted published in 1997, has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally."

When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way.

Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original.

Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهارم ماه سپتامبر سال 2014 میلادی

عنوان: الای افسون‌شده: روایتی دیگر از افسانه سیندرلا؛ نویسنده: گایل‌ کارسن‌ لیواین؛ مترجم محبوبه نجف‌خانی؛ تهران آفرینگان‏‫، ‏‫1392؛ ‬‬در 336ص؛ شابک: 9786006753225؛ چاپ سوم 1397، موضوع: داستانهای نوجوانان از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 20م

روایتی ديگر از افسانه ی سيندرلا: «من هنگام تولد یک ساعت تمام بیوقفه گریه میکردم و ساکت نمیشدم؛ اشکهایم الهام‌ بخش او شد؛ با دلسوزی به مادرم نگاه کرد، و سرش را به چپ و راست تکان داد، و بینی ام را نوازش کرد، و گفت: هدیه ی من به تو اطاعت است؛ «اِلا» همیشه مطيع خواهد بود؛ حالا دیگر گریه نکن، کوچولو.»؛

یک پری افسانه‌ ای در هنگام تولد، برای نوزادی آرزو میکند، که او همیشه فرمانبردار باشد؛ رمان «اِلای افسون شده» در سال 1997میلادی به چاپ رسيد، و در سال 1998میلادی موفق به دریافت دیپلم افتخار «نیوبری»، و چند جایزه ی معتبر دیگر شد، و در سال 2004میلادی، از روی همین کتاب فیلمی نیز به همین نام، ساخته شد؛ پیروزی این کتاب موجب شد، که نویسنده خود را بازنشسته کند، و به طور تمام وقت، به کار نوشتن بپردازد؛ آثار دیگر نویسنده: «ديو در شب»، «قصه‌ های شاهزاده خانم‌ها»، «اشتباه پری»، «آرزو»، «دو شاهزاده خانم» و ...؛ چند كتاب ديگر است

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 15/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

flag 76 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Teenage girls ready to "bloom"

Shelves: fun-fantasy, kat-s-book-reviews

Ella Enchanted is like a koala. A big, soft, cute koala.

And if you mess with it, it'll use it's big, sharp, not-so-cute claws to tear your face off.

Seriously.

It's just a cute little fairy tale for teenage girls about a silly little world. Accept it for what it is. Leave it at that. Don't delve any futher. Don't consider it from a feminine perspective, don't rationalize it from a historical stand-point, don't try to analyze is for hidden metaphors or literary value.

Just read, rinse, repeat and mo ...more

flag 70 likes · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2015 Anne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: self-discovery, somebody-gimme-dat-boy, family, romance, 5-star-books, kickass-heroines, adventure, despicable-villains-and-antagonists

❌ My advice to you: The movie and the book are two very separate and different things. So when you start reading this book, don't compare it with the movie. Don't even think about the movie at all while you're reading this.

Do that, and you'll enjoy this book immensely.
On the day she was born, Ella of Frell was given the gift of obedience by the foolish and careless fairy, Lucinda. Obedience. It was a gift.

Well, for starters... Ella, Hold your tongue

Kiss me.

Erhh...well, that's not such an unpleas ...more

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2013 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it

Shelves: fairy-tale

$1.99 Kindle sale, Dec. 24, 2017. Charming YA retelling of Cinderella, with some imaginative twists. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

flag 46 likes · Like · see review

May 22, 2017 Melanie (TBR and Beyond) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middlegrade-must, fairytale-retellings, middle-grade, mg-fantasy, read-in-2017

“It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper.”

I feel like this is a confession that I will regret making. I was a fan of the movie *hides* This is my first time reading Ella Enchanted and now I understand why everyone hates the film!

Ella Enchantedis what every great middle-grade novel should be. Great adventures, obstacles to over-come, engaging characters and a little magic. This book pulled all of these things well. Ella Enchanted i “It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper.”

I feel like this is a confession that I will regret making. I was a fan of the movie *hides* This is my first time reading Ella Enchanted and now I understand why everyone hates the film!

Ella Enchantedis what every great middle-grade novel should be. Great adventures, obstacles to over-come, engaging characters and a little magic. This book pulled all of these things well. Ella Enchanted is a retelling of the beloved fairy tale Cinderella, which is a personal favorite of mine. This is a much more modern adaption of the tale, there is no insta-love here. The book is a very short and fast read - I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd been meaning to read a book by Gail Carson Levine for awhile now and it looks like this was the perfect place to pick to discover her writing. I'm 100% going to be reading more of her work.

I adored the character of Ella. Yes, she had a curse on her where she had to obey whatever anyone said to her. Obviously this could ruin someone's life or get them killed but she rebelled against it as hard as she could. It even caused her pain resisting the requests that were harmful to her. She wasn't the best at keeping her secret about the curse, even if she never directly came out and said it. It was pretty obviously to anyone who was demanding. Still, she tried her hardest to have her own ideas, her own independence and her own life really. She was kind but believable and she could be immature - like every girl her age should be from time to time.

I loved the her love interest Prince Char - he was genuinely interested in everything she had to say and found her to be the most amazing person he had ever met. He was friends with her for a long time first before confessing his feelings and he was 100% dedicated to her. He was basically a sweetheart.

Yes, Ella and Char were a little young to be talking about marriage but we aren't talking about modern times here - they were just at the right age in a different century. They did feel like very young characters but they were young characters so I appreciated that they didn't try to make them act like they were 25 or something . They talked exactly how you might suspect someone of their age doing so. It was completely endearing and adorable.

Loved all the side characters, even Lucinda was fun to me. I loved that most of the characters evolved through the story and some did not. Great storytelling.

I will quickly address the movie that was based off this book. I saw the movie that stars Anne Hathaway many moons ago and really enjoyed it. It was really cheesy, not that well-done and all-around silly. However, there was something charming about it - maybe because I really liked the lead actors but the movie was comforting and safe to me and I loved that about it. You could just let your brain shut down and watch something mindless. Is this worth a watch if you've grown up on the book? NO, so much NO. Yes, I enjoyed the film and still do. However, I never grew up with the book and after reading it, I now know why fans are so harsh on the film. The film has almost nothing to do with the story. The characters are 100% different - they tried to modernize it and they added in new plots that aren't nearly as good as the ones in the original series. Basically, avoid the film.

Obviously, I highly recommend this to a younger audience or for someone like me, who is young at heart! ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jun 10, 2018 Fafa's Book Corner rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Mini review:

DNF

GR Ultimate Reading Challenge: My, What Big Teeth You Have.

As a child I thoroughly enjoyed Ella Enchanted (the movie)! I decided to give the book a go. Unfortunately it didn't work for me.

I was actually enjoying it in the beginning. Once the step-sisters were introduced the writing style changed dramatically. I'm not exactly sure why this happened. I found myself losing interest in the book.

This was definitely a personal thing. I do still recommend. ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2015 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

First read of the 2016 Booktube-a-thon! This completed the challenge of reading and watching a book to movie adaptation (which I am about to watch right now).
This was very meh, unfortunately. It contained my most hated trope and for some reason it took me such a long time to get through! I loved the magical world though!

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 12. A childhood classic

flag 39 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2015 C.B. Cook rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, fantasy, retellings, classics, favorites

Holy cow. This book was waaaaaay awesome. I sat down just wanting to enjoy it, not critique it, and... that's pretty much what happened. (And yes, I read it in one sitting. But I was on a plane...) ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2007 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: any one who likes fairytales with a twist

Shelves: awardwinners, doubleplusgood, toswap, covers, middlereader, historicalfiction, childrens, retellings, own, fantasy

This still stands as one of my favorite books. The fantasy elements are clever and not too over the top. Ella is witty and pretty clever herself, not to mention strong and determined and resourceful. Mandy is just your everyday, ordinary, regular old cook/fairy. Char is, appropriately, charming. The stepsisters are deliciously evil. Lucinda is completely batty.

I like that none of the women in the book are doormats. Good or evil, protagonist or minor background character, they have an opinion, th ...more

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2009 Madeline rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, kids-and-young-adult

I never liked Cinderella as a kid. It seemed like whenever she got into trouble, her best plan was to burst into tears and wait for someone to come along and help her. I also wondered, even if she couldn't leave her stepmother's house, could she at least tell the awful woman to go make her own damn breakfast once in a while? As far as little cynical-as-hell Madeline was concerned, Cinderella was a spineless twinkie who was painfully useless.

Obviously, I am not the only girl who had a problem wi ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2017 Sara (sarawithoutanH) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2017

This is a long time favorite of mine. I first read it when I was about 10 and I still love it. The movie adaptation was a travesty I don’t like to talk about.

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Apr 12, 2018 Allison Tebo rated it liked it

Shelves: fairy-tale-retellings, mary-recs

A unique retelling with some truly surprising plot twists. Quite different from the other Gail Carson Levine’s fairy tale retellings that I have read. Ella Enchanted and more lush writing style and less deliberately comical and stilted interactions and it possessed quite an enjoyable style.

Shock of all shocks - my favorite part of the book was undoubtedly the romance (I know. You don’t see me say that in a review very often!). The relationship between Char and Ella was sweet and well developed A unique retelling with some truly surprising plot twists. Quite different from the other Gail Carson Levine’s fairy tale retellings that I have read. Ella Enchanted and more lush writing style and less deliberately comical and stilted interactions and it possessed quite an enjoyable style.

Shock of all shocks - my favorite part of the book was undoubtedly the romance (I know. You don’t see me say that in a review very often!). The relationship between Char and Ella was sweet and well developed and a highlight of the book. I thought Ella’s sacrifice love for Char and her resolution to protect him from herself was very poignant and believable.

The other element that stood out to me was Ella herself. At last – a rebellious character that makes sense and actually has a reason for being rebellious! Ella is definitely not a placid Cinderella and fights back against her tormentors with a stubbornness that almost borders on the heroic. This was really a brilliant bit of characterization and kept the book from being overwhelming disturbing (which it would have been if Ella had been taking all the abuse without a murmur) and gave me a feisty non-annoying heroine I could actually root for. For once!

Ella Enchanted also contained some nice world building that still retained a streak of Levine’s signature zaniness and pacing moved along at a good clip and kept me turning the pages quickly to see what happened next.

But in spite of all this . . . when I closed the book I found it forgettable. It’s not a book that I’d treasure or a new favorite—I’m not even sure I’d read it again. For some reason, this book wasn’t one that stayed in my mind or claimed a permanent part of my emotions.

Perhaps it was because I felt slightly worn after reading Ella Enchanted. I found Ella’s situation pretty stressful and much of the book focused on her impossible and worrying situation and her families endless abuse. Obviously, people taking advantage of Ella’s *gift* was what the story was about, but I found it genuinely stressful at points to read. However, I have read other stress-producing books that I loved so I still can’t quite articulate what ingredient this book was missing to make me like it more. I really wish I had loved this book more than I did – and I suspect that missing element shall puzzle me for some time.

Overall – an enjoyable book, though.

Content: Ella is taken advantage of constantly by cruel people. Some magic and a few eye-rolling moments with the infatuated Ella admiring Char’s physicality – the hairs on the back of his neck, for one. *SNORTS*

...more

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Jan 05, 2015 Janessa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade

This book gets five huge, shiny stars because of the following conversation I had with my 12 year old today:

"Mom, Kate (name changed) was teasing me at school today, but I don't think it was friendly teasing. I think it was mean."

"It probably was mean." (We've had a lot of problems with Kate bossing and teasing lately, but my daughter is always anxious to give Kate the benefit of the doubt).

After a moment's thought, my daughter said, "It's like Ella Enchanted - how she has to listen to mean peo ...more

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Jul 15, 2014 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, favorites, fairytale

This is such a cozy, happy, safe favorite to come back to again and again and again. Bless Levine for writing it.

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Feb 28, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, ya, fantasy, 2008, fairytales

It's a sweet, humorous book, written for a younger audience but easily enjoyed by an older one too. Based on the Cinderella story, there are a few notable differences, namely that Ella was "blessed" with the "gift" of obedience by the fairy Lucinda, who thinks all her gifts (such as turning you into a squirrel) are wonderful. Ella is the daughter of Lady Eleanor and a somewhat unscrupulous merchant, Sir Peter, whom she rarely sees. She grows up with her mother, who teaches her to slide down the It's a sweet, humorous book, written for a younger audience but easily enjoyed by an older one too. Based on the Cinderella story, there are a few notable differences, namely that Ella was "blessed" with the "gift" of obedience by the fairy Lucinda, who thinks all her gifts (such as turning you into a squirrel) are wonderful. Ella is the daughter of Lady Eleanor and a somewhat unscrupulous merchant, Sir Peter, whom she rarely sees. She grows up with her mother, who teaches her to slide down the banister, and the cook Mandy, who's not all she seems. She learns fairly early what a curse the gift is, where any command must be obeyed. The opportunities for being taken advantage of are mind-boggling (but strictly G-rated). Ella learns to be defiant even while she is forced to obey, but the trick doesn't always work.

When, at fifteen, her mother dies several things happen. Firstly, she meets Prince Char and forms a friendship with him, and secondly her father decides to send her to finishing school along with the two hideous daughters of Dame Olga, who has her sights set on Sir Peter. The daughters, Hattie and Olive, are greedy, rude and obnoxious, but things become worse when Hattie realises Ella must obey her.

Ella is desperate to find Lucinda and have her remove the curse, which leads her to run away from the finishing school and into all sorts of trouble. Unlike a lot of fantasy stories, though, this one isn't a quest story set on an endless road. Ella meets Elves and is nearly eaten by Ogres, but spends most of the story at home. Humorous escapades and a blooming friendship between her and Char balance out the cruelty dealt her by others. And the Cinderella aspect is given full due, but in a refreshing way. The similarities are there, but it never feels old and tired and same-y.

Also, Ella herself is a great heroine, smart and strong but not over-confident or perfect. She's a bit clumsy but has the gift of imitating languages and voices, and learning languages quickly. She's no defenceless damsel and she doesn't whinge, but her curse curtails who she really is. The moral of the story is fitting, but not lecturing. Levine has a much lighter hand than your average Disney movie, and there's not a saccharine moment. It reminds me a bit of the movie Ever After, so if you liked that then you'll like this book, and vice versa.

A joy to read, and very well written, Ella Enchanted took up a few hours of my time but will take up a much larger slice of my memory: for making me laugh at the end of an exhausting week, for being sweet but not cloying, wise but not preachy, and for revitalising an old fairytale. ...more

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2009 Jacki rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

I felt like the author said to herself: "I'm going to really revamp the Cinderella classic! I'm gonna give the girl a backstory like you wouldn't believe! and it's going to be cute, and funny, and there will be all kinds of mythical creatures in it! It's going to be wholly other-worldly! And she's going to go on this awesome journey that's going to be epic and life changing!"

All that ended halfway through the book: The journey, the special creatures, the seemingly important gifts and details, th ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2019 Celeste rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comfort-reads, fairy-tale, fantasy, funny, girl-power, childrens-books, retellings

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella. But what if she had been cursed with the “gift” of obedience at her birth, thus explaining her subservience to her step-family? That’s the premise of this middle grade novel. I somehow missed this book as a kid. However, it was just exactly what I needed after having my heart ripped out by Fredrik Backman’s Beartown. Ella Enchanted is light and sweet and funny, and you know before you finish the first chapter that there’s going to be a happily ever after. ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2018 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2018, audiobook, kids-middle-grade, once-upon-a-time, newbery-awards

Fun, clean, age appropriate, fantasy retelling of Cinderella. I will be passing this one on to my 10 year old daughter. She will love it.

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2008 Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, reviewed, young-adult, romance, fairy-tale

Ella Enchanted is my favorite Cinderella retelling! It's so creative and fun, and the skillful storytelling really brings the characters to life. The friendship and romance that develops is sweet and compelling. ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2019 Charlotte rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after.”

So What’s It About?

Ella of Frell is given a terrible “gift” by a foolish fairy when she is a baby- she must always be obedient when given a command. She grows up struggling against the crushing constraints of her curse but relatively happy and beloved by her mother and cook. Her world is upended by her mother’s death, and the changes that follow.

Nasty stepsisters, boarding school nonsense, sweet-talking trolls and fairy fickleness onl ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Dd rated it liked it

Ah!! A FAIRY TALE after so long.Needless to say I looooveee fairy tales and this was a retelling (kind of) of Cinderella.

My first thoughts were that it was quite different from the movie.I liked the movie and was hoping to like it too.And I did!!!.Although I have to say that the movie's climax was more exciting.

Ella is a willful,kind,lovely girl who resides in an kingdom called Frell.Here humans,elves,fairies,ogres,and other such magical creatures co-exist .

A fairy named Lucinda gives Ella the ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2008 HeavyReader rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of princess and fairy tales

Shelves: young-adult

My sister recommended this book to me and even bought me a copy at half price day at Goodwill. Now I am recommending this book to you.

The main character, Ella, is a young woman, almost 15, who is cursed with obedience as an infant. A fairy thinks she's blessing the baby by forcing her to be obedient, but that's not really how it turns out. Imagine being physically compelled to do anything that anyone tells you to do. You don't have to be an anarchist to quickly realize that would be a rotten wa ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2018 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it liked it

Shelves: bb-b-2018, fantastic-fantasy, ya, cotton-candy, fae-ness, witches-warlocks-and-magic, 2018-reads, buddy-read

Ella Enchanted is a cute fairytale. I saw the movie years ago and thought I’d give the book a try. They don’t seem to follow each other too closely but both are fun for different reasons.

The premise is the same, a good meaning fairy bestowed a terrible gift on a child to be ever obedient. Sure it seems like a good idea except there is no single person that Ella has to be obedient to, anyone can give a command and she has to follow. It wasn’t too bad growing up, since she was treated well but af ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2019 Eva-Joy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-books

Oh my word, this was perfection. Read it in, like, two hours and loved every bit.

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Madison County NC...: Ella Enchanted	1	1	Aug 11, 2020 01:26PM
Clean Romance Boo...: Gail Carson Levine	8	15	Jun 11, 2020 10:30AM
Are you KIDDING me?? Spoilers about the movie	74	538	May 05, 2020 12:08PM
Nancy De La Cruz Review #7	1	1	Apr 17, 2020 08:39PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

7,745 users

Young Adult

3,302 users

Fiction

1,557 users

Romance

1,323 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

1,163 users

Childrens

1,161 users

Fantasy > Fairy Tales

1,082 users

Retellings

575 users

Fantasy > Magic

509 users

Adventure

396 users

See top shelves…

About Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine

8,234 followers

Just 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 Yo ...more

Other books in the series

Ella Enchanted (3 books)

Books by Gail Carson Levine

The Two Princesses of Bamarre (The Two Princesses of Bamarre, #1)

The Fairy's Mistake (The Princess Tales, #1)

The Princess Test (The Princess Tales, #2)

More…

Articles featuring this book

12 Fictional Book Things on Readers' Christmas Wish List

Santa Claus has his work cut out for him this year. We asked on Facebook and Twitter: What fictional book thing do you want for Christmas? Here...

Trivia About Ella Enchanted (E...

64 trivia questions
5 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Ella Enchanted

“I wished she’d never stop squeezing me. I wished I could spend the rest of my life as a child, being slightly crushed by someone who loved me.” — 437 likes

“It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper.” — 382 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted

(Ella Enchanted #1)

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Gail Carson Levine

Other books in the series

Books by Gail Carson Levine

Articles featuring this book

Trivia About Ella Enchanted (E...

Quotes from Ella Enchanted