What do you think?
Rate this book
Upon a Marigold #1
Once Upon A Marigold: Library Edition
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
Audiobook
First published October 1, 2002
195 people are currently reading
8919 people want to read
About the author
Jean Ferris
29 books208 followersThis author is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects: living with a deaf parent (Of Sound Mind), facing the consequences of a criminal act (Bad), or questioning one's sexuality (Eight Seconds). But Jean Ferris is also adept at writing comedy, historical fiction, and romance. What's most interesting is that she didn't publish her first novel until she was in her mid-40s. Yet she's never forgotten the intense feelings and changes of her own teenage years. Critics as well as teen readers have seen the evidence of that in her writing and have honored her novels with a number of awards, from Best Books for Young Adults to various state and National Book Award nominations.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,726 reviews
August 25, 2021
they just don't make books like this one anymore.
those early aughts goofy fairytale-y middle grade fantasy-adventures...nothing will ever hit like these hit for eleven year old me. nothing.
this book has a protagonist who's best friends with a troll, an evil queen villain who wants to kill her actual daughter (NOT EVEN HER STEPDAUGHTER. bold), and the word "soggy" in the synopsis.
it is everything to me.
part of a series i'm doing where i review books i read a long time ago, and either immediately want to reread them or immediately commence hating every book ever and also myself. luckily, this time it's the former
those early aughts goofy fairytale-y middle grade fantasy-adventures...nothing will ever hit like these hit for eleven year old me. nothing.
this book has a protagonist who's best friends with a troll, an evil queen villain who wants to kill her actual daughter (NOT EVEN HER STEPDAUGHTER. bold), and the word "soggy" in the synopsis.
it is everything to me.
part of a series i'm doing where i review books i read a long time ago, and either immediately want to reread them or immediately commence hating every book ever and also myself. luckily, this time it's the former
August 29, 2007
This is the cutest book in the entire world. You kind of just want to hug it and squeeze it and call it George, because it's just that damned cute.
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where the author was clearly trying too hard to keep the tone and did a bit too much telling instead of showing- this was mostly evident with the three older sisters who came for the wedding. But by that time, I was so involved that it only registered as a minor annoyance, and the end was back to the original level of fun. I kind of wonder if an editor was responsible for those pages, because they stick out.)
The subtitle is "part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen sink," and that's pretty accurate. I got a bit of a Princess Bride type of vibe from it. I just kept giggling throughout - totally mixed up fairy tale, just slightly surreal and a bit mocking. So much fun!
(Okay, there were some parts where the author was clearly trying too hard to keep the tone and did a bit too much telling instead of showing- this was mostly evident with the three older sisters who came for the wedding. But by that time, I was so involved that it only registered as a minor annoyance, and the end was back to the original level of fun. I kind of wonder if an editor was responsible for those pages, because they stick out.)
February 24, 2010
OH. MY. CUTENESS.
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so it's about this 6-year-old boy, Christian, who runs away from home and ends up living with and being raised by a Troll, Edric (Ed) in a cave. The kid turns out to be quite nice and resourceful (i.e. he's an inventor). Ed realizes he's gotta raise the kid right, so he gets a book of etiquette, and teaches the kid out of that. But the best part is that Ed has like ZERO grasp of clichés, and is CONSTANTLY mixing them up (like, "I can see I'm beating my head against a dead horse" and "After all, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the eager beaver.") Oh boy, those were great...
So 13 years later, Christian (sometimes Chris) is a strapping guy... haha... And he has this telescope, and has been (very innocently) admiring the pretty little brunette princess (Marigold, 17) whose balcony happens to face the cave... ;) In fact, he's so taken with her that he starts sending her messages via carrier pigeon. Heehee... But the pigeons can only hold a piece of paper big enough to hold 3 lines of text (and later 3 per side, I think), so they have these TINY conversations... It's REALLY cute. They become best friends, even though they've never met.
Then Christian and Ed decide he needs to go out on his own and experience the world, so he gets a job at the castle, and all sorts of craziness ensues... Marigold's mom is trying to hook her up with any eligible bachelor who will have her, and Christian is REALLY jealous... *cute!!* And it's really fun...
Anyway, it goes on from there, but I don't want to give TOO much away. I'm REALLY looking forward to Twice Upon a Marigold... It looks really great, too!
This book was awesome! And, okay, I DO happen to have a thing for cheesy young-adult romance fairy-tales, but still, it was really clever and totally adorable! And CLEAN. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book to an 8-year-old (or younger, if they were interested). It was predictable (I guessed who Christian was in the first chapter, but whatever... the goal of the book wasn't to be cryptic), but it was just so sweet and innocent and SO funny!
Okay, so it's about this 6-year-old boy, Christian, who runs away from home and ends up living with and being raised by a Troll, Edric (Ed) in a cave. The kid turns out to be quite nice and resourceful (i.e. he's an inventor). Ed realizes he's gotta raise the kid right, so he gets a book of etiquette, and teaches the kid out of that. But the best part is that Ed has like ZERO grasp of clichés, and is CONSTANTLY mixing them up (like, "I can see I'm beating my head against a dead horse" and "After all, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the eager beaver.") Oh boy, those were great...
So 13 years later, Christian (sometimes Chris) is a strapping guy... haha... And he has this telescope, and has been (very innocently) admiring the pretty little brunette princess (Marigold, 17) whose balcony happens to face the cave... ;) In fact, he's so taken with her that he starts sending her messages via carrier pigeon. Heehee... But the pigeons can only hold a piece of paper big enough to hold 3 lines of text (and later 3 per side, I think), so they have these TINY conversations... It's REALLY cute. They become best friends, even though they've never met.
Then Christian and Ed decide he needs to go out on his own and experience the world, so he gets a job at the castle, and all sorts of craziness ensues... Marigold's mom is trying to hook her up with any eligible bachelor who will have her, and Christian is REALLY jealous... *cute!!* And it's really fun...
Anyway, it goes on from there, but I don't want to give TOO much away. I'm REALLY looking forward to Twice Upon a Marigold... It looks really great, too!
February 20, 2008
I totally judged a book by its cover on this one. The font the words are printed in reminded me of the font from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (easy read, I knew), and it proclaimed itself to be “part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink; happily-ever-after turned upside down, inside out, and completely over the top!” Well, I don’t know about all that, but it was an entertaining read — a fairy tale with a modern, fun, whimsical feel to it.
I must admit I liked the first half of the story much better than the second half. It seems that the first half is spent getting attached to the main characters in the story: Christian (a runaway who is raised by a troll) and Ed (the aforementioned troll who can never get his cliches right and is obsessed with dethroning the Tooth Fairy) and Marigold (a cursed princess who becomes Christian’s penpal). I came to like them. I loved their "p-mailing" (pigeon-carrier mailing) back and forth. But then we don’t get to spend any time with them in the second half of the book. Peripheral characters (mostly Marigold’s dad and her triplet sisters) get turned into main characters, too, so their stories have to be told — and all the while Chris and Ed are in the dungeon, out of sight and out of mind. My only guess as to why the king’s and the sisters’ stories took the limelight was because they hadn’t proven to be particularly sympathetic to Marigold in the past, and they needed to explain themselves so it would make sense when they band together to save her from the queen’s evil scheme.
But other than that complaint, I liked this book. There was just the right amount of quirkiness and just the right amount of seriousness. A quick, fun read.
I must admit I liked the first half of the story much better than the second half. It seems that the first half is spent getting attached to the main characters in the story: Christian (a runaway who is raised by a troll) and Ed (the aforementioned troll who can never get his cliches right and is obsessed with dethroning the Tooth Fairy) and Marigold (a cursed princess who becomes Christian’s penpal). I came to like them. I loved their "p-mailing" (pigeon-carrier mailing) back and forth. But then we don’t get to spend any time with them in the second half of the book. Peripheral characters (mostly Marigold’s dad and her triplet sisters) get turned into main characters, too, so their stories have to be told — and all the while Chris and Ed are in the dungeon, out of sight and out of mind. My only guess as to why the king’s and the sisters’ stories took the limelight was because they hadn’t proven to be particularly sympathetic to Marigold in the past, and they needed to explain themselves so it would make sense when they band together to save her from the queen’s evil scheme.
But other than that complaint, I liked this book. There was just the right amount of quirkiness and just the right amount of seriousness. A quick, fun read.
November 28, 2016
Absolutely delightful even the second time around. I am glad to have a chance to re-read the first two, and to finally read the third.
EtA: I like how this one is from the pov of the male character.
Btw, I guess I really do love this author. I also own her Love Among the Walnuts (which I found at a thrift store, sans jacket, and did not realize as YA because it read as adult) and am going to reread that before releasing it.
EtA: I like how this one is from the pov of the male character.
Btw, I guess I really do love this author. I also own her Love Among the Walnuts (which I found at a thrift store, sans jacket, and did not realize as YA because it read as adult) and am going to reread that before releasing it.
February 16, 2024
Exactly what I needed to clear my head. Delightful, charming, and who doesn't love a HEA between a lost prince and a princess who reads the Greek Tragedies?
December 9, 2010
My name is Christian- I don’t know what my last name is, because when I was five years old, I decided I’d had enough with boring lessons about how to sip tea properly and wearing silly uncomfortable clothes all day. So I ran away- and that’s how I met Ed. Ed’s my dad. He found me hiding in the woods and tried to take me back to my parents, but I decided I liked Ed way more than them, so I tricked him into adopting me. Oh, yeah, Ed’s also a troll, and he pretends to be all grumpy and troll like most of the time, but I know he’s really just worried about being a good father to me. We live in this cave in the forest, that’s actually really comfortable, and Ed lets me do all the things I really care about. Like inventing things.
I’ve invented all sorts of useful things, like an elevator to bring water from the stream up to our sink. Man, I do not know how people live without indoor plumbing. Not even the people in the castle across the river have a flushing toilet like we do. I can see that castle from my cave, I even came up with an invention, a kind of glass in a tube, that lets me see things up close that are far away. I call it a tube glass. Which brings me to another invention I came up with. It’s called p-mail. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s short for pidgeon mail. I trained this fat little pigeon who lives in our cave to carry messages back and forth from the castle, because in that castle, there’s this girl. She’s smart and funny, and loves to read books, just like me. We p-mail all day long, and I can talk to her about anything and everything. Unfortunately for me, she’s also the princess. And a really unhappy princess at that. Her three sisters all came out perfect and pretty and blond. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Marigold, that’s my princess’s name, is quiet and bookish and cursed. You see, whenever she touches someone, she can see into their minds and know what they’re thinking. Which means that no one ever hugs her or even wants to be anywhere near her because they are afraid she’ll know what’s going on in their heads. The end result is, she’s got no friends, except for me, and I’m pretty sure that her own mother the queen hates her.
That mean old queen is a piece of work. She’s throwing this ball, and basically selling off her own daughter to any prince who’ll take her. And those princes and knights just want to marry Marigold for her money, they don’t care that she’s got a great smile, when she does smile, which isn’t very often, or that her hair is the prettiest shade of brown, like rich mahogany. Believe me, I’ve been spying on some of these guys, and they’re just a bunch of greedy Neanderthals.
And that’s what brings us to why I’m packing up all my worldly possessions and heading to the castle to find a job. I’m the only friend Marigold’s got in the world, and if there is anything I can do to save her, then I’ve gotta try.
This book was a bunny rabbit. Cute, fluffy and made me want to snuggle.
I’ve invented all sorts of useful things, like an elevator to bring water from the stream up to our sink. Man, I do not know how people live without indoor plumbing. Not even the people in the castle across the river have a flushing toilet like we do. I can see that castle from my cave, I even came up with an invention, a kind of glass in a tube, that lets me see things up close that are far away. I call it a tube glass. Which brings me to another invention I came up with. It’s called p-mail. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s short for pidgeon mail. I trained this fat little pigeon who lives in our cave to carry messages back and forth from the castle, because in that castle, there’s this girl. She’s smart and funny, and loves to read books, just like me. We p-mail all day long, and I can talk to her about anything and everything. Unfortunately for me, she’s also the princess. And a really unhappy princess at that. Her three sisters all came out perfect and pretty and blond. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Marigold, that’s my princess’s name, is quiet and bookish and cursed. You see, whenever she touches someone, she can see into their minds and know what they’re thinking. Which means that no one ever hugs her or even wants to be anywhere near her because they are afraid she’ll know what’s going on in their heads. The end result is, she’s got no friends, except for me, and I’m pretty sure that her own mother the queen hates her.
That mean old queen is a piece of work. She’s throwing this ball, and basically selling off her own daughter to any prince who’ll take her. And those princes and knights just want to marry Marigold for her money, they don’t care that she’s got a great smile, when she does smile, which isn’t very often, or that her hair is the prettiest shade of brown, like rich mahogany. Believe me, I’ve been spying on some of these guys, and they’re just a bunch of greedy Neanderthals.
And that’s what brings us to why I’m packing up all my worldly possessions and heading to the castle to find a job. I’m the only friend Marigold’s got in the world, and if there is anything I can do to save her, then I’ve gotta try.
This book was a bunny rabbit. Cute, fluffy and made me want to snuggle.
June 11, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
😈 Content Warnings
• Emotional manipulation
• Imprisonment/entrapment
• Threats of violence
• Parental neglect
• Off-page death
💕 Tropes
• Forbidden love
• Secret pen-pal romance
• Runaway hero
• Found family
• Quirky inventors
• Villainous royal parent
• Fairy tale parody
📖 Perfect for Readers Who Liked/similar books…
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
🧭 Age Recommendation
10+
💗 Quotes
“Secrets have a way of making themselves felt, even before you know there's a secret.”
“Nobody ever gets enough appreciation when they're behaving themselves, but there's no end to hearing about it when they're not. ”
🎵 Song Match
“Enchanted” by Taylor Swift
😈 Content Warnings
• Emotional manipulation
• Imprisonment/entrapment
• Threats of violence
• Parental neglect
• Off-page death
💕 Tropes
• Forbidden love
• Secret pen-pal romance
• Runaway hero
• Found family
• Quirky inventors
• Villainous royal parent
• Fairy tale parody
📖 Perfect for Readers Who Liked/similar books…
• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
🧭 Age Recommendation
10+
💗 Quotes
“Secrets have a way of making themselves felt, even before you know there's a secret.”
“Nobody ever gets enough appreciation when they're behaving themselves, but there's no end to hearing about it when they're not. ”
🎵 Song Match
“Enchanted” by Taylor Swift
August 20, 2013
I unabashedly love children's books, but this was even too juvenile for me.
Marigold is a strong-willed princess who is being forced to marry a prince she doesn't love. Christian is a bright young man who doesn't realize he's actually a prince. You already know how this is going to end. Beyond being predictable, the story tries very hard to have an irreverent, almost Shrek-like tone. But it fails by being unfunny and weighed down by trite concepts like p-mail (it's like email but with pigeons, get it?!?!)
The dialogue, especially between Christian and Marigold, is painful. They are each others dear hearts and soul mates and every other sappy term you can think of. While there are some sweet parts and some interesting characters, it's all just too corny and goofy. There are so many good children's books out there, especially in the fantasy genre, that this just falls completely flat in comparison.
Marigold is a strong-willed princess who is being forced to marry a prince she doesn't love. Christian is a bright young man who doesn't realize he's actually a prince. You already know how this is going to end. Beyond being predictable, the story tries very hard to have an irreverent, almost Shrek-like tone. But it fails by being unfunny and weighed down by trite concepts like p-mail (it's like email but with pigeons, get it?!?!)
The dialogue, especially between Christian and Marigold, is painful. They are each others dear hearts and soul mates and every other sappy term you can think of. While there are some sweet parts and some interesting characters, it's all just too corny and goofy. There are so many good children's books out there, especially in the fantasy genre, that this just falls completely flat in comparison.
March 11, 2022
I was so obsessed with this book as a kid, I checked it out of my elementary school library at least 5 times a year.
I love revisiting old childhood favorites and finding that they bring me the same comfort and joy as when I first read them.
This was such a fun and whimsical read!
I love revisiting old childhood favorites and finding that they bring me the same comfort and joy as when I first read them.
This was such a fun and whimsical read!
August 25, 2011
5/10
I feel bad giving this such a low rating because I think there are a lot of young girls who would really, really like it. But, for me, it was just too juvenile...and that's coming from someone who LOVES children's and young adult literature.
I know it's a little unfair to say that a middle-grade book (written for 9-12 year-olds) was "too juvenile." But I'm comparing it to other books for the same age group (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, anyone?), and it can't even hold a candle against some of them.
First of all, the characters all say dumb things that I guess are supposed to be funny. For example, from Marigold: "I'd rather be boiled in oil! The kind with cholesterol!" See? Painful. Then there's the troll who is constantly taking well-known phrases and accidentally changing them just enough that they make no sense at all. This is also supposed to be funny. The problem is, a 9-12 year-old is not going to know what the real phrase is so she won't be able to catch the humor, and it isn't clever enough for an adult to think it's funny. So, fail and fail.
The plot itself was boring and predictable. Christian wants to meet Marigold. Done. Christian wants Marigold to like him. Done. Christian wants to be more than a peasant. Done. There were, um, count them, ZERO moments of tension. (Okay, I'm probably being a little harsh since a 9-year-old probably would have felt some drama in the dungeon or during the wedding...yes, there was a dungeon...for about 8 hours...really nail-biting).
So here's my final take: I've been reading so many long books lately that I was just looking for something short and easy. This definitely fit the bill, but it made me ready to go back to more thought-provoking books. Also, a nine-year-old girl will like this book. I promise.
I feel bad giving this such a low rating because I think there are a lot of young girls who would really, really like it. But, for me, it was just too juvenile...and that's coming from someone who LOVES children's and young adult literature.
I know it's a little unfair to say that a middle-grade book (written for 9-12 year-olds) was "too juvenile." But I'm comparing it to other books for the same age group (The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, anyone?), and it can't even hold a candle against some of them.
First of all, the characters all say dumb things that I guess are supposed to be funny. For example, from Marigold: "I'd rather be boiled in oil! The kind with cholesterol!" See? Painful. Then there's the troll who is constantly taking well-known phrases and accidentally changing them just enough that they make no sense at all. This is also supposed to be funny. The problem is, a 9-12 year-old is not going to know what the real phrase is so she won't be able to catch the humor, and it isn't clever enough for an adult to think it's funny. So, fail and fail.
The plot itself was boring and predictable. Christian wants to meet Marigold. Done. Christian wants Marigold to like him. Done. Christian wants to be more than a peasant. Done. There were, um, count them, ZERO moments of tension. (Okay, I'm probably being a little harsh since a 9-year-old probably would have felt some drama in the dungeon or during the wedding...yes, there was a dungeon...for about 8 hours...really nail-biting).
So here's my final take: I've been reading so many long books lately that I was just looking for something short and easy. This definitely fit the bill, but it made me ready to go back to more thought-provoking books. Also, a nine-year-old girl will like this book. I promise.
May 17, 2009
Wonderful and orginal fairy tale! And one that is not like any other fariy tale out there.
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and cheesy. That's basically the novel in a nut shell. It's a wonderful fairy tale and deserves to be placed a long side the classic Princess tales made popular by Disney.
I remember when I first read it (basically two years ago), I LOVED it. I rememeber that it was one of the best books I've ever read. I even had it on my 5-star list. Well, since then I've read even better books (ex: Golden Compass and it's companions) and now that I've read it for the second time, it's not worth 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I still really like this book. I just don't think it's 5 stars anymore.
Wonderful fairy tale/love story/crazy and cheesy book. Anyone that loves a good story to take them away from the real world for a few hours, should read it.
***
This is my second read. It's just one of those books that you can't seem to put down, but not the kind that you can't stop thinking about. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book. But.....it's just a good story. It's not something you can't get off your mind.
There were some cheesy parts, but that's part of the charm of the book. It's silly, crazy, touching and cheesy. That's basically the novel in a nut shell. It's a wonderful fairy tale and deserves to be placed a long side the classic Princess tales made popular by Disney.
I remember when I first read it (basically two years ago), I LOVED it. I rememeber that it was one of the best books I've ever read. I even had it on my 5-star list. Well, since then I've read even better books (ex: Golden Compass and it's companions) and now that I've read it for the second time, it's not worth 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I still really like this book. I just don't think it's 5 stars anymore.
Wonderful fairy tale/love story/crazy and cheesy book. Anyone that loves a good story to take them away from the real world for a few hours, should read it.
May 1, 2022
2022 reread: 3.5 stars. Picked this up because it and it's sequel were on the library's free cart. I hadn't realized there was a sequel, so now of course I had to reread this one before I could read the second. My original thoughts still stand. It's cute, fun, definitely not intended to be a "serious" fantasy story. Things wrap up in somewhat farcical ways, but it works for the kind of story that it is. Not sure that I need to keep this for my own collection, because I didn't LOVE it, and I think I'd rather pass it along to someone younger. Though maybe the sequel will change my mind!
Original 2017 review: Cute book for middle-readers. It felt very familiar, so I think I may have read this once upon a time. It's a sort of self-aware fairy tale kind of book, in a similar vein as the "Shrek" movie as far as having intentional incongruities (sending messages via pigeon is called p-mail) and references to various fairy tale tropes. Fun, light, amusing, and definitely something most younger readers will enjoy, an a few older ones as well.
Original 2017 review: Cute book for middle-readers. It felt very familiar, so I think I may have read this once upon a time. It's a sort of self-aware fairy tale kind of book, in a similar vein as the "Shrek" movie as far as having intentional incongruities (sending messages via pigeon is called p-mail) and references to various fairy tale tropes. Fun, light, amusing, and definitely something most younger readers will enjoy, an a few older ones as well.
June 26, 2020
Oh my goodness this was such an amazing book!!! SO CUTE! SO FUNNY! SO GOOD! It nails all the elements of a nice story, and has just enough action to keep things lively, but not so much that it becomes a super intense read (which are great in their own right, depending on what you want to read). It was a nice change of pace compared to all the other books I’ve been reading lately, and honestly I appreciated every single part of it, even the romance! (Don’t tell all my friends I said that) All in all, 10/10 book, would recommend and will definitely read again, great for a pick me up or if you’re ever just in the mood for a nice happy story!
May 13, 2020
Well this was utterly adorable. Full review to come.
September 2, 2023
4 Stars ✨
Adorable Slapstick adventure- we need more goofy books like these!
Adorable Slapstick adventure- we need more goofy books like these!
March 6, 2013
What do you get when you mix an evil mother, a not so typical princess, a grumpy troll and a lost boy? You get “everything but the kitchen sink”. Once upon a Marigold is a book that follows a young boy falling in love with a princess across the river who exchanges little notes with him using p-mail (pigeon mail) creating a beautiful distant relationship. That’s when Christian decides it’s time for him to pursue his dreams and decides to leave his father troll, who has raised him since he found Christian in the woods, to go work at the castle. Keeping his identity hidden from Marigold, Christian’s loyalty remains as he watches over her from the sidelines falling even more in love with his one and only princess. Things take a turn for the worse though when Christian discovers that Marigold’s mother Queen Olympia is planning to take over the kingdom and even willing to sacrifice her own daughter to do so. Christian must do everything in his power to protect his love and find his own destiny in the process.
Themes:
World of make believe (story takes place in another world with magical creatures)
Loyalty to others (Christian’s loyalty to Marigold)
Love in different forms (Not only love for a significant other but also love for a parent, sibling or animal)
Masked intentions of different characters (There are a lot of intentions that are hidden from the reader as the book goes along)
Themes:
World of make believe (story takes place in another world with magical creatures)
Loyalty to others (Christian’s loyalty to Marigold)
Love in different forms (Not only love for a significant other but also love for a parent, sibling or animal)
Masked intentions of different characters (There are a lot of intentions that are hidden from the reader as the book goes along)
February 8, 2008
This book is just as cute as a pile of puppies and kittens licking each other's ears on a glittery pink blanket. Surrounded by cupcakes.
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relatively enlightened buddies. While Princess Marigold is smart (though not very funny), confident, and gutsy. The bad guys are appropriately evil, boorish, and dull with few redeeming qualities.
The plot rolls along pleasantly enough. And it kept me entertained while I read it.
That is to say, there's a certain audience for this kind of thing and everyone else should keep their cute-sickness bags handy. (I am saying this as a fan of Cute Overload with a very high tolerance for cuteness.)
It's the light and fluffy side of a fairy tale without the darkness.
But it isn't bad. Ed and Christian are relatively enlightened buddies. While Princess Marigold is smart (though not very funny), confident, and gutsy. The bad guys are appropriately evil, boorish, and dull with few redeeming qualities.
The plot rolls along pleasantly enough. And it kept me entertained while I read it.
April 25, 2012
Ok. So I decided to read up on some of my favorite books ever just to remember how much I really do love them. And it also reminded me how sad some of the science fiction stuff can be compared to this lovely and just plain cute fantasy! I freaking love this book! It's just adorable. It makes me happy and joyous and I must say, a bit hyper. :) This is one of those books that you just have to read when you're having a dumper day. And I was kinda having one when I read it all yesterday when I was sick. So cute. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
January 19, 2016
This was actually the second time I had read this book and I always love it. It is a good story and not some heavy book that makes you think all deep. It is just a good book with trolls and princess and an even mother who wants to take over the kingdom. It is a good book for anyone who is ready to get out of reading super serious books. It's a great book and I do recommend it.
March 12, 2021
I love this little book - it never fails to make me smile. The sweetest combination of fantasy/fairytale/romance with a great sense of humour. My ultimate comfort read when I’m feeling blue!
March 26, 2017
This is super cute and sweet as hell. I loved Christian, Marigold, Ed and the dogs...all five of them.
I particularly liked Ed because he reminded me of Eve Dallas (In Death series) with all his mixed cliches. Made me smile every time.
"He'd buttered his bread, and now he'd have to lie in it."
"What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the eager beaver."
"You just have to take the bear by the horns."
I'm looking forward to Twice Upon A Marigold.
I particularly liked Ed because he reminded me of Eve Dallas (In Death series) with all his mixed cliches. Made me smile every time.
"He'd buttered his bread, and now he'd have to lie in it."
"What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the eager beaver."
"You just have to take the bear by the horns."
I'm looking forward to Twice Upon A Marigold.
September 11, 2018
"Once Upon a Marigold" is a romantic comedy book. In the story, a commoner who lives in a cave with a troll and two dogs falls in love with the youngest princess of their kingdom. They start off as best friends through "p-mail" (basically handwritten letters sent by pigeons), but soon they meet at one point in the book and become something more. This is a very cheesy book filled with corny jokes, so I think only a few section of readers would enjoy reading this and apparently I'm a part of that "few section".
February 5, 2021
I read this as a teenager and remembered it being super cute and funny with well-rounded characters and a charming love story...I'm very happy to say it's just as amazing as I remembered. It's a fantastic light read and hard to put down.
April 17, 2020
My preteen niece recommended this one to me. It was cute, and very much for preteens :)
May 29, 2021
4.5
Reader thoughts: I almost put the book down on page two. So glad I didn't! (It starts with an old man walking through the woods. Not interesting, until you find out he's a troll.)
The book's climax reminded me of Ella Enchanted. There was a curse to break, a step-mother to face, a prince to marry, people shouting, and a dog-powered flying machine (okay, not exactly like Ella Enchanted). Fun though, and lots happening at once.
The relationship between Christian and his foster father was well-done. It wasn't saccharine, it wasn't bitter, but it was practical. Both accepted the other for what they were, inventor or collector, tooth-business entrepreneur or secret-messages-sending stalker.
The villain was well-done. I kept thinking, "This is too easy," but then the good guys would get locked up again. The villain wasn't stupid; she knew what was going on and took reasonable measures to stop it.
Writer thoughts: The pov was omniscient, and I wonder why. Maybe it was to sound a little like fairytales. Maybe it was to give a more complete approach to the story (like seeing into the doctor's head at the climax; perfect! That made me laugh out loud for over a minute). There were quite a few times I wished the pov was more limited, though.
Why a sequel? As much as I liked this book, I wouldn't want a sequel. It would be like trying to write a sequel to Ella Enchanted, which is perfect by itself. I'd have to read it to decide, but I feel like it wouldn't fit at all. The people are married, and everything's tied up! Olympia has no power that a conniving author doesn't give her.
Reader thoughts: I almost put the book down on page two. So glad I didn't! (It starts with an old man walking through the woods. Not interesting, until you find out he's a troll.)
The book's climax reminded me of Ella Enchanted. There was a curse to break, a step-mother to face, a prince to marry, people shouting, and a dog-powered flying machine (okay, not exactly like Ella Enchanted). Fun though, and lots happening at once.
The relationship between Christian and his foster father was well-done. It wasn't saccharine, it wasn't bitter, but it was practical. Both accepted the other for what they were, inventor or collector, tooth-business entrepreneur or secret-messages-sending stalker.
The villain was well-done. I kept thinking, "This is too easy," but then the good guys would get locked up again. The villain wasn't stupid; she knew what was going on and took reasonable measures to stop it.
Writer thoughts: The pov was omniscient, and I wonder why. Maybe it was to sound a little like fairytales. Maybe it was to give a more complete approach to the story (like seeing into the doctor's head at the climax; perfect! That made me laugh out loud for over a minute). There were quite a few times I wished the pov was more limited, though.
Why a sequel? As much as I liked this book, I wouldn't want a sequel. It would be like trying to write a sequel to Ella Enchanted, which is perfect by itself. I'd have to read it to decide, but I feel like it wouldn't fit at all. The people are married, and everything's tied up! Olympia has no power that a conniving author doesn't give her.
December 9, 2015
When I had heard about this book, I was hoping for something light and fluffy but still enough substance to be grounded and thoughtful (like the Enchanted Forest Chronicles). It was certainly light and fluffy but there wasn't much else besides.
The idea of both a story and characters was interesting enough but were incredibly underdeveloped. I liked the dynamic and Marigold and her sisters but the surface was barely scratched on it. While the author tried go a little further than Marigold is slight and brunette, her sisters are blonde and curvy it really just felt like Marigold-isn't-like-the-other-girls. Her older sisters being triplets, the author just sort of lumped them together rather than going beyond describing a personality trait.
The dialogue was incredibly corny (p-mails, letters sent by pigeons, just no). Christian is like Edward Cullen for kids, as he watches Princess Marigold during her day-to-day activities with a telescope in the bushes, which is incredibly creepy and absolutely not okay.
I won't lie, if I had read this in middle school, I probably would have enjoyed it much more. However, the writing starts out decently, it soon dips quite a bit in quality, almost as if the author was trying to hurry up and finish rather than developing the plot and characters. I did like Marigold and her sisters quite a bit, but every other character was like a cardboard cut-out being stuffed into the narrative.
The idea of both a story and characters was interesting enough but were incredibly underdeveloped. I liked the dynamic and Marigold and her sisters but the surface was barely scratched on it. While the author tried go a little further than Marigold is slight and brunette, her sisters are blonde and curvy it really just felt like Marigold-isn't-like-the-other-girls. Her older sisters being triplets, the author just sort of lumped them together rather than going beyond describing a personality trait.
The dialogue was incredibly corny (p-mails, letters sent by pigeons, just no). Christian is like Edward Cullen for kids, as he watches Princess Marigold during her day-to-day activities with a telescope in the bushes, which is incredibly creepy and absolutely not okay.
I won't lie, if I had read this in middle school, I probably would have enjoyed it much more. However, the writing starts out decently, it soon dips quite a bit in quality, almost as if the author was trying to hurry up and finish rather than developing the plot and characters. I did like Marigold and her sisters quite a bit, but every other character was like a cardboard cut-out being stuffed into the narrative.
July 7, 2008
OMG!!! When I read the back of this book, I didn't think it was going to be all that interesting. My sister had said it was really good, so I thought I'd give it a try; of course, I ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. WOW. This is quite possibly the HAPPIEST thing I have ever read in my life. You would have to be the most cold-hearted person on the planet to not love this book! It is just the cutest little story! Seriously, if you want to put yourself in a good mood, this book is exactly what you need. It is really refreshing to find a book that manages to be completely happy, have a fairly simple plot, and yet be interesting at the same time. I highly recommend this! :D
March 14, 2017
Honestly, I probably would've adored this book back in junior high. Its a cute spin on the fairytale genre, but a little too predictable. A princess in distress who is the smart outcast of her sisters, an evil queen, a fatherly king, a prince in disguise, etc etc. Also, some of the lines in the story were corny to the max and the plot seems to move extremely slow in some places.
The main reason though why I'm giving this one a 2 is because I didn't necessarily like some of the stereotypes that were being reinforced. Yes yes, its mostly just the classic stereotypes you find in fairytales surrounding women... but still. Come on.
The main reason though why I'm giving this one a 2 is because I didn't necessarily like some of the stereotypes that were being reinforced. Yes yes, its mostly just the classic stereotypes you find in fairytales surrounding women... but still. Come on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,726 reviews