The Last Ever After by Soman Chainani

Title: The Last Ever After
Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Rating: 5/5

The Gist:
In the epic conclusion to Soman Chainani’s New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil, everything old is new again as Sophie and Agatha fight the past as well as the present to find the perfect end to their story.

As A World Without Princes closed, the end was written and former best friends Sophie and Agatha went their separate ways. Agatha was whisked back to Gavaldon with Tedros and Sophie stayed behind with the beautiful young School Master.

But as they settle into their new lives, their story begs to be re-written, and this time, theirs isn’t the only one. With the girls apart, Evil has taken over and the villains of the past have come back to change their tales and turn the world of Good and Evil upside down.

Readers around the world are eagerly awaiting the third book in The School for Good and Evil series, The Last Ever After. This extraordinary conclusion delivers more action, adventure, laughter, romance and fairy tale twists and turns than you could ever dream of! 

 

Review: 

I have adored this series from the very first book.  The world is lush and detailed with classic fairy tale characters who pop up unexpectedly and add an extra layer of whimsy.  It is also a world that can be dark and scary and where there are real consequences (ie. characters dying) that you don't often find in middle grade novels.  I really just want more of this series and would probably do unspeakable things in order to get a spin off featuring Hester, Anadil, and Dot.

In The Last Ever After, Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros must find a way to win their Happily Ever After and close their storybook for good.  While Agatha and Tedros try to find a way to be happy with one another, Sophie struggles to decide between fighting for Tedros, the boy who may never love her, and Rafel, the evil school master who claims that he always will.  Ultimately though, it is a story of two friends.  Sophie and Agatha must choose a world where they each find love, or a world where they find each other. 

The one detriment to this series, in my eyes, has been Tedros.  At the beginning of this novel he continues to be spoiled and insufferable.  However, there is a great deal of growth for him in these pages and, by the end, he is at least tolerable.  Sophie and Agatha continue to be wonderful, complex, and well-rounded characters.  Each is equal in this fairy tale, with their own desires and insecurities.  We also get to meet a plethora of classic fairy tale characters in this book, both heros and villains.  I won't say WHO because Spoilers, but I loved seeing how their lives ended up after their Happily Ever After and the role that they still played in this world. 

I loved seeing the school under the Rafel's control.  In each book it has taken a physical transformation as the management has changed and this is the darkest theme yet.  With the School for New and the School for Old we see Evers and Nevers learning evil side by side, or suffering the consequences.  I did miss some of the humor of the previous books that came from seeing the students interacting in the schools and in classes but I was quite glad to see the coven at work again - though, as I said, it will just never be enough for my taste!

There is no shortage of excitement in The Last Ever After.  We have some terrifying villains, some great twists and turns and there was not any point where I really felt I knew how this plot was going to turn out.  We finally get answers to the great mysteries of this series and the threads hiding just below the surface that tie past and present together and teach our characters more about themselves than they ever expected.  This allows for some fantastic character development and lends to the theme of Old and New that runs through this final book. 

The ending is satisfying and heartwarming, despite the very real loss that occurs in this book.  It is one of those conclusions that leaves the reader thinking about those characters and where life might take them, long after the book has been closed.  Thank you Soman Chainani for such a rich and wonderful series.  Now, what's next?! 

Bottom Line: A fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Swordplay, Death by Axe
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Title: Spelled
Author: Betsy Schow
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Loooooooove this cover.  The shoes are so sparkly and a great updated version of the ruby slippers.  The font in evil villain green is pretty classic as is the curl of the smoke around the magic mirror. 

The Gist: Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Review:

Like many princesses she knows, Dorothea is cursed.  A wicked witch put a spell on one of her ancestors that she would burn the entire world, but she messed up and it skipped a generation, or many.  Without knowing WHICH princess was a dangerous to the world as they knew it, all the women in Dorothea's line have been forced to stay within the castle walls.  As if that isn't bad enough, Dorothea must endure a long line of suitors hoping to gain her hand, and control of the kingdom.  When her insurmountable mother finally settles things by choosing a husband for her, Dorothea wishes that everything could be different - until it is.  With her kingdom in shambles, her parents missing and an evil witch taking up her mother's crown, Dorothea makes a run for it.  She is accompanied by Kato, her not so handsome anymore Prince, and Rexi, the servant with a loud mouth and sticky fingers.  With nothing to go on but the cryptic directions of her own green-skinned witch, the trio attempt to escape the witch and restore the rules of magic to the kingdom.

Spelled is a truly fun novel.  It takes place in a world where fairy tale kingdoms are melded together like squares on a quilt.  This allows for some really amusing connections between the various characters and worlds.  There are connections to The Wizard of Oz, like Dorothea's love of designer footwear and her guardian/witch named Verte, that are bound to make any reader smile.  The author also makes references to modern day words, but with a fairy tale twist.  And ebook is an enchanted book where the pictures move.  The storage area for all things is, literally, the cloud.  These pepper the plot with humor and were such an amusing touch. 

The main characters are interesting, if not overly complex.  Dorothea's character development is the standard spoiled brat learns to be a better person, which is fine.  She also has some internal turmoil over the use of her powers and whether she is the hero of the story or the villain.  Kato is a little dull as love interests go.  I think I liked him more when he couldn't talk.  Rexi, on the other hand, has some of the best lines in the book.  Despite being a servant, she is certainly not subservient and refuses to bow down to the royals and is constantly sniping at one or both of them.  She also has a serious issue with stealing anything that isn't nailed down, which sometimes comes in handy, and other times gets them into trouble.  I am really hoping that any subsequent books go a little further into her backstory as I am curious how she came to live at the palace with such an anti-royal attitude. 

Where Spelled really shines is in its side characters.  We have a wizard with a serious Dorothy obsession, a massive Chimera with a heart of gold and Hydra - who switches heads AND personalities (not to mention mixing spells in a crockpot!)  The world these characters inhabit is equally strange and wondrous, with new surprises around every turn.  I was slightly disappointed in the villain.  We just didn't spend enough time with Griz (at least when she wasn't tossing lightning balls) to really flesh out her character and make her truly terrifying. 

Each chapter in Spelled starts out with a quote or rule from fairy tale characters or books.  My favorite was:

"There's nothing really to fear but fear itself.  And trolls.  Fear and trolls.  Oh, and I guess gigans and dragons too.  And can't forget wicked witches. Yeah, I guess there really is a lot to fear."

- Prince Charming, excerpt from an interview in Hero Beat

These add an extra sense of amusement and charm to the novel.  The plot is non-stop, with lots of action.  We have Kingdoms being torched, houses falling from the sky and a giant tinman bent on destruction.  The main characters face traitors and deception from all sides and the reader is left guessing who they can trust up to the very last minute.  While nothing has been mentioned about this being the first book in a series, it is pretty clear from the ending that there is more to the story and we have yet to see the last of Dorothea, her shape shifting fiance or their foul-mouthed friend.  I, for one, will definitely be waiting on the next one.   

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 12 and up
Sex:  Kissing
Violence: Knifeplay, Death by Magic, Death by Drowning, 
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Great For Readers Who Loved:

Flunked by Jen Calonita

Title: Flunked
Author: Jen Calonita
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Release Date: March 3rd, 2015
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: I love the fun, magical vibe of this cover.  It has just enough details to keep the eye moving without becoming overwhelming.  I so wish the inside had maintained the standard of the outside.

The Gist: Would you send a villain to do a hero's job? An exciting new twisted fairy tale series from award-winning author Jen Calonita.

Full of regret, Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.

Impish, sassy 12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she's not too sorry about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its sweet mission. There's a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change?

Review:
Oh so much potential.  I love fairy tale books.  I read a ton of them and I enjoy seeing each other's personal take on that world.  This story has a pretty good premise: a reform school for kids from fairy tale villages who had fallen on the wrong side of the law.  It should have been fun, it should have been charming, it should have been edited!  Flunked felt like it was written by one of my students.  There was an overwhelming amount of dialogue and very little exposition.  The entire plot was revealed by characters telling rather than the author showing anything.  The narrator had an annoying habit of adding thoughts in parenthesis that just made me roll my eyes with how false they sounded. 

"We cross to another classroom (Wand Training! Who knew?)"
"Someone from Happily Ever After Scrolls is trying to sell magical scrolls (their latest invention)"
"Ogres are running at top speed (for them)."
 
There was no character development whatsoever other than the main character having some out of the blue change of heart at the end that came off preachy and unrealistic.

While the world itself was interesting, nothing was really all that different from the traditional fairy tales.  There was so much thrown at the reader at once and it felt like the author was trying to cram in as many references as possible.  This created a completely convoluted plot that had WAY too many villains, several of whom only showed up in the last 10 pages or so.  This left no time to allow the reader to develop feelings toward any of the characters and it made it incredibly difficult to keep all the bad guys straight (especially since we hadn't even met 2 or 3 of them - only heard about them through other characters).  Eventually, I just stopped caring.

I realize that this is a middle grade novel - but give the kids some credit. They need well written books too. If you are looking for a middle grade book with fairy tale connections - try The School for Good and Evil instead.  It has all the fairy tale elements without the poor writing. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: Any

Sex: None
Violence: Magical spells, no one seriously injured. 
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Unanswered Questions:

If this is a school.  Why did she only attend like one class?

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Title: Tear You Apart
Author: Sarah Cross
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Rating: 5/5 

Cover Impressions: Love the image of the bloodied apple - perfect for an even darker adaptation of Snow White.  I wish they had chosen a more sustantial title font and perhaps changed the background color to make the apple stand out a little more. 

Review:

I am officially adding Sarah Cross to the list of authors that I want to chain in my basement in order to make her write faster.  In Beau Rivage she has created a world that beautifully blends classic fairy tales with a modern world.  I loved the introduction in Kill Me Softly and was thrilled to find out that this follow up would feature Viv - one of the awesome side characters in the first book.  I love when authors stay in the same world but expand on the stories of interesting characters and am seriously hoping that there will be more novels that do the same (fingers crossed for Jewel and Freddie!)

Twisted fairy tales are a real love of mine.  Sarah Cross has a wonderfully unique take on them.  In Beau Rivage children and teens are cursed to play out their role in a fairy tale.  Sometimes they know who the other players are, sometimes they don't.  In Tear You Apart, Viv is the Snow White Princess just waiting for her not-always evil stepmother to order her death.  Viv has spent her entire life preparing for the inevitable strike.  What she was not prepared for, however, was for her best friend and boyfriend, Henley to be chosen to play the role of the Hunter.  With her fate left in his hands as she waits for him to choose whether or not to carve her heart from her chest, Viv pushes him away and seeks any means of escape, even if that escape comes in the form of a dark underworld and mysterious prince.

I enjoyed Viv's tough exterior in Kiss Me Softly and loved getting to see behind that facade in Tear You Apart.  The relationship between Viv and Regina was wonderfully complex and we got to see the real motivation behind not only the heroine but also the villianess.  The one thing that really bothered me was the constant bickering between Viv and Henley.  They were constantly seeking out new means to hurt one another despite clearly being in love and it was difficult to watch Viv push away the one person who really loved her.

Tear You Apart expertly weaves three fairy tales together while giving them a modern twist.  The plot moves at a steady pace and holds one or two surprising twists.  There are also a few scenes that are downright difficult to read due to their cruel brutality.  This is not a story for the faint of heart or someone without an understanding of the nature of the original (non-disneyfied) fairy tales.
As soon as I finished Tear You Apart, I immediately went to Sarah Cross' website to read After the Ball as well as downloading her novella Twin Roses.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up

Sex:  Kissing, Veiled references to sex between teenagers
Violence: Beheading, Knifeplay, Several very violent deaths
Inappropriate Language: Bitch, Shit, Bastard, Whore, Slut
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking

ARC Book Review: Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley

Title: Feather Bound
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Rating: 1/5

Cover Impressions:  Who is this cover artist and where can I buy this print?  This is just stunning.  I love the colors, the feathers and the bird imagery.  I can't wait to see this one in hardcover. 

The Gist: Becoming a Swan means being under constant threat from someone trying to control you.  Literally.  If they hold your feathers (coat?), they control your every move.  Having newly discovered that she is a Swan, Deanna wants nothing more than to pretend nothing has changed.  But, with the recent return from the dead of her wealthy friend, Hyde, Deanna is now in the perfect position to be blackmailed.  Ruin Hyde and keep her secret, or reveal her secret and risk losing everything. 

Review:Oh Feather Bound.  Dear, dear, Feather Bound.  You had so much potential.  A kick ass cover, a unique premise, connections to a haunting fairy tale but you just couldn't pull it together could you?  Forgot all about the world building didn't you?  Got stuck on a lame main character and a lackluster romantic entanglement didn't you?  Disappointed all the people who signed on because of an incredible cover and the promise of a story we hadn't heard a thousand times didn't you? Yes, Feather Bounds, yes you did.

Where to start with this book?  Well, the whole swan thing felt unnecessary and I feel like the plot would have been exactly the same if it had revolved around blackmail for some other, more realistic, reason.  It was very difficult to reconcile the modern setting with the age old fairy tale.  They were not well incorporated and we got no explanation for how this whole thing works.  Have swans always existed?  Were they recently discovered and thus became a hot commodity for human trafficking?  Do people have power over a swan if they get a hold of just one feather or do they need the entire "coat"?  How easy is it for these coats to be removed if regular (non-surgical) humans can take them by force?  Why is there such a stigma attached to being a swan?  How often do they sprout wings?  Do they have to?  I could ask questions for days but the bottom line is, without some worldbuilding to explain how these magical creatures came to be and what rules govern them, most readers will lose the plot entirely and begin to skim, as I did at about the halfway mark.

The entire plot is built around the idea of stealing a Swan's feathers and thereby controlling his or her will.  The entire concept is really disturbing, as is the way that this seems to have permeated the darker sectors of this world.  Swans have become the ultimate sexual plaything for bored, rich, white men who have tired of their regular perversions.  This leads to some downright stomach turning scenes in which Swans are sexually exploited by the people who have either stolen or paid for this type of total control.  By the time the first "Bad Guy" is revealed in a seedy bar that allows for the drugging and kidnapping of young women, I was pretty much done.  There couldn't possibly be enough comeuppance in store for this person to satisfy my bloodlust following that scene.

Even the romantic elements within Feather Bound are at best, lackluster and at worst, creepy.  The first time Hyde sees Dee after he returns from the dead, she begins to walk away and he grabs her arm.  She has no idea who he is and he grabs her without permission.  This is not cool.  There continues to be some strange type of relationship where she rejects him and he forces his attention on her.  Hyde showers her with gifts but doesn't seem to show any real emotional connection.  He doesn't now anything about her and shows very little interest in finding out.  Instead, he makes meaningless, generic gestures that are supposed to work on any woman rather than finding out what might actually make Dee happy.  Which, doesn't surprise me as she is a pretty one sided character who doesn't seem to have any interests of her own.  Hyde also reeks of condescension.  Take for example this exchange:

I took the glass, but set it down.  "Sorry, I don't drink." 
"For religious reasons?"
"For legal reasons.  I'm underage." A pause.  "You are too."
Hyde laughed. "And you are adorable." He sipped.

UGH! Are you kidding me.  "Oh Dee, you are so cute with your plebeian values like obeying the law. Us rich folks have no need of such childish ideals." (my words, not the books, though they would fit pretty well.)    

In the end, things are wrapped up in a pretty bow as Dee manages to break into a mansion (that apparently has no security system and only one lock) and the villains engage in a dialogue that allows each of them to confess everything and, as a bonus, includes a skeevy sex scene that just put the cherry on this disturbing sundae. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age:  16 and up
Sex: Kissing, Sex (disturbing for who it involves, not the graphic nature)
Violence: Rape, Fighting, Drugging, Kidnapping, Human Trafficking,
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Fuck, Bitch, Whore, Bastard, Tit, Pissed, Slut
Substance Use/Abuse:

ARC Book Review: A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani

Title: A World Without Princes
Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions:  I love, love, love the cover art for this series.  The expression of distrust and wariness on the girls' faces is perfect and the colors are just stunning.  There is so much detail that I keep picking up on things that I never noticed the first time around.  Anyone know who the artist is?

Review:
Sophie and Agatha are back at home, but things have not ended so happily ever after.  Sophie is fighting to stay the centre of attention as her father plans to re-marry and Agatha is secretly dreaming of the price that she left behind.  When she secretly wishes for a new ending, Agatha re-opens their story and re-writes the rules of their fairy tale world.  Back at the School for Good and Evil, girls are fighting against boys and no one is getting a happy ending.  Agatha and Sophie must steal the Storian and finish their story once and for all, but how can they work together when they don't really want the same things?

I really love the premise behind this series.  Fairy tales are even more fun when they are turned on their ear and Chainani does an excellent job of re-writing the rules for a new generation.  I was so dismayed to see what had happened to the school, standing on the brink of war between the genders and so thrilled to see that the Three Witches were the only ones not taken in by the new roles.  Still, I NEED MORE WITCHES, Hester, Anadil, and Dot were my favorite part of the first book and, though they play an important role in this one, there is still just not enough.  Can I get a side story or novella that just features them??  I am also a big fan of how the evil in this story did not take on the traditional form and came from a more unexpected place.

The story itself was fast paced and fun.  It was frustrating to see Sophie and Agatha mistrust each other so much but it added some great conflict that had nothing to do with the traditional love triangle and everything to do with their own relationship.  Though there was an aspect of romance, the story did not get bogged down with this story and instead explored the friendship between the girls and their own struggle with good and evil.  The character did fall a little flat for me this time around.  I found Agatha's suspicion of Sophie without proof more than a little annoying and her desire for a boy that wanted to murder her best friend, more than a little unbelievable.  How can Sophie show that she is loyal if you never give her a chance?
She seemed like such an intelligent character the first time around and I am not sure where that girl went.  The one thing that I appreciated much more in this book was getting some backstory on the girls' parents and the issues surrounding their town.  There were some unanswered questions about Sophie's parents' relationship and I am hoping the answer will be found in the third book, shedding some light on why Sophie is the way that she is.

This novel also featured some amazing illustrations.  I love middle grade novels that have illustrations.  It adds so much to the book to see how someone else is picturing a particular character or scene and I got a little thrill every time that I came across one. 

I have to say, there was one aspect that threw me off a little.  It almost seemed like the plot being centered around Sophie and Agatha's "mistake" and the dangerous circumstances that result was a criticism of women who don't "need" men.  There seemed to be a lot of pressure for Agatha to make the "right" choice - which just happened to be reuniting with her prince (a man and attempted murderer). 

The only people who seemed genuinely happy in the girls being one another's soulmate, were being hoodwinked by the BadGuy.  I found this theme very distracting as I kept wondering where exactly the author was going with this.  I certainly didn't see this in the first book, and am very much hoping that it will be resolved in the third.

The book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, ensuring that I will be back for the third installment, even if it is just to see what secrets will be revealed about Sophie's parents and the fate of the School for Good and Evil.  

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Swordplay
Inappropriate Language: Ass
Substance Use/Abuse: None

ARC Book Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 4/5

Cover Impressions: Very nice, if a little cutesy.  I understand that it is middle grade, but I usually prefer for these books to have an appeal to older students as well.  The background images are beautiful and the crest and banner title are very well done.

The Gist: For hundreds of years, the children of Gavaldon have been going missing.  Every four years, two at a time, one beautiful and one ugly.  After a time, the children of the town realized that these former playmates were appear within the pages of their favorite fairy tales.  Sophie has spent her entire life preparing for this day, maintaining a beauty routine, sewing dresses and doing good deeds.  Agatha, on the other hand, would do anything to remain at home with her gravestones and evil pet cat.  When the two are swept away, they find that a serious mistake has been made and their fortunes have been reversed.  Beautiful Sophie to the School for Evil and ghastly Agatha to the School for Good.  As they try to fight for their hearts' desire, the girls learn about themselves and the barrier between Good and Evil.

Review:
The School for Good and Evil opens on the eve of the night when children regularly disappear from their homes.  Most children are trying to make themselves as undesirable as possible, while Sophie attempts to flaunt her assets as a princess.  She is determined to be spirited away from her home to the School for Good where she will meet her prince charming.  Along side her, will certainly be her friend Agatha, the child for whom the term "witchy" was coined.  As her counterpart, Agatha will enter the School for Evil and the two will find a way to maintain their frienship despite the rivalry of their schools.  The premise for this book is very unique and charming.  The thought of children being stolen from their homes only to show up in the pages of storybooks is both wonderful and terrifying.  I do wish that we were able to spend a little more time with Agatha and Sophie within their village and to learn more about the mysterious town from which no one can choose to leave.  

This novel features some fantastic characters.  Sophie was difficult to like, but that was kind of the point, while Agatha did lose a little of herself by the end of the novel.  Sophie's roommates where a fantastic addition.  They had the best lines and often left me laughing out loud.  These characters could easily hold a story or series of their own (hint hint!).

The School for Good and Evil was a beautiful mix of Wicked, Harry Potter and the humor of Roald Dahl.  It was really fun to see the juxtuposition between Good and Evil.  The schools were truly equal but opposite, down to the smallest detail.  I must admit, I had more love for the School of Evil as they had more interesting characters and it was enjoyable to watch them revel in the dank, dire and disgusting.  The world building is truly fantastic and well fleshed out, though it is a little difficult to keep track of all the rules and the names of the students.  This was aided by the alternating point of view which worked well to show the thoughts and feelings of both girls as well as to give a glimpse into the inner workings of both schools.

The plot was a little predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.  The ending was a little strange, and I can't wait to see how this plays out in future books. I am very excited to see this on film.  I think that it will translate really well and that the setting will play out beautifully on the big screen.  Overall, an excellent addition to the Middle-Grade section of my classroom library.  I cannot wait to jump back into this world in 2014.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 10 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Magical Violence
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

Book Review: Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Title: Bewitching
Author: Alex Flinn
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Rating: 2/5

Cover Impressions: The cover is pretty, and I like the dark tone and colors but it doesn't really stand out from all the other "pretty girl in a pretty dress" in YA.  If it wasn't for my slight obsession with witches and fairy tale re-tellings, I probably never would have picked up this book.

The Gist: Bewitching spins together a number of fairy tales as it follows Kendra, a witch who tries to help people but, inevitably, makes things worse. 

Review: I thoroughly enjoy books that re-tell or take a different spin on fairy tales.  This book should have been right up my alley, but there was something about it that just didn't click.  First of all, I wasn't a fan of Kendra (does anyone else think this is an odd name for a character that originated in the 1660s?).  We never really learn anything about her motivations.  The story opens with her escaping a plague ridden town with her brother in tow and being captured by the witch from the Hansel & Gretel story.  This witch teaches Kendra how to control her powers but we see very little of these lessons nor do we learn anything else about the history of that witch or Kendra.  Eventually, the brother disappears - for no apparent reason and we abruptly shift to the Cinderella story of Emma and Lisette. 

In Emma, I see a character that I could enjoy (despite her being ANOTHER YA character who is obsessed with classical novels - puhleese!).  She grew up in a priveledged household, but it ultimately just a lonely little girl.  When her stepfather brings home a daughter Emma never knew about, she hopes to gain a friend and instead finds Lisette to be a mastermind at manipulation.  A few things bothered me: 1) we never find out why Lisette lived in abject poverty while Daddy Warbucks spoiled Emma and her mother 2) the father seems like a decent guy, but while bonding with Lisette he COMPLETELY neglects Emma - FOR YEARS! 

Just as I am getting interested in Emma and Lisette's story, there is yet another interlude while Kendra tells us another story.  The shifts in time and narrator changes made for a very choppy storyline and left me annoyed.  Each time one occurred, I was tempted to put the book down and never pick it up again.  In the end, it felt like the author started this book with a handful of short stories and then concocted a weak storyline in order to link them all together into one book.  Perhaps, if the entire story had been told from Kendra's point of view (or at least switched between just Kendra and Emma) it might have flowed better. 

In the end, I found this novel unsatisfying.  While the novel may be exactly what some readers enjoy (and judging by many of the reviews, it is) it was simply not for me and I do not think I will be continuing with Kendra's story through any subsequent books. 

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 15 and up
Gender: Females
Sex: Kissing,
Violence: Death by drowning,
Inappropriate Language: Bastard, Slut
Substance Abuse: Underage Drinking, Marijuana Use

Book Review: Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Title: Kill Me Softly

Author: Sarah Cross

Publisher: Egmont USA

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover Impressions: The white rose dipped in blood speaks to innocence lost and is an image that stands out among the plethora of girls in pretty dresses that make up a huge chunk of YA novels today.  However, I am not a fan of the title font.  It seems a little too weak against such a stark image.  

The Gist:  Mirabelle has spent her entire life listening to the rules and sanctions set forth by her Godmothers.  Now, as her 16th birthday draws near, she is about to break their biggest one: returning to the place of her birth, Beau Rivage.  Here, Mira encounters a world where fairy tales take a dark turn and everyone has a role to play, whether they wish to or not.

Review:  In Kill Me Softly Sarah Cross creates a fairy tale world that interposes with our own.  It lies, just beneath the surface and can be seen by anyone willing to peer through the veil.  However, these are not your disneyfied princes and princesses fending off colorful dragons and over-the-top Queens (though, don't get me wrong, Maleficent scared the CRAP out of me as a kid) instead, Cross takes inspiration from the original Fairy Tales which feature evil plot twists, casual murders, the hacking off of limbs and buckets of blood. 

Against this backdrop of Happily Ever After gone wrong, Mira meets Blue, a boy who does everything to push her away and his brother, Felix who does everything not to.  As a character, Mira is a little difficult to like.  She is often rude and ungrateful, which seems completely out of character for a person who, up until now, has blindly followed her Godmother's orders.  It feels a little unreal that a character who is so quick to anger, did not question these rules or show any sign of rebellion prior to her slipping away in the middle of the night.  Blue, on the other hand, is a character who does everything possible to make Mira dislike him but she (and the reader) cannot help but root for this wounded hero.  Whenever I hit a section where Mira was spending time falling in love with Felix, I found myself itching to turn each page, hoping that Blue would be waiting on the other side.  The "love" that Mirabelle claims to have for Felix, feels forced and wrong but shows it's importance by the end of the story (much like Romeo's "love" for Rosaline).  

The plot is interesting but more character based than action based.  Because Cross weaves together a number of fairy tales (some of which are less likely to be recognizable to most readers) we have a vague idea of where the story is headed, but are still able to be surprised by plot twists.  I do believe that the novel is a stand-alone and I hope that this is the end of Mirabelle's and Blue's story.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed my walk through Beau Rivage and would very much like to read the tales of some of the other characters.  This world is simply too interesting to let go of so easily.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up, this one is NOT for your 12 year old!
Gender: Female, though some males may enjoy the clever re-working of well known fairy tales
Sex: Intimate touching, talk of sex
Violence:  Loss of limbs, murders,

Inappropriate Language:  Bitch, Shit.
Substance Abuse: Underage drinking.  Smoking.