The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry: Review

 The Amaranth Enchantment

By: Julie Berry

 

Synopsis (From Goodreads): When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store.

 

Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path.
In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe — just maybe — capture the heart of a prince.

My Review: This book was on the verge of being something I totally loved, but for some reason it fell flat. I really can't figure it out.  There wasn't anything horribly wrong with the story, the writing or the characters, but there were little flaws in each that added up to something that came very close to being a favorite book.

First, the dialogue was a little strange. I found it switched from being old-style english to modern-day slang too often. It probably would have been fine either way, but the combination of the two was really weird for me.

Second, the characters weren't quite engaging enough for me. I didn't really like the prince, and it didn't seem believable to me that Lucinda would like him. It seems like the only thing she liked were his looks. And she didn't seem like the type of girl that would only care about that.

Characters I did like: Dog and Peter. Peter was so much fun. I liked his boldness and the way he instilled confidence in Lucinda. He was very charming and interesting. Much better than Gregor if I must say so. Lucinda's goat, Dog, was so sweet and loyal you couldn't help but love him.

The ending wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. A lot of things happened that were a little hard to believe, and didn't quite flow with the rest of the story.  There were two twists in the story that I really liked, and one even made me audibly gasp.

Overall, it wasn't a bad book, just not a fantastic book. I think a younger audience might like it better than I did.
 
My Rating:
I gave this book 3 stars

Profanity: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Sexuality: None
Violence: Mild

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison: Review

The Princess and the Hound

By: Mette Ivie Harrison

Description:
He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.

Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

Review: This book really surprised me in how much I enjoyed it. It was told from the male perspective, which was not only refreshing, but very well done. Prince George's mother dies when he is still quite young, and his father never seems to learn how to connect with him.  Having animal magic is frowned on, and while George does his best to ignore his abilities, they are still a huge part of who he is. In the beginning of the book, most of George's development is learning how to cope with his powers and try to live a life that will set him up for his future as a king.

I loved George's relationship with Beatrice. It's difficult to describe without giving a lot away, but basically, George wasn't expecting what he found in Beatrice. This causes him to do some reflection on who he is, and what he wants out of life.

Anyway, the characters were fantastic, and I loved the story. I highly recommend it to those that love fantasy.

Rating:

I gave the book 5 stars

Book A-Likes:

I can't think of a good book to compare it to, but the writing was similar to that of Robin McKinley, Jessica Day George, and Gail Carson Levine.

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None

Sexuality: None

Violence: Very Mild

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli: Review

Zel

By: Dona Jo Napoli

Fantasy, YA Fiction

Zel lives with her mother high in the mountains, and all they need is each other. On Zel's birthday, her mother brings her into town where Zel meets a young prince. Zel's mother notices the attraction and decides to take drastic measures to keep her as her own.

The entire book was written in present tense. For some reason I really don't like that style of writing, and it seems like it can be a little hard to follow. Also, the story switched viewpoints, which is something I also don't prefer in a story. I liked the premise of the story, and thought that it was an interesting retelling. I really liked the development of the mother's character and reading about her thoughts and rationalizations for what she was doing. However, I didn't like Zel's character or the Prince's. A word of warning, there is a sex scene in this book, which kind of surprised me in a YA book. I really did feel like it was unnecessary.

Overall, I gave the book 2 out of 5 stars. If you can get past the writing style in the book, you may enjoy it.

Before Midnight: A Retelling of Cinderella by Cameron Dokey: Review

 

Before Midnight: A Retelling of Cinderella

By: Cameron Dokey

Fairy Tale Retelling; Young Adult Fiction

La Cendrillon is the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her mother dies soon after the premature birth, before her father can return home. When he does return home, he brings with him an infant boy, Raoul. The father then leaves, and forbids either Cendrillon or Raoul from leaving the house.

This book was pretty similar to other retellings of this story. The two main differences were that the father was alive in this book, and the stepmother wasn't a mean person. I wasn't a huge fan of the way this was retold. It seemed like all that was ever talked about was love. The characters eligible fell in love at first sight with their partners in extremely cliche ways. And, the climax really wasn't a climax at all. More like a resolution to a simple misunderstanding.

Anyway, I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. (For the record, I have reserved the 1 star rating for a special class of book. Want to know what it is? Ask me about it sometime)

Beastly by Alex Flinn: Review

Beastly
By: Alex Flinn
Young Adult Fiction

Beastly is a modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" through the eyes of the Beast, Kyle Kingsbury. Kyle is the son of a rich and famous anchorman. Due to his selfish behavior, he is transformed into a beast, and disowned by his father and sent to live in a secluded apartment, with his only company being his maid and tutor. Kyle must find a girl that will fall in love with him and kiss him within two years or he will remain a beast forever.

This book was a lot of fun. I haven't read many stories from the viewpoint of the beast. I found this book to be incredibly funny. There were parts that I was actually laughing out loud, and that doesn't happen often for me. I worry though that in a few years many aspects of the book will be outdated, particularly the mention of technology. However, it was a really enjoyable read for me. I'd recommend it to people who like fairy tale retellings and romance, because this book has a fair amount.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Beauty: Review

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
By: Robin McKinley
Young-Adult Fiction

The plot of this book was pretty straightforward. Beauty is the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her given name was Honour, but as a young girl, asked to be called Beauty instead. She grew up to be plain and never felt like she lived up to her nickname. Her father's shipping business falls into disaster and they are forced to move to the country, where she meets the beast.

I had heard a lot about this book, and its author, Robin McKinley. I didn't enjoy the book quite as much as I had hoped I would. I felt sometimes like there was too much time spent on characters talking about what had happened, rather than what was happening at the time. Also, the ending was quite abrupt. A lot of time was spent building up the story and then the ending fell flat. But, those few flaws aside, it was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed reading about Beauty's thoughts and how they changed towards the Beast. The imagery and change that took place in the book came together really well.

Overall, I would give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from Robin McKinley.