Skip to main content

Ogre Enchanted

Image
By


Ogre Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018. 340 p.

I have been a fan of the book Ella Enchanted for two decades. It is a brilliant book that reworks the fairy tale Cinderella. (For all of you who haven’t read that book—you really should. But the basic premise is that Ella is “blessed” with obedience from a fairy. So she has to do everything that people tell her to do.) Anyway, Ogre Enchanted is the story of Evora, a healer, who has been turned into an ogre by the same fairy that made Ella’s life miserable for not saying yes to a marriage proposal (she thought she was too young at 15 to get married and didn’t even want to think about marriage until at least 17). So Evie has to live as an ogre—a being who all the humans want to get rid of or kill—and figure out how to find true love and another marriage proposal so that she can turn back into a human.

I liked this book. I don’t think it is as strong as Ella Enchanted (though that was so amazing, it would be rather hard to top). But I did like seeing how another strong female character had to out-think the fairy Lucinda. This is a fun addition to a great world where sometimes fairies are a little too big for their fairy-britches and strong women have to figure out life despite the crazy hand Lucinda gives them. And even though this book could stand on it’s own—I still think that readers might be better off starting with Ella’s story. After all, that is a classic that won a Newbery honor.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

By Anonymous
There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

By
If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

By Anonymous
J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.
Post a Comment
Read more