I'm not going to lie to you: this book is the Cinderella story. However, unlike the Robin McKinley books, I completely forgot this fact for MOST of the book. That's a sign of a good author.
We read this book on our trip home from Oregon and really enjoyed it. The main character, Ella, has a unique curse put on her by a "benefactress" fairy; and if you didn't see all the horrible trailers for the movie that came out based on this book, consider yourself lucky. This book wasn't bad like the trailers made the movie seem. Ella is cursed from birth that she always has to obey any command given her. She wants to break this spell because who wants to always have their choices made for them?
Anyways, most of this book is hilarious and we really wanted to see how she would get out of the predicaments she was placed in. And until 3/4 of the book was over, we had forgotten that this was the Cinderella story; but along came the wicked step-mother and step-sisters.
Also unlike the Robin McKinley stories, this book's magical sense isn't overridden by a throw-away ending, explained by "magic can overpower all." I don't like endings like that. Instead, this book's magic was very concrete and suspended my sense of disbelief throughout. It makes me wonder what the movie was like, but I'm not sure that I want to stomach another Anne Hathaway movie.
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Re: Ella Enchanted
Good for the recommendation on the movie (or is it an anti-recommendation?). We'll have to look up Two
Princesses; it's sad because the best time for us to "read" these books is while we're making long road trips (like the one this Christmas break). But BYU has a pathetic audio book collection and we prefer to drive all night listening to someone read the book, to keep us awake. So, I don't know how we're going to last this trip; it's not for a lack of wanting to hear some good books, but for a lack of resources.
Re: Ella Enchanted
Don't bother with the movie. Aside from being an Anne Hathaway movie (which, in Dad's view is a good thing :), they completely changed the book. It should have been called something else so a better screenwriter could do something GOOD with the book.
Levine's Two Princesses of Bamarre is good, too. But her others aren't that great. I suppose one really good book is all most people can ask for.
Re: Ella Enchanted
How funny that we BOTH listened to it on tape while on a trip to/from Oregon. Cool.
Yes, we've been on a youth fiction kick for a long time now. Ella Enchanted was definitely one of the better books, even though I knew what was going to happen. I actually think that makes this a better book, to have enjoyed it the first time, even thought the end was predictable.
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Re: Ella Enchanted
We liked this book too. We listened to it on a trip home from Oregon a couple of years back. Marlene loves young adult fiction. We've also haven't heard great reviews about the movie so we've not seen it either.
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