“It is helpful to know the proper way to behave, so one can decide whether or not to be proper.”
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine used to be one of my favorite books of all time. Now, reading the description, I’m not sure if it sounds all that. But, maybe I’ll re-read it and be surprised.
At birth, a foolish fairy bestowed a “gift” on Ella of Frell. The “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it is to go to bed, hop on one foot for a week, or chop off her head. Any command given to her must be obeyed, she has no choice over the matter. This curse can be dangerous, you never know what might be asked of you. But Ella is a strong-willed girl, she does not just accept this fate. Ella tries to fight back against the curse, but it gets harder when she gets put in harder situations. In this retelling of Cinderella, where there are princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to try and break her curse once and for all.
I was 7 or 8 when I loved this book and was probably 9 when I last read it. I know that I used to love it, and can imagine that kids that age will also be big fans. But now, I’m not so sure how good it would be. It seems a little bland and boring, but I’m thinking about re-reading it. Back when I loved this book, I would probably have given it 4.5-5 stars, and I, right now, would recommend it for kids that age, but I’m unsure if it would be good for adults or even middle schoolers.
