Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine

Summary:

ELLA IS obedient. Though this would be a desireable quality in most children, Ella detests it for one reason-she has no choice. Whatever anyone commands her to do, knowingly or unknowingly, she must do because she’s under a fairy’s spell. Ella desperately wishes she could make her own choices, but whenever she tries she’s subjected to dizziness, nausea, and a number of other symptoms. 

When her mother dies, she’s distraught-her mother was her best friend, sliding down banisters, hitting people with acorns, and mocking people with her. At the funeral, she meets Prince Charmont, who consoles her and becomes her friend. But when her usually-absent father sends her off to finishing school with two new acquaintances whom she hates, Ella knows she’s in trouble without her faithful cook and fairy godmother, Mandy, and when they find out how her curse works.

After she runs away from finishing school, she runs into all sorts of creatures-elves, ogres, giants, faries, her family, and of course, Prince Char. And along the way she finds courage, hope, strength…and just maybe she might find love.

Review:

Levine’s Ella is an interesting spin on the old classic, Cinderella. Designed for the pre-teen set, it’s a more feministic point of view, where the heroine rescues herself instead of needing princely aid. I enjoyed many aspects of this book including the fresh view on the famed children’s story, teaching the importance of independence but stressing he importance of love and family and being true to oneself. The one thing I didn’t really like was the abruptness with which the extremely short chapters ended and began with. The plot was fair, though setting the story in the magical land of Frell gives the author many mystical and mythical creatures with which to work with. Ella Enchanted earns a 7/10 for unique plot and setting, though it falls short because though unique, Gail Carson Levine could have done a much better job creatively.

Advertisement