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ellemnope's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A cute follow-up sequel, but a bit more predictable than the initial installment. The characters are fun and whimsical and there is a more exploration into the world of Enchantasia, but the development is not as meticulous as in Flunked. The friend group is fun and the teacher characters are interesting, I just wish there would have been a bit of a faster pace, higher stakes, and a more complex story line. Even as a middle grade read, this does tend to come off a bit young in the intricacy of the plot. Still, I had a good time reading and I will continue the series.
swimminhj's review
4.0
I won a free ARC copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway by Sourcebooks.
In the second installment of the Fairy Tale Reform School series, the crew is back and ready to battle Alva! Gilly's sister, Anna, is still angry at her for not coming home from FTRS but everyone else in Enchantasia and FTRS is treating Gilly like she is a hero. She is now the most popular girl in the school! In fact, she became so popular that she got an invitation to the Royal Ladies-in-Waiting Club!
After Alva returns to FTRS to break Harlow out of her prison cell, she leaves a threatening manifesto calling all the residents of Enchantasia and students of FTRS to join her in taking over the kingdom. Gilly, Jax, Maxine, Kayla, and Ollie are set off on another adventure to stop Alva from taking over Enchantasia. They know there is a mole within FTRS, which makes them unsure of who they can trust.
I loved this book as much as the first one! There were some slow parts but they were rectified by the action and twists that appear toward the end of the book. This novel deals with more teenage angst and normal issues than the first. However, I don't think that is a bad thing. I know, as a reader, I needed to be reminded that these characters are teenagers and their decisions are often controlled by hormones and emotions. It was nice to see that piece included here.
This book comes out TOMORROW (March 1st) so make sure you pick up a copy!
In the second installment of the Fairy Tale Reform School series, the crew is back and ready to battle Alva! Gilly's sister, Anna, is still angry at her for not coming home from FTRS but everyone else in Enchantasia and FTRS is treating Gilly like she is a hero. She is now the most popular girl in the school! In fact, she became so popular that she got an invitation to the Royal Ladies-in-Waiting Club!
After Alva returns to FTRS to break Harlow out of her prison cell, she leaves a threatening manifesto calling all the residents of Enchantasia and students of FTRS to join her in taking over the kingdom. Gilly, Jax, Maxine, Kayla, and Ollie are set off on another adventure to stop Alva from taking over Enchantasia. They know there is a mole within FTRS, which makes them unsure of who they can trust.
I loved this book as much as the first one! There were some slow parts but they were rectified by the action and twists that appear toward the end of the book. This novel deals with more teenage angst and normal issues than the first. However, I don't think that is a bad thing. I know, as a reader, I needed to be reminded that these characters are teenagers and their decisions are often controlled by hormones and emotions. It was nice to see that piece included here.
This book comes out TOMORROW (March 1st) so make sure you pick up a copy!
iamnugget's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. I finished it all in one sitting. The characters are great. The Rose being evil plot twist I saw coming but it took me a few chapters to figure it out. I really like how this book mixes in the letters between Gilly and Anna and the newspapers and scrolls they are reading. This book had good pace and I never got bored reading it. The character relationships are realistic (as realistic as a reform school taught by villians can be) and the school is also interesting.
becca_willie04's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
scostner's review
4.0
Gillian Cobbler. Thief. Fairy Tale Reform School student. Hero. Can one girl really be all those things? She's already a daughter, a sister, a friend. But because she and her friends thwarted Alva the Evil Fairy's attempt to take over their school, Gilly is now famous. There are good and bad consequences of fame. Her father's shoe business is now booming, because everyone wants a pair of glass slippers like Princess Ella's. With all the new income, the family can finally afford new clothes and has plenty to eat. On the downside, Alva has a vendetta against Gilly. It's very hard to sneak around when your face is recognized by everyone, so Gilly and her friends are having to work extra hard to figure out who is the mole at FTRS that is feeding Alva information. A hero's work is never done.
One of the great things about the Fairy Tale Reform School series is that they don't focus on the fantasy elements to the exclusion of everything else. Readers still get to see the evolving relationships between the characters, whether they are friends, family, or foes. Watching Gilly try to earn her way back into her sister's good graces or make her father proud or apologize to her friends when she hurts their feelings, all of that makes it much easier to identify with her and care about her fate. Although the characters are from Enchantasia, and some of them are even magical creatures such as fairies or ogres, they are not two-dimensional stock characters. They all have strengths, weaknesses, and emotions that make them interesting as individuals.
Fans of fantasy, fractured fairy tales, mysteries, or school stories will all find something to enjoy about Charmed.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
One of the great things about the Fairy Tale Reform School series is that they don't focus on the fantasy elements to the exclusion of everything else. Readers still get to see the evolving relationships between the characters, whether they are friends, family, or foes. Watching Gilly try to earn her way back into her sister's good graces or make her father proud or apologize to her friends when she hurts their feelings, all of that makes it much easier to identify with her and care about her fate. Although the characters are from Enchantasia, and some of them are even magical creatures such as fairies or ogres, they are not two-dimensional stock characters. They all have strengths, weaknesses, and emotions that make them interesting as individuals.
Fans of fantasy, fractured fairy tales, mysteries, or school stories will all find something to enjoy about Charmed.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
authorjendesmarais's review
4.0
Great twist ending. I saw half of it coming, but was completely wrong for the other half, and that was a great surprise!
rjlee89's review
3.0
Another fun read and I sort of could tell what was going to go down halfway through, but at the same time not really. The plot twist was slightly different from what I expected :)
I adore this sweet world Calonita has created for her characters - and the development of them. Hello, Harlow and Jocelyn!
Also, before I read her third book, Tricked, I'm going to have to take a break since I had a vivid dream about the characters and being on the FTRS grounds.... hahaha
*edit* which I guess is a good thing since her expected publish date for the third book is March 2017!
I adore this sweet world Calonita has created for her characters - and the development of them. Hello, Harlow and Jocelyn!
Also, before I read her third book, Tricked, I'm going to have to take a break since I had a vivid dream about the characters and being on the FTRS grounds.... hahaha
*edit* which I guess is a good thing since her expected publish date for the third book is March 2017!
fairytale42's review
3.0
This one had some too-cheesy moments, and I may or may not read the next one, but it was still decent.