Reviews

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

sparksofember's review against another edition

4.0

This started a little slow but ended up being super cute. I spent the first couple of chapters worried it might get too dark but it ended up being very much a middle-grade-type fairy tale. I wasn't hooked on the story until the group arrived at the Good Wizards, though I was starting to get intrigued when we met the good robbers. My daughter and I loved the silliness of the Good Wizard putting on a hat and beard, and the witches putting on warts, the story behind Snow White & the 7 dwarves, etc. And we cheered for most of the entire last third of the story. ;-)

Spoiler

I especially loved the twist at the end regarding Anya's sister.

The audio narration was very well done - Marisa Calin did each voice distinctly and spot on.

tinynavajo's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A cute short story about a younger princess sent on a quest to turn a frog back into a prince, an otter maid back into an otter, a newt into a young thief and saving her kingdom from her evil stepstepfather.

mackle13's review against another edition

adventurous funny relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

After reading the Prologue, I thought I was going to be delighted by this story.  Princesses, magic, talking dogs, quests... all with a sort of tongue-in-cheek meta-awareness that I thought would add humor and zest to the story.

But as I continued, the meta-aspect of being genre-savvy didn't really do anything to elevate this by-the-number quest.  If anything, the awareness of it just sort of made it even more by-the-numbers.

The characters were ok - I liked the Good Magician and the 7 Dwarves - but the pacing was very slow, and the story not all that intriguing.  Overall, I ended up finding this book sadly ho-hum.

sharshey's review against another edition

5.0

really cute! wholesome, easy-to-read adventure that did not stress me out :)) thoroughly enjoyed

alba_1994's review against another edition

3.0

A good YA quest story in a fairytale setting. The author acknowledges that part of his inspiration for this book came from reading Diana Wynne Jones, one of my favourite authors. I saw and liked the connection.

misslilliblue's review against another edition

1.0

DNFed at 127 pages... I've had this book on my self for a while and I really wanted to enjoy it but unfortunately I just couldn't. This would've been an amazing picture book but as a young adult CHAPTER BOOK. not it for me personally.

emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition

4.0

I'm a sucker for a fairy tale and Frogkisser! delivers a fresh fairy tale romp perfect for girls coming into their own. It has a similar vibe to Gail Carson Levine's books in that it takes fairy tale tropes and turns them on their head. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it as a fun read for all ages.

ec_dee13's review against another edition

5.0

- Frogkisser! is the absolutely charming story of a princess who finds herself needing to go on a Quest to save a prince turned into a frog that becomes more and more complicated over time. Anya’s story is compelling and quite funny and turns some of the typical tropes of the fantasy genre on their ear. You will want to keep reading to find out how her Quest turns out, because it certainly did not progress as I expected! This book was the 2018 Mythopoeic Society Award Winner for young adult fantasy, and for good reason! It translated especially well to the eBook format, since it is just a standard chapter book.

tamikie's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Not gay enough! The author tries to add "diversity" but only in that they describe different skin color of characters. Very funny. 

tyrex117's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0