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bookishblond's review
5.0
After re-reading one of childhood favorites, Vande Velde's [b:Dragon's Bait|372807|Dragon's Bait|Vivian Vande Velde|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388607364l/372807._SY75_.jpg|1307970] earlier this year, I resolved to read more of her 90s YA fantasies. So far, I am not disappointed. A Well-Timed Enchantment was absolutely delightful. What a hidden gem.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
2.0
Time travel isn't my fave to begin with.
Editorial remark: Deanna is sitting in front of Baylen, sitting sidesaddle. As the horse speeds up, Deanna throws her arms around Baylen's neck to feel safe. That maneuver would not make her feel safe, nor would it help her be more stable. Nor could Baylen have "swung her around" so she could straddle the horse.
I thought we would have a Wizard of Oz moment when Deanna connects her lessons about judgment to her French relatives once she returned. Guess not. Nor does it make sense how making Oliver a human solves anything. He has no birth records, no family, no way to return with Deanna (whom he "loves") to the States
There were funny moments, despite the annoying brothers.
Editorial remark: Deanna is sitting in front of Baylen, sitting sidesaddle. As the horse speeds up, Deanna throws her arms around Baylen's neck to feel safe. That maneuver would not make her feel safe, nor would it help her be more stable. Nor could Baylen have "swung her around" so she could straddle the horse.
I thought we would have a Wizard of Oz moment when Deanna connects her lessons about judgment to her French relatives once she returned. Guess not. Nor does it make sense how making Oliver a human solves anything. He has no birth records, no family, no way to return with Deanna (whom he "loves") to the States
There were funny moments, despite the annoying brothers.
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
I don't particularly like cats in real life, but I've noticed recently that they are generally a lot more appealing in fiction. A Well-Timed Enchantment by Vivian Vande Velde has a cat that's cool like that.
The story starts when Deanna, a fifteen-year-old spending the summer with her mom in France, drops her Mickey Mouse watch down a well. Turns out the well isn't your average well: it's magic. To make matters worse, Deanna didn't drop her watch into the well, she dropped it into medieval France. Now she has to get the watch back before things get really out of hand. Deanna gets some help in the form of Oliver, the black cat she befriended back in modern France. Except now Oliver is a human.
I first read this book when I was sixteen. I loved it so much I read it twice back to back. A Well-Timed Enchantment is one of those books that never get old. You can read it again and again and the story is still just as good as the first time.
Vande Velde's narrative style here is similar to her other "fairy tale" books (like The Rumpelstiltskin Problem or Heir Apparent) with a blend of traditional story telling and her inimitably modern sensibility. The novel is written with a third person narration that follows Deanna's perspective.
This novel combines a lot of different elements to great effect. One of the best characters (in any of) Vande Velde's work is Oliver. Turns out cats don't see things the same way humans do. I don't know how convincingly anyone can write in the voice of a cat-turned-human but Vande Velde seems to do a good job of it.
The story is quick and fairly simple. There are a lot of things that older readers can enjoy and comment on, but the story is straight-forward enough that younger readers can also keep up. I might even go as far as to say it's a great feminist-oriented book for children (some might call it "anti-princess") because Deanna plays a significant role in fixing things (getting back the watch) even though Oliver does help quite a bit.
My only issue with A Well-Timed Enchantment is the ending. Some readers will tell you they like a good, open-ended finish. It's more realistic, it encourages readers to use their imagination, etc. There is a time and place for open-endedness. This book does not happen to be the best place for it. Vande Velde acknowledges this in her dedication (it's dedicated to a girl even though she hated the ending). Over the years the ending has rankled less because, having given the matter more thought, I've been forced to conclude that there might not be a better way to end things. But it still left me frustrated after my first reading.
Despite the somewhat irritating ending, this book is amazing. The characters are endearing, the story is fun, Oliver is awesome. Vande Velde is as creative and fun here as ever.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
The story starts when Deanna, a fifteen-year-old spending the summer with her mom in France, drops her Mickey Mouse watch down a well. Turns out the well isn't your average well: it's magic. To make matters worse, Deanna didn't drop her watch into the well, she dropped it into medieval France. Now she has to get the watch back before things get really out of hand. Deanna gets some help in the form of Oliver, the black cat she befriended back in modern France. Except now Oliver is a human.
I first read this book when I was sixteen. I loved it so much I read it twice back to back. A Well-Timed Enchantment is one of those books that never get old. You can read it again and again and the story is still just as good as the first time.
Vande Velde's narrative style here is similar to her other "fairy tale" books (like The Rumpelstiltskin Problem or Heir Apparent) with a blend of traditional story telling and her inimitably modern sensibility. The novel is written with a third person narration that follows Deanna's perspective.
This novel combines a lot of different elements to great effect. One of the best characters (in any of) Vande Velde's work is Oliver. Turns out cats don't see things the same way humans do. I don't know how convincingly anyone can write in the voice of a cat-turned-human but Vande Velde seems to do a good job of it.
The story is quick and fairly simple. There are a lot of things that older readers can enjoy and comment on, but the story is straight-forward enough that younger readers can also keep up. I might even go as far as to say it's a great feminist-oriented book for children (some might call it "anti-princess") because Deanna plays a significant role in fixing things (getting back the watch) even though Oliver does help quite a bit.
My only issue with A Well-Timed Enchantment is the ending. Some readers will tell you they like a good, open-ended finish. It's more realistic, it encourages readers to use their imagination, etc. There is a time and place for open-endedness. This book does not happen to be the best place for it. Vande Velde acknowledges this in her dedication (it's dedicated to a girl even though she hated the ending). Over the years the ending has rankled less because, having given the matter more thought, I've been forced to conclude that there might not be a better way to end things. But it still left me frustrated after my first reading.
Despite the somewhat irritating ending, this book is amazing. The characters are endearing, the story is fun, Oliver is awesome. Vande Velde is as creative and fun here as ever.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
amkago2008's review against another edition
2.0
This is a book I randomly picked up because it looked interesting. It is very short and because of this the story seemed to be very abrupt. Different parts of the story seemed to be randomly thrown in and it didn't make much sense. I thought the overall concept of the story was good but the execution was poor. The author spent a lot of time on describing insignificant details but then would throw others quickly into the plot that made no sense. I certainly could have done without the random romance part because it did not fit and seemed like more of an afterthought. While the beginning of the book really caught my interest, the ending was a big disappointment for me. Maybe if the main character had not been such a whinny child things would have made more sense and I would have liked it better. Overall, I did not dislike it, I just did not enjoy it the way I thought I would.
slc333's review against another edition
3.0
Fairly young fantasy in the sense that is is written for younger kids. Deanna was ok but I didn’t love her. I really liked Oliver the cat turned human as a character tho. While the ending was good leaving it open as to where things went from there I personally would have preferred more info about what happens with Oliver. Did the wish work? How does he go about fitting in?
msdmjenkins's review against another edition
4.0
I remember receiving this for Christmas one year (can't remember what year though...) and I was so surprised the main character had my name! I've loved it ever since. Spent a lovely afternoon in the sun re-reading this.
evbyrd's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Reread this for the first time since I was a kid and it still made me laugh.