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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
Johnny Marco has dreams. Those dreams don't necessarily include searching across the Florida Keys in search of a lost frog. But when a nice but, maybe a little crazy, princess shows up at the hotel where you work and hands you a ton of money with more to come if you agree to find her long lost brother you don't refuse not matter how crazy it may seem.
Although not as compelling a narration as Beastly Flinn's Cloaked in certainly more imaginative. I love both books very much but I found Johnny a much more likable character. I spent most of Beastly waiting until Kyle for his chip off his shoulder and started acting like a person. Johnny is nice, hardworking, and sweet. As him and his best friend Meg search for the frog prince Flinn reimagines some of the lesser known fairy tales in a truly original way.
Although not as compelling a narration as Beastly Flinn's Cloaked in certainly more imaginative. I love both books very much but I found Johnny a much more likable character. I spent most of Beastly waiting until Kyle for his chip off his shoulder and started acting like a person. Johnny is nice, hardworking, and sweet. As him and his best friend Meg search for the frog prince Flinn reimagines some of the lesser known fairy tales in a truly original way.
“There once was a shoemaker who worked very hard, but was still very poor … The Elves and the Shoemaker"
Johnny and his mother run a shoe repair business at the Coral Reef Grand, a posh resort located on Miami’s South Beach. Times are tight as Johnny works eighteen hour days and his mother works at a hot dog stand in a failing attempt to keep their heads above water. His dream is to be a shoe designer and Johnny spends his free time creating shoes. One day a beautiful princess checks into the hotel. Her reputation as a spoiled socialite precedes her. Johnny’s friend Meg, who runs the coffee counter next to Johnny, is unimpressed with the princess but he is a bit smitten.
When the princess drunkenly visits Johnny’s shop one night to fix her shoe, he is excited by the opportunity to work on such an exquisite shoe. The catch, he must personally deliver it to her when he is finished. The next morning, Johnny goes to her penthouse and soon learns the princess created a ruse about herself. She is really in Miami to search for her missing brother, the heir to the throne of Aloria. He fell for a village girl who was really a witch and she turned him into a frog. The spell can only be broken “by ze kiss of one wiz love in her heart.” But he is kidnapped and placed on a ship bound for Miami. The witch promised to break the spell on her brother if the princess marries the Zalkenbourgian heir and combined their countries. Johnny has a hard time believing the princess but soon realizes that she believes she is sincere.
The princess confides in Johnny because she sees him as a hard worker and a good boy who would be willing to help her. She offers to pay him handsomely and even marry him if her brother is found. Will Johnny decides to help the princess find her brother/frog? Does his dream of becoming a shoe designer come true? And just which young lady captures Johnny’s heart?
Cloaked is a mixture of several fairy tales including The Elves and the Shoemaker, the Frog Prince, Six Swans, and several others.
Visit Alex Flinn’s website.
Johnny and his mother run a shoe repair business at the Coral Reef Grand, a posh resort located on Miami’s South Beach. Times are tight as Johnny works eighteen hour days and his mother works at a hot dog stand in a failing attempt to keep their heads above water. His dream is to be a shoe designer and Johnny spends his free time creating shoes. One day a beautiful princess checks into the hotel. Her reputation as a spoiled socialite precedes her. Johnny’s friend Meg, who runs the coffee counter next to Johnny, is unimpressed with the princess but he is a bit smitten.
When the princess drunkenly visits Johnny’s shop one night to fix her shoe, he is excited by the opportunity to work on such an exquisite shoe. The catch, he must personally deliver it to her when he is finished. The next morning, Johnny goes to her penthouse and soon learns the princess created a ruse about herself. She is really in Miami to search for her missing brother, the heir to the throne of Aloria. He fell for a village girl who was really a witch and she turned him into a frog. The spell can only be broken “by ze kiss of one wiz love in her heart.” But he is kidnapped and placed on a ship bound for Miami. The witch promised to break the spell on her brother if the princess marries the Zalkenbourgian heir and combined their countries. Johnny has a hard time believing the princess but soon realizes that she believes she is sincere.
The princess confides in Johnny because she sees him as a hard worker and a good boy who would be willing to help her. She offers to pay him handsomely and even marry him if her brother is found. Will Johnny decides to help the princess find her brother/frog? Does his dream of becoming a shoe designer come true? And just which young lady captures Johnny’s heart?
Cloaked is a mixture of several fairy tales including The Elves and the Shoemaker, the Frog Prince, Six Swans, and several others.
Visit Alex Flinn’s website.
This whimsical fantasy adventure is set in modern-day Miami and draws upon a collection of folktales including The Seven Swans, The Firebird, and The Elves & the Shoemaker. Johnny, a working-class teen who helps his mom run their family's shoe repair shop out of a glitzy hotel, has dreams of being a famous shoe designer. When a princess comes to stay at the hotel, he hopes to catch her eye or to at least get to meet her. Before Johnny knows it, the princess convinces him to go on a quest to rescue her enchanted brother. This is a fun read and inspired me to read or re-read some lesser-known folktales that were tied in with this story's plot. A good summer vacation book for anyone who likes modern day fantasy with a bit of humor and just a touch of romance thrown in.
Once upon a time in Miami, there lived a boy who dreamed of making shoes...
Aside from the whole Miami bit, it sounds like it could be straight out of Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm, right? Well, Alex Flinn is leading the charge (or at least she's up there in the front lines, holding a really big heraldic banner or something) in transforming fairy tales for the modern age, mashing them up to create fun new stories. With their origins in older fairy tales, books written by Alex Flinn always feel like you've read them before, back when you fell into her targeted demographic (or maybe it's just that she makes anyone with an appreciation for whimsy believe that they are, once again, in her targeted demographic), and that makes them feel cozy. Cloaked is her latest and it's quite charming.
Johnny and his mother run the shoe repair shop in a posh South Beach hotel, across from his best friend Meg and her family's coffee counter. Dad disappeared years ago and with financial difficulties aplenty, Johnny and his mom work night and day to keep themselves afloat. His dream is to become a famous shoe designer and he spends his free time (or what little there is of it between repair jobs) sketching masterpieces on heels. He's no flighty kid, though; Johnny knows that there's no such thing as magic and it's hard work that will get him someplace... hard work and maybe a lucky break. Enter the much-photographed partying Princess Victoriana. If she got photographed wearing his shoes, he could launch his career and she's scheduled to check in to his hotel, but how to get her the shoes? As the hotel prepares to cater to the princess's every whim, nothing could prepare Johnny for the Princess singling him out to ask for his help. She invites him up to her room and tells him a secret: her brother, the crown prince, has been turned into a frog by a witch. If the princess agrees to marry the evil son of a rival monarchy, the witch will change the prince back -- otherwise, the prince is doomed to be a frog until he's kissed by a girl with love in her heart. The princess insists that she can't even trust her personal bodyguards, as she fears that one of them is spying on her, and so she needs the help of one who is hard-working and loyal. Johnny is about ready to declare her totally insane when he accidentally makes use of a magic cloak given to him by the princess which transports him to any location he wishes. Suddenly, the world is full of magic and used-to-be-humans turned animals -- and Johnny will need a great deal of help from six swans, a rat, a fox, and his best friend Meg if he hopes to save the prince and achieve happily ever after... but is "happily ever after" even close to what he might expect?
For Cloaked, Flinn draws upon a number of classic fairy tales, many of which have fallen out of popular knowledge: "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Frog Prince," "The Six Swans," "The Golden Bird," "The Salad," and "The Fisherman and His Wife." It's unfortunate that the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog came out before this book, but so it goes. Little girls already knew the whole princess-kissing-a-frog outline and this simply returns to the roots of the tale. The other stories are threaded in for a delightful mix of flight and fancy, with the ultimate moral being that it really is hard-work and a good heart that will triumph over all. Meg is a wonderfully competent girl while Victoriana proves to have a great deal more substance than the paparazzi would have folks believe. Johnny is a winning hero, even if he isn't the stereotypical male lead that one tends to find in YA novels. (He isn't a brooding paranormal creature, for one.) Johnny is a young man who means well and works hard... just the kind of guy that those of us older than the intended teen readers would encourage our younger selves to sigh over, as he's sweet and caring even if he (like most boys) can be a little clueless. He's the stereotypical male best friend who too often doesn't get the girl... cute and sweet with a heart of gold and his only real stumbling comes from (a) trying to do the right thing or (b) having issues expressing his real feelings. Ah if only they were all so easy in real life... and all liked shoes to this degree.
Overall, the best description for Cloaked really is "charming," and I hope young adult/older-than-young-adult readers agree. This book is perfectly fine for even the younger teens, as there isn't really any objectionable content. Flinn's got a knack for updating classics (just check out Beastly, her previous book which is being made into a movie that hit theaters this past weekend) and I'm already looking forward to her next creation.
Please note that this isn't an entirely impartial review, as this book factors in to my professional world, but this is still a truthful review written in my personal space, so weight my opinion as you will.
Aside from the whole Miami bit, it sounds like it could be straight out of Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm, right? Well, Alex Flinn is leading the charge (or at least she's up there in the front lines, holding a really big heraldic banner or something) in transforming fairy tales for the modern age, mashing them up to create fun new stories. With their origins in older fairy tales, books written by Alex Flinn always feel like you've read them before, back when you fell into her targeted demographic (or maybe it's just that she makes anyone with an appreciation for whimsy believe that they are, once again, in her targeted demographic), and that makes them feel cozy. Cloaked is her latest and it's quite charming.
Johnny and his mother run the shoe repair shop in a posh South Beach hotel, across from his best friend Meg and her family's coffee counter. Dad disappeared years ago and with financial difficulties aplenty, Johnny and his mom work night and day to keep themselves afloat. His dream is to become a famous shoe designer and he spends his free time (or what little there is of it between repair jobs) sketching masterpieces on heels. He's no flighty kid, though; Johnny knows that there's no such thing as magic and it's hard work that will get him someplace... hard work and maybe a lucky break. Enter the much-photographed partying Princess Victoriana. If she got photographed wearing his shoes, he could launch his career and she's scheduled to check in to his hotel, but how to get her the shoes? As the hotel prepares to cater to the princess's every whim, nothing could prepare Johnny for the Princess singling him out to ask for his help. She invites him up to her room and tells him a secret: her brother, the crown prince, has been turned into a frog by a witch. If the princess agrees to marry the evil son of a rival monarchy, the witch will change the prince back -- otherwise, the prince is doomed to be a frog until he's kissed by a girl with love in her heart. The princess insists that she can't even trust her personal bodyguards, as she fears that one of them is spying on her, and so she needs the help of one who is hard-working and loyal. Johnny is about ready to declare her totally insane when he accidentally makes use of a magic cloak given to him by the princess which transports him to any location he wishes. Suddenly, the world is full of magic and used-to-be-humans turned animals -- and Johnny will need a great deal of help from six swans, a rat, a fox, and his best friend Meg if he hopes to save the prince and achieve happily ever after... but is "happily ever after" even close to what he might expect?
For Cloaked, Flinn draws upon a number of classic fairy tales, many of which have fallen out of popular knowledge: "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Frog Prince," "The Six Swans," "The Golden Bird," "The Salad," and "The Fisherman and His Wife." It's unfortunate that the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog came out before this book, but so it goes. Little girls already knew the whole princess-kissing-a-frog outline and this simply returns to the roots of the tale. The other stories are threaded in for a delightful mix of flight and fancy, with the ultimate moral being that it really is hard-work and a good heart that will triumph over all. Meg is a wonderfully competent girl while Victoriana proves to have a great deal more substance than the paparazzi would have folks believe. Johnny is a winning hero, even if he isn't the stereotypical male lead that one tends to find in YA novels. (He isn't a brooding paranormal creature, for one.) Johnny is a young man who means well and works hard... just the kind of guy that those of us older than the intended teen readers would encourage our younger selves to sigh over, as he's sweet and caring even if he (like most boys) can be a little clueless. He's the stereotypical male best friend who too often doesn't get the girl... cute and sweet with a heart of gold and his only real stumbling comes from (a) trying to do the right thing or (b) having issues expressing his real feelings. Ah if only they were all so easy in real life... and all liked shoes to this degree.
Overall, the best description for Cloaked really is "charming," and I hope young adult/older-than-young-adult readers agree. This book is perfectly fine for even the younger teens, as there isn't really any objectionable content. Flinn's got a knack for updating classics (just check out Beastly, her previous book which is being made into a movie that hit theaters this past weekend) and I'm already looking forward to her next creation.
Please note that this isn't an entirely impartial review, as this book factors in to my professional world, but this is still a truthful review written in my personal space, so weight my opinion as you will.
It's kind of difficult to get past the princess' accent.
This book was an interesting perspective of the traditional frog prince. I liked how many different fairy tales were incorporated into the story, and the modern take on the tales were unique.
However, I found this fractured fairy tale a bit to unrealistic (sounds odd, I know). Despite the use of magic, I found that the cloak, headphones, and the ring all gave the main character too much power. The use of these items made it a very simple task to solve the problem. The plot of the book has the character travelling the world, but using the magical items, the travelling aspect seemed rather pointless, its only purpose to elongate the book.
I also found the plot incredibly predictable. Although the happy end it inevitable, this being a teenage romance, it was clear within very few pages who the romantic interest would be and what were other aspects of the story. This made the book slightly less enjoyable as there were no surprises at all.
While this book was a decent read, I would not recommend it to others.
However, I found this fractured fairy tale a bit to unrealistic (sounds odd, I know). Despite the use of magic, I found that the cloak, headphones, and the ring all gave the main character too much power. The use of these items made it a very simple task to solve the problem. The plot of the book has the character travelling the world, but using the magical items, the travelling aspect seemed rather pointless, its only purpose to elongate the book.
I also found the plot incredibly predictable. Although the happy end it inevitable, this being a teenage romance, it was clear within very few pages who the romantic interest would be and what were other aspects of the story. This made the book slightly less enjoyable as there were no surprises at all.
While this book was a decent read, I would not recommend it to others.
While it was an entertaining read and I really liked the how the fantasy aspect was set up, it was way too predictable through the entire book and there were too many times I found myself yelling at the MC for being oblivious.
I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.
It all started with the curse. And the frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.
There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.
Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED.
- - - - -
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: fun, quirky characters and a unique spin on several well-known tales; more focus upon the drama and action than on character motivations/growth; sort of awkward, clunky “aha” moments from left-field; a bit of a “busy” plot line
This is the third book I've read from Alex Flinn. While I'm not sure she's really the author for me specifically, I have a TON of fun reading her retellings and diving into the worlds she goes to such great lengths to cultivate and create. This was no exception.
I think what I love most about Alex Flinn's books are the creative twists and spins she brings to each and every fairy tale she tackles. In this book, she tackled a TON of different fairy tales—and while I'm not sure they all worked together cohesively, I had a ton of fun reading through the chapters and wondering which new turns we were going to be given. I love how much trouble she went to to make each and every fairy tale fit together and come to a mostly wrapped-up ending. I did have a bit of trouble believing certain things about the world or stories, though—and the ending seemed a bit TOO well patched up. There were some “aha” moments that seemed a bit rushed, not as thought-through... That had obvious conclusions instead of rollercoaster adventures.
The writing is like all Alex Flinn's work: simple, but witty and snarky and highly entertaining. The characters were well-developed for the most part, and stuck to their guns. I particularly enjoyed just how much our main character broke the mold on “normal” teenage males in themodern age: he designs shoes for fun, and aspires to be a famous shoe maker when he gets out of college. I mean... that's just so inventive! And while I understand this might have been done to “fit” the character into his own fairy tale retelling, I had a ton of fun reading from Johnny's perspective. He's morally sound, but still flawed (the boy is naive as none other, which got a bit annoying toward the middle but was easy to overlook).
There were some things I didn't like. Johnny's love seems fleeting and a bit...immature? He realizes he cares for his best friend and it's supposed to be good, that “realizing she's the one” moment, but I didn't buy it—the lead up to it was almost nonexistant, and the reasons behind his “reckoning” were half-hearted and shallow. I understand jealousy is often the emotion that makes us realize ourselves, but in this case... I didn't see it coming. Where I knew from the beginning how Meg felt for Johnny, HIS emotions were harder to pin down, and I don't buy them as the “happily ever after” they're supposed to have achieved at the end.
I also feel as if perhaps this story got a bit “busy” near the middle. Alex Flinn introduced new fairy tales almost every other chapter, and there was SO MUCH going on, it became difficult to remember who Johnny'd promised what. Factoring in the antagonists and the main story we were supposed to be following, I feel this MIGHT have been biting off a bit more than readers could chew. It was a ton of fun to read about the different tales tackled and the ways Alex Flinn spun them to fit into her world, but overall, I think it was a bit much.
Overall, this was an entertaining and highly original read. The voice/POV was witty and light-hearted, the characters intelligent and finely crafted... but there were some short comings, as well. I'd recommend to lovers of witty humor, unique and inventive fairy tale retellings, and characters with a ton of gumption and personality!
It all started with the curse. And the frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.
There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Keys.
Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED.
- - - - -
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: fun, quirky characters and a unique spin on several well-known tales; more focus upon the drama and action than on character motivations/growth; sort of awkward, clunky “aha” moments from left-field; a bit of a “busy” plot line
This is the third book I've read from Alex Flinn. While I'm not sure she's really the author for me specifically, I have a TON of fun reading her retellings and diving into the worlds she goes to such great lengths to cultivate and create. This was no exception.
Meg makes a face and lays her hand on my arm. "And why, exactly, would John want to see Eurotrash?"
"Hello?" Ryan says. "Because he's a seventeen-year old guy with normal male urges, and she's got-" He holds both hands out from his chest.
"Really pretty eyes," I complete his sentence.
I think what I love most about Alex Flinn's books are the creative twists and spins she brings to each and every fairy tale she tackles. In this book, she tackled a TON of different fairy tales—and while I'm not sure they all worked together cohesively, I had a ton of fun reading through the chapters and wondering which new turns we were going to be given. I love how much trouble she went to to make each and every fairy tale fit together and come to a mostly wrapped-up ending. I did have a bit of trouble believing certain things about the world or stories, though—and the ending seemed a bit TOO well patched up. There were some “aha” moments that seemed a bit rushed, not as thought-through... That had obvious conclusions instead of rollercoaster adventures.
The writing is like all Alex Flinn's work: simple, but witty and snarky and highly entertaining. The characters were well-developed for the most part, and stuck to their guns. I particularly enjoyed just how much our main character broke the mold on “normal” teenage males in themodern age: he designs shoes for fun, and aspires to be a famous shoe maker when he gets out of college. I mean... that's just so inventive! And while I understand this might have been done to “fit” the character into his own fairy tale retelling, I had a ton of fun reading from Johnny's perspective. He's morally sound, but still flawed (the boy is naive as none other, which got a bit annoying toward the middle but was easy to overlook).
Beside me, Philippe and Meg hold hands. He murmurs something that sounds like, "my dear leetle mongoose." I wish he'd turn back into a frog and hop away.
There were some things I didn't like. Johnny's love seems fleeting and a bit...immature? He realizes he cares for his best friend and it's supposed to be good, that “realizing she's the one” moment, but I didn't buy it—the lead up to it was almost nonexistant, and the reasons behind his “reckoning” were half-hearted and shallow. I understand jealousy is often the emotion that makes us realize ourselves, but in this case... I didn't see it coming. Where I knew from the beginning how Meg felt for Johnny, HIS emotions were harder to pin down, and I don't buy them as the “happily ever after” they're supposed to have achieved at the end.
I also feel as if perhaps this story got a bit “busy” near the middle. Alex Flinn introduced new fairy tales almost every other chapter, and there was SO MUCH going on, it became difficult to remember who Johnny'd promised what. Factoring in the antagonists and the main story we were supposed to be following, I feel this MIGHT have been biting off a bit more than readers could chew. It was a ton of fun to read about the different tales tackled and the ways Alex Flinn spun them to fit into her world, but overall, I think it was a bit much.
He bursts into tears, and not some manlike tears either, where you pretend you're brushing something off your face and, incidentally, wipe a tear. Nope. He starts bawling like a kid who spilled his Slushie...
Overall, this was an entertaining and highly original read. The voice/POV was witty and light-hearted, the characters intelligent and finely crafted... but there were some short comings, as well. I'd recommend to lovers of witty humor, unique and inventive fairy tale retellings, and characters with a ton of gumption and personality!
A rather predictable read. I didn't really like any of the characters. However, I did enjoy the fuse of various fairy tales.
This one is definitely a whole lot better than [b:A Kiss in Time|5266667|A Kiss in Time|Alex Flinn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1235662993s/5266667.jpg|5333984]but I don't think it is as good as [b:Beastly|544891|Beastly|Alex Flinn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1299945392s/544891.jpg|532177]. The story combines many fairy tales into one retelling. The most prevalent of these are The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker. It is good for a fun romantic read but there is really nothing special to make it stand out as unique.