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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
This is such a disappointed. Ella Enchanted is charming and sweet and fun, this book was ham-handed and silly with lots of plot-holes.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely loved [b:Ella Enchanted|24337|Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)|Gail Carson Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410727190s/24337.jpg|2485462] when I was younger. It's been quite some time since I read it, so I don't remember all the details, but from what I remember I feel like it's one of those kid's books that still holds up for adults. It was such a well-thought-out world with awesome characters and twists and a great storyline. I'd love to reread it now.
This prequel was cute, but it didn't live up to my memory of [b:Ella Enchanted|24337|Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)|Gail Carson Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410727190s/24337.jpg|2485462]. I'd say I'd give it about 3.5 stars. I did enjoy reading it, and it was fun to be back in the world of Frell and see some characters from Ella Enchanted. But I'd say it's one of those kid's books that is just a kid's book. Nothing stood out that would make it outstanding for adults.
I'm definitely glad I read it and it rekindled my interest in rereading a favorite from my childhood. I got to revisit this wonderfully imagined world of ogres and giants and fairies and dragons. Definitely recommend for fans of [b:Ella Enchanted|24337|Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)|Gail Carson Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410727190s/24337.jpg|2485462].
This prequel was cute, but it didn't live up to my memory of [b:Ella Enchanted|24337|Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)|Gail Carson Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410727190s/24337.jpg|2485462]. I'd say I'd give it about 3.5 stars. I did enjoy reading it, and it was fun to be back in the world of Frell and see some characters from Ella Enchanted. But I'd say it's one of those kid's books that is just a kid's book. Nothing stood out that would make it outstanding for adults.
I'm definitely glad I read it and it rekindled my interest in rereading a favorite from my childhood. I got to revisit this wonderfully imagined world of ogres and giants and fairies and dragons. Definitely recommend for fans of [b:Ella Enchanted|24337|Ella Enchanted (Ella Enchanted #1)|Gail Carson Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410727190s/24337.jpg|2485462].
Review based on an ARC from Edelweiss Plus.
Obviously this one is going to be hard to review, given my love for Ella Enchanted-- but I tried to keep my thoughts objective and focus on this one as a standalone.
Things I liked:
- World building. We learn so much more about Kyrria and the different beings.
- Side characters. Wormy! (Although it was admittedly a little hard for me to normalize a character called "Wormy" at first.)
- Appearances from familiar faces.
- The intertwining of character arcs, both new and old.
- The overall writing style. Some parts were choppy but it still had the same pleasing tone I found in Levine's other works.
Things I wasn't as fond of:
- The lack of depth to Evie's character towards the beginning. We don't really get to see her established as a human before she meets Lucinda and then her thoughts are occupied with, "Who am I going to marry?" Given her deadline, that makes sense-- but it was still frustrating to read on the page.
- The plot. Despite having a catalyst and a motive to keep it moving, the first half dragged on. Maybe it was the matter-of-fact tone Evie used to describe her predicament but the deadline didn't feel terribly pressing, to me. Towards the beginning, when the plot was slower, she chronicles almost every day yet towards the end, when the plot picks up and the timeline is shortening, she generalizes more days.
- The unresolved story points!I kept waiting for Lucinda to realize her math had been wrong and creating tension by moving up the spell's deadline. Or for Evie to have to return to the dragons' Spires and figure out the connection between ogres and dragons. Or for Evie to abandon the deadline and accept her future as an ogre, only to find love in an unexpected place. Admittedly, the last one wasn't based on the text but my own thoughts but the first two were introduced in the story and then... abandoned.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. I didn't devour it as quickly as I thought I would but it also wasn't the let-down that it could have been. I think that kids will find enough to like about this one for it to stand on its own merit.
(I also honestly think I would have rated it 4 stars had I read a physical copy but, alas, the ARC I read was digital.)
Obviously this one is going to be hard to review, given my love for Ella Enchanted-- but I tried to keep my thoughts objective and focus on this one as a standalone.
Things I liked:
- World building. We learn so much more about Kyrria and the different beings.
- Side characters. Wormy! (Although it was admittedly a little hard for me to normalize a character called "Wormy" at first.)
- Appearances from familiar faces.
- The intertwining of character arcs, both new and old.
- The overall writing style. Some parts were choppy but it still had the same pleasing tone I found in Levine's other works.
Things I wasn't as fond of:
- The lack of depth to Evie's character towards the beginning. We don't really get to see her established as a human before she meets Lucinda and then her thoughts are occupied with, "Who am I going to marry?" Given her deadline, that makes sense-- but it was still frustrating to read on the page.
- The plot. Despite having a catalyst and a motive to keep it moving, the first half dragged on. Maybe it was the matter-of-fact tone Evie used to describe her predicament but the deadline didn't feel terribly pressing, to me. Towards the beginning, when the plot was slower, she chronicles almost every day yet towards the end, when the plot picks up and the timeline is shortening, she generalizes more days.
- The unresolved story points!
Overall, I still enjoyed it. I didn't devour it as quickly as I thought I would but it also wasn't the let-down that it could have been. I think that kids will find enough to like about this one for it to stand on its own merit.
(I also honestly think I would have rated it 4 stars had I read a physical copy but, alas, the ARC I read was digital.)
3.5 stars. I liked this, but as someone who absolutely loved Ella Enchanted growing up, it was a bit of a disappointment. Still worth reading if you enjoy Levine's past fiction, but as Ella Enchanted's companion novel, Ogre Enchanted doesn't quite measure up.
**Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for providing this free DRC in exchange for an honest review**
**Thank you to HarperCollins and Edelweiss for providing this free DRC in exchange for an honest review**
If you liked Ella Enchanted (I grew up with it!) this is a fun new tale in the world of Frell that (very) loosely adapts Beauty and the Beast with a flipped gender. Evie is a healer with a best friend named Wormy. When he unexpectedly proposes marriage and she turns him down because they are so young, she angers the fairy Lucinda and is turned into an ogre unless she agrees to marry someone within 60 days. Cue a messy love triangle, learning to be a smelly, fearsome ogre, the search for real love and friendship, and plenty of adventure along the way.
This was silly and fun, if a little predictable. And truthfully, I thought Evie had more chemistry with Lady Eleanor than with any of the guys. They're supposedly new friends, but I think this easily could have been a sweet f/f romance that would have felt more authentic to the characters, rather than forcing her into a match that never feels believable as more than a friendship. It's 2020 people. Alas....
That said, this was still fairly enjoyable and quick to read. I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
This was silly and fun, if a little predictable. And truthfully, I thought Evie had more chemistry with Lady Eleanor than with any of the guys. They're supposedly new friends, but I think this easily could have been a sweet f/f romance that would have felt more authentic to the characters, rather than forcing her into a match that never feels believable as more than a friendship. It's 2020 people. Alas....
That said, this was still fairly enjoyable and quick to read. I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed how, each time Evie ran into a man after she was cursed to be an ogre until she received and accepted a marriage proposal (courtesy of Fairy Lucinda), both she and the reader spend a moment thinking “is this guy going to break the curse?” Because of course you would be hyper-aware about picking up cues that someone might like you or that you like them, semi-ironically and self-consciously. I felt like I read the first 3 chapters without blinking and finished the book in a day. It’s engrossing and charming!
Content Warnings
Food is constantly being mentioned throughout (including eating uncooked meat), so take care!
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Rating: a lovely pot of ginger tea with some honey in it
Highlight of note: Scents are an integral part of the descriptions in this book, both because ogres have a refined sense of smell and because they constantly reek. At the end I was left feeling I know exactly what an ogre smells like, which is sort of a mixed blessing.
Ogre Enchanted's cover bills it as a companion novel to the highly popular Ella Enchanted. It's really more of a prequel, however, as it is set in the time period where Ella's parents met. (I was a little exasperated with myself for how long Ella's father was on the page before I recognized him. I guess it's been a while since I read Ella.)
The tale is told with Levine's customary humor and clarity by a first person narrator, Evie, who is almost immediately turned from a human apothecary into an ogre. Readers of Ella Enchanted may recall that the ogres in this universe aren't exactly savory creatures. They're mean, smelly, and always hungry for human flesh. I was a little sad that ogre culture wasn't given more depth or civilization than it was, but doing so would interfere with the events in the later story. That said, I think Levine described Evie's shifting perspectives in an engaging and effective manner.
Also familiar to readers of Ella Enchanted is our main troublemaker, the fairy Lucinda, who uses big magics other fairies refuse to touch and who does so with disastrous results that she feels not the least bit of remorse for causing. In the opening chapter of this novel, she appears when Evie's lifelong best friend, who bears the unfortunate nickname of Worm, proposes to her. Even though he claims he was joking, then that he wasn't joking but expected her to say no and for this to be the start of years of dialog on the subject rather than a wedding in a month, Lucinda is offended on his behalf by Evie's refusal and decides to punish Evie for being so picky and so careless with Worm's heart.
Evie is a likable protagonist. Although only fifteen at the start (being too young to get married is one of her reasons for turning Worm down) Evie is established in and dedicated to a healing practice. This isn't just background filler but something that plays a crucial roll in the plot. If she could run her own small business, it seems to me that maybe she wasn't to young to be married, but it's a hard point to really argue.
As to the plot... Large chunks of it are quite predictable, even if you haven't read Ella Enchanted, but it's not really the type of book you read to be surprised. It's more the type of book you read because you want something cozy, something that's new yet familiar, or just something cute. And in that category, I think this is an excellent choice for an afternoon's distraction.
The notes I took while reading can be found here:
https://andyreadsthings.blogspot.com/2019/01/ogre-enchanted-by-gail-carson-levine.html
Highlight of note: Scents are an integral part of the descriptions in this book, both because ogres have a refined sense of smell and because they constantly reek. At the end I was left feeling I know exactly what an ogre smells like, which is sort of a mixed blessing.
Ogre Enchanted's cover bills it as a companion novel to the highly popular Ella Enchanted. It's really more of a prequel, however, as it is set in the time period where Ella's parents met. (I was a little exasperated with myself for how long Ella's father was on the page before I recognized him. I guess it's been a while since I read Ella.)
The tale is told with Levine's customary humor and clarity by a first person narrator, Evie, who is almost immediately turned from a human apothecary into an ogre. Readers of Ella Enchanted may recall that the ogres in this universe aren't exactly savory creatures. They're mean, smelly, and always hungry for human flesh. I was a little sad that ogre culture wasn't given more depth or civilization than it was, but doing so would interfere with the events in the later story. That said, I think Levine described Evie's shifting perspectives in an engaging and effective manner.
Also familiar to readers of Ella Enchanted is our main troublemaker, the fairy Lucinda, who uses big magics other fairies refuse to touch and who does so with disastrous results that she feels not the least bit of remorse for causing. In the opening chapter of this novel, she appears when Evie's lifelong best friend, who bears the unfortunate nickname of Worm, proposes to her. Even though he claims he was joking, then that he wasn't joking but expected her to say no and for this to be the start of years of dialog on the subject rather than a wedding in a month, Lucinda is offended on his behalf by Evie's refusal and decides to punish Evie for being so picky and so careless with Worm's heart.
Evie is a likable protagonist. Although only fifteen at the start (being too young to get married is one of her reasons for turning Worm down) Evie is established in and dedicated to a healing practice. This isn't just background filler but something that plays a crucial roll in the plot. If she could run her own small business, it seems to me that maybe she wasn't to young to be married, but it's a hard point to really argue.
As to the plot... Large chunks of it are quite predictable, even if you haven't read Ella Enchanted, but it's not really the type of book you read to be surprised. It's more the type of book you read because you want something cozy, something that's new yet familiar, or just something cute. And in that category, I think this is an excellent choice for an afternoon's distraction.
The notes I took while reading can be found here:
https://andyreadsthings.blogspot.com/2019/01/ogre-enchanted-by-gail-carson-levine.html
Oof. Unfortunately, I fall among the people who picked this up because of an unending love of Ella Enchanted only to go--what?
There were some cute touches, and I enjoyed seeing beloved characters of Frell. I also appreciate that this is a young middle grade book. I also think that from the beginning of her transformation to the end, the narrator thought in shorter sentences and was less nuanced and complex. Unfortunately, that was the grand majority of the narration, and it left me feeling like I was reading a book that was written for 8-9 year olds. And I was probably 9 or so when I read Ella Enchanted, but I remember how caught up in the character I felt.
Also, the whole point of love and arc of the relationship in this book did not make a lot of sense. There were WAY too many times that the main character was thinking about which humans made her "tingle" and what that meant. No thank you, bye.
There were some cute touches, and I enjoyed seeing beloved characters of Frell. I also appreciate that this is a young middle grade book. I also think that from the beginning of her transformation to the end, the narrator thought in shorter sentences and was less nuanced and complex. Unfortunately, that was the grand majority of the narration, and it left me feeling like I was reading a book that was written for 8-9 year olds. And I was probably 9 or so when I read Ella Enchanted, but I remember how caught up in the character I felt.
Also, the whole point of love and arc of the relationship in this book did not make a lot of sense. There were WAY too many times that the main character was thinking about which humans made her "tingle" and what that meant. No thank you, bye.