Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Pages: 326
Publisher: Haper Collins
Release Date: September 19, 2006
Rating: 3/5
Points: 8/8
All Aza wants is to be pretty. Abandoned by her parents as an infant, she was raised by the innkeepers of the Featherbed.
Aza has the prettiest voice in all the kingdom, but it doesn't keep people from being rude about her hideousness. It isn't until she is taken to the castle and meets the royal family that she realizes what true beauty is.
Fairest is a retelling of Snow White, but it isn't the most obvious about it. It really isn't until towards the end that the huge elements of the fairy tale are applied.
I had a really hard time taking this book seriously. It is really hard to imagine a kingdom where everyone communicates by song. Whenever it was mentioned that someone "sang" their dialogue, especially one of the men, I couldn't help but put the book down and laugh. This was probably my biggest problem with the story.
When it came to the characters, I felt the only one I had a problem with was Prince Ijori. He was a royal jerk. He claimed to have loved Aza the second he laid eyes on her, but turned his back on her when she needed it the most.
Gladly, Aza's first instinct was to "hate" him, and just forget about him, but of course, she happily forgives him when he apologizes for being a pompous ass.
The villains in the story I felt were great. Telling who or why would be spoilers, but I will say that they fed off each other really well.
The ending of this story was sweet. The morals of the story really hit-home and was presented well.
Anyone looking for a quick, easy read should pick this up. The odd customs of the characters might be a bit off-putting, but it is quite enjoyable when you get past it.
Aza has the prettiest voice in all the kingdom, but it doesn't keep people from being rude about her hideousness. It isn't until she is taken to the castle and meets the royal family that she realizes what true beauty is.
Fairest is a retelling of Snow White, but it isn't the most obvious about it. It really isn't until towards the end that the huge elements of the fairy tale are applied.
I had a really hard time taking this book seriously. It is really hard to imagine a kingdom where everyone communicates by song. Whenever it was mentioned that someone "sang" their dialogue, especially one of the men, I couldn't help but put the book down and laugh. This was probably my biggest problem with the story.
When it came to the characters, I felt the only one I had a problem with was Prince Ijori. He was a royal jerk. He claimed to have loved Aza the second he laid eyes on her, but turned his back on her when she needed it the most.
Gladly, Aza's first instinct was to "hate" him, and just forget about him, but of course, she happily forgives him when he apologizes for being a pompous ass.
The villains in the story I felt were great. Telling who or why would be spoilers, but I will say that they fed off each other really well.
The ending of this story was sweet. The morals of the story really hit-home and was presented well.
Anyone looking for a quick, easy read should pick this up. The odd customs of the characters might be a bit off-putting, but it is quite enjoyable when you get past it.
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