by Alex Flinn
February 2012
HarperTeen
Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn't.
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. But we rarely get to hear these tales from the Fairy Godmother, or in this case the witch's point of view. Enter Kendra, the teen witch from Beastly, who discovered her powers in England in 1666 while everyone she loved was dying from the plague. Kendra has tried her best over the last three hundred and fifty years to only use her magic to help people. But despite her best efforts mermaids turn to sea foam, and she's constantly banished from kingdoms and countries. So when she runs across Emma, and her Cinderella-like tale, Kendra hesitates to help. But Emma might just need a little magic to get her happily-ever-after.
Sadly I didn't enjoy the parts of this book that were written from Kendra's point of view, but I loved Emma's story! This was such a unique retelling of Cinderella with a wonderful twist! I found myself sympathizing with all the characters, as there were no villains or heroes here. Just a lot of misguided people making bad decisions, just like we all do. Even though I loved Emma's tale I can't put a star on this book, simply because Kendra's stories bored me a bit and I found myself skimming and then skipping over them completely. But if fairy tales make your heart sing, I wouldn't pass this one up!
For more fairy tale goodness, check out this list of retellings! I also highly recommend The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey if you're looking for a similar, more adult read.
The Kendra Chronicles
Beastly
Bewitching
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