Reviewed by Hanna

“That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first hour of life, my tears were her inspiration. Shaking her head sympathetically at Mother, the fairy touched my nose. ‘My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child.’ I stopped. So begins this richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who wants nothing more than to be free of Lucinda’s gift and feel that she belongs to herself. For how can she truly belong to herself if she knows that at any time, anyone can order her to hop on one foot, cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom-and she’ll have to obey? Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella’s spirited account of her quest to break the curse is a funny, poignant, and enchanting tale about an unforgettable heroine who is determined to be herself.”

I first picked up Gail Carson Levine’s Newbery Honor book, Ella Enchanted when I was thirteen. Since that first spellbound encounter, I have probably re-read the book fifteen times.

I still reach for this little masterpiece when I am feeling down, when I am unaccountably happy, when I am nostalgic, and when I find that another book is simply not doing it for me. Why? Because it changed my life. And continues to do so every time I read it.

Ella Enchanted is the story of Cinderella turned topsy-turvey and upside-down. It is a clever reworking of a classic tale that makes the original seem dull. And if you read it, it will teach you everything you need to know about life.

Here are the top ten things I learned from Ella Enchanted:

10.) Obedience can be a major curse.
9.) You should never trifle with mushrooms. They’ll make you act very strangely.
8.) The real Prince Charmings are the ones who write you beautiful letters while they are away in foreign countries.
7.) If you know someone who is a magically good cook, investigate. They might be your fairy godmother.
6.) If you are sent away to finishing school, and the boy you like indignantly demands to know why-”since there was nothing wrong with you to start with”-you can pretty much be assured that he’s a winner.
5.) When life hands you ogres, learn to speak Ogrese.
4.) Never trust a girl who chatters like a monkey and eats like an elephant.
3.) If you are going on a journey, you only need to bring five things: a book, a shawl, Tonic, a language dictionary-and a stolen wig to sell for food.
2.) You can never just watch your true love; you’ll always end up talking to him in the end.
1.) With enough determination, strength, love, and willpower, you can do anything; even break a curse.

But really. Ella Enchanted is an astonishing story of self-actualization, written in succinct, image-rich language, containing a wealth of knowledge about friendship, love, struggle, and inner-strength. It is a work of great imagination-truly enchanting from cover to cover. And every single one of us who writes or reads YA can learn a few things from Levine’s masterfully concise prose.

This book isn’t just for young girls-it’s for everyone. Although, guys: if you lack reckless confidence, you might consider reading it with something over the front cover.

HarperCollins Children’s Books has bought a new young adult series about an exiled angel. World rights to the series, by Rebecca Lim, were bought by Lisa Berryman, publisher at HC Australia and Rachel Denwood, publishing director at HC UK, for an undisclosed sum.

The first book in the series, Mercy, will be published simultanously in the UK and Australia in November. The publisher described the book as being about an exiled angel called Mercy, who is cast out of heaven after “taking Lucifer’s side in the great celestial battle”. The publisher said: “In each book she will assume a new human persona and be tasked with solving a series of earthly mysteries as she seeks to atone and win back her place in the
heavens.”

Berryman said: “The electric combination of angels and mystery makes Mercy one of the most exciting and compelling books I have read in a long time.” Denwood added: “Mercy is a superb addition to our strong young adult portfolio. Winningly high-concept, stylishly written, and with an utterly enthralling girl character at its heart, it will strike a chord with lovers of supernatural fiction and those teens who enjoy a really good mystery. “We’re delighted this lost angel has found a home at HarperCollins!”

Taken from the Bookseller.

This sounds like an incredibly intriguing series, don’t you think? It’s out on 28th October and here’s the full synopsis:

There’s something very wrong with me. I can’t remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any one. It is always this way. There’s nothing I can keep with me that will stay. It’s made me adaptable. I must always re-establish ties. I must tread carefully or give myself away. I must survive. Mercy doesn’t realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial host exiled with fallen angel, Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis and keep the unwary from getting caught up in the games that angels play. Ultimately she must choose between her immortal companion, Lucifer, and a human boy who risks everything for her love.