Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Everyone should know I love fairy tales reworked and retold in new and interesting ways. Carson Levine excels in this. Another reason this book was such a success with me was because I picked it up when I was a little girl and thinking how terrible it was that my mom made me do chores. I quickly learned that my situation was not as bad as it could have been.

Ella 'blessed' with the gift of obedience by her fairy godmother as a baby; anything someone tells her to do, she must do it. When her mother dies and her father remarries to give her some stability, Ella realizes fast that she must find her fairy godmother and break her curse before she loses everything, including her new friend, the prince.

I basically picture her fairy godmother like this.

I was so excited to finally have some elaboration on why Cinderella stuck with her horrible stepfamily and did everything they said. Carson Levine also takes steps to create new species and languages within the universe to make it more realistic. There are sequels set in the same world, but none of them measure up to Ella Enchanted.

I also would urge readers to try an experiment. Imagine living with Ella's curse for one day in this new advertising-driven world of today. Could you imagine going out and buying every car as the TV commands or trying every product that has a label that tells you to take it home today? It's stressful, and also opens your eyes to the marketing level in America, if you didn't already know.

Down to this creepy poster.

Finally, please, PLEASE, PLEASE do not watch the movie by the same name. I love Anne Hathaway, but this has to be the worse bastardization of a book to film production that exists. I know I'm claiming a lot with that statement, but it's true.

They turned the story into some teenybopper sack of shit. Ella needed no martial arts to win; she did it through smarts and compassion and patience.

Goodreads link

Riding on my love of Ella Enchanted, I sought out the author's other books and found this gem, which I loved more than my favorite! Addie and Meryl are two young princesses living in a kingdom ruled by the Gray Death, a plague which wipes out much of the population, including their mother. Meryl vows to find a cure, and spends her childhood learning swordplay and studying battle plans to fight a dragon who would have one. However, when she falls victim to the mortal illness, only her shy, frail, bookworm sister Addie can get the cure, hopefully in time. 

As an older sister, this book spoke to me about what it means to set an example for the ones following in my footsteps. This was also advice my parents were always reminding me about, but for some reason this book illustrated the point most effectively. Meryl is the older one, but from her strength Addie found the courage to do what was needed, despite having phobias about everything. 

But she's right in being afraid of some of them. Fuck spiders.

This is also an excellent girl-power book; while Meryl is definitely a heroine, readers also learn they don't have to be tutored in swordplay or have any MVP awards to be heroes. Like Addie, they just need knowledge, drive, and flexibility to stay on the path and reach that goal. Miraculously enough, I've found that sometimes the universe cooperates with you. It may not be in the ways you expected or perfectly constructed, but it will be done.

Goodreads link