ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine

"If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I'd have to do it... If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I'd have to do it. I was in danger every moment." ~ Ella from Ella Enchanted

Ella of Frell was given the gift of obedience at birth from a foolish fairy. But the gift is closer to a curse! Whatever anyone commands she must obey, whether it be cooking herself for hungry trolls or putting on a black dress. When her mother dies, Ella's life seems to go topsy-turvy. She is left under the guidance of her merchant father, who doesn't seem to care anything about her. But in Prince Char and the cook, Mandy she still has friends. Her father presently announces she must go to finishing school, and in doing she becomes acquainted with the worst company imaginable: two nasty girls named Hattie and Olive. There she stays for a time, obeying every order from the school mistresses and Hattie, until she runs away to try to break the obedience spell.

In the proceedings of this NEWBERY HONOR award winner, Hattie and Olive become Ella's stepsisters, and in obeying their every wish she becomes a maid. But she secretly keeps a correspondence with Prince Char, and the two gain more and more affection for each other. But will the curse keep Ella from marrying? Can she break the spell?

I read this book aloud to my two sisters and we all had a great time laughing and sighing over it! Sometimes my brother even stopped by to hear a sentence or two and got a giggle. Surprisingly, Louie (10) loved it much more than us older ones! It's a fun and well-written read that's interesting enough for teens; yet still short, easy, and funny enough for younger kids. The author is very talented, and the girls liked the humorous writing strain of the book that could still retain some seriousness. I picked up another book of Levine's that is in the same setting as ELLA ENCHANTED, and got universal groans when I told Lane and Louie that Lucinda is up to her old tricks again! Don't know anything about the movie, but you can count on the book being a healthy read for any age!

Author
Gail Carson Levine
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Harper Trophy
Publication date
1997
Media type
Hardcover, Paperback & Audiobook
Pages
240 pp
ISBN
ISBN 0-06-440705-5