Book Reviews: Middle Grade Round Up

The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: DNF

Chalk this up to a case of good book, wrong reader. The story seems great and definitely my kind of book, but the characters just weren't doing it for me. Mary was too "typical spunky orphan" but without anything to make her stand out from the crowd for me and we never clicked.

Goodreads reviewers have spoiled the plot pretty well (thanks!), so any tension or mystery that might have otherwise been there wasn't there for me. I felt bored and couldn't get into the story, mostly because of those spoilers. So, if you're at all interested in The Door by the Staircase, don't read Goodreads reviews!

It's hard to describe, but the book has a similar vibe as The Wolf Princess, which was another book that didn't work for me but should have. I kept wanting to enjoy myself, and kept trying to convince myself that I was enjoying myself, but, really, I wasn't having a good time. I couldn't even say why, exactly, except that the book just wasn't a good fit for me.

Still, it might be a good fit for middle grade readers and fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak. 

A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

E.D. Baker and I have a hit and miss relationship. I love her Wide-Aware Princess, but couldn't get into the Frog Princess series. A Question of Magic falls somewhere between the two for me, settle on a solid "like."

I don't think the characters and plot would sustain me through a series, but as a standalone book, which this is, everything kept me happily entertained. I liked how the author interpreted the Baba Yaga story (especially the "you only get one question" thing—LOVE that! Makes me wonder what I would ask...), and you can't ever go wrong with a talking cat. The main character was nice but forgettable (see, I can't even remember her name now), but that didn't take anything away from my enjoyment.   

Definitely not a bad way to spend an afternoon if you're a fan of fairy tale retellings. Recommended.  


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Spotlight List: Sleeping Beauty Retold

Spotlight is a feature I do where I pick a topic or theme and then highlight some books that fall into that theme. Here are some previous Spotlight posts:

Classics that are Actually Fun to Read
Little Red Riding Hood Retold

I'm always a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling. I like seeing how different authors take the same basic story and make it their own. My favorite movie when I was very young was Disney's Sleeping Beauty. I would watch it over and over again every day (scanning through the parts with Maleficent's henchmen because they frightened me!), so the Sleeping Beauty story holds a special place in my heart. The following are some authors' takes on the tale. Some I've read, some I haven't.

Beauty Sleep, by Cameron Dokey
Release Date: December 2002
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages:186
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

Part of the Once Upon a Time series of fairy tale retellings, Beauty Sleep is a completely unique twist on the classic tale. The set up is familiar enough (bad fairy not invited, curses child, good fairy changes curse of death to curse of sleep), but the resolution is what makes this story different.The ending is a really original spin on how the curse plays out, an ending that I found wholly satisfying. Much of the story is spent following Princess Aurore's life in her castle and her relationship with her cousin who is a complicated and likable man. You really get to know Aurore in this version, and I found myself liking her very much. While this is a short book, there are no less than three parts that really touched me, and one that even made me cry a little. I highly recommend this one as both a touching story in its own right and an interesting retelling.

Briar Rose, by Jane Yolen
Release Date: March 15, 2002
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 224
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I haven't read this one, but I remember loving Jane Yolen when I was younger.

From Goodreads:

Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma’s astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope. A Tor Teen edition of the modern classic by critically-acclaimed author Jane Yolen

A Kiss in Time, by Alex Flinn
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 384
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

Set in modern times, this story alternates narration between the princess Talia, who has slept through the last 300 years, and the definitely-not-a-prince Jack, who had the misfortune of waking up Talia and her entire kingdom. Will Jack and Talia fall in love? Can Talia and her kingdom adapt to living in the 21st century? To complicate matters further, neither characters' parents are too keen on the situation and the witch that created the curse isn't satisfied with it's outcome.

Both characters start out as aimless and bratty teenagers but grow through the story by seeing themselves and their actions through the eyes of one another. Despite their bratty starts, both characters are likable and have distinct voices. I laughed out loud a number of times (the scene at the modeling agency was great!) and enjoyed this Flinn offering even more than her previous fairy tale retelling, Beastly. Definitely recommended.

 

When Rose Wakes, by Christopher Golden
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Publisher: MTV
Pages: 320
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I haven't read this one either, but it sounds interesting.

Product Description:

Her terrifying dreams are nothing compared to the all-too-real nightmare that awaits. . . .Ever since sixteen-year-old Rose DuBois woke up from months in a coma with absolutely no memories, she’s had to start from scratch. She knows she loves her two aunts who take care of her, and that they all used to live in France, but everything else from her life before is a blank.Rose tries to push through the memory gaps and start her new life, attending high school and living in Boston with her aunts, who have seriously old world ideas. Especially when it comes to boys. But despite their seemingly irrational fears and odd superstitions, they insist Rose not worry about the eerie dreams she’s having, vivid nightmares that she comes to realize are strangely like the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. The evil witch, the friendly fairies, a curse that puts an entire town to sleep—Rose relives the frightening story every night. And when a mysterious raven-haired woman starts following her, Rose begins to wonder if she is the dormant princess. And now that she’s awake, she’s in terrible, terrible danger. . . .

 

The Wide-Awake Princess, by E. D. Baker
Release Date: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 272
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

Sleeping Beauty isn't the protagonist of this version. She spends most of the time sleeping. Instead, her younger sister Annie steals the show as she sets out to try to undo the curse and find a prince to kiss her sister. Annie is immune to magic, so a lot of funny scenes ensue as other fairy tale people try to cast spells on her. While Sleeping Beauty is the main focus of this story, a whole host of other fairy tales are also included. I laughed my way through this book. Annie and Liam, the castle guard who accompanies her, are both very likable characters who break the stereotypical molds of "tough girl" and her guy.

 

Thornspell, by Helen Lowe
Release Date: September 9, 2008
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I started reading this one but didn't get very far. I don't have any complaints about the book (other than the beginning seemed kind of slow), but I think I just wasn't in the right mood at the time. I did like that this one is from the point of view of the prince.The cover is also pretty neat looking. 

 Goodreads Description: 

PRINCE SIGISMUND HAS grown up in a remote castle, dreaming of going on heroic knightly quests while staring out at the forbidden wood that looms to the west. His great-grandfather placed an interdict on the wood nearly 100 years ago, though no one seems to know exactly why. But for those still young or credulous enough to believe in magic, the rumors and stories abound—of an enchanted castle and a sleeping princess cursed by an evil faie.

Helen Lowe has spun a grand, adventurous, romantic tale about the prince destined to wake the sleeping princess. This thoughtful hero must delve into a world of mystery and magic to discover the truth of his own fate. Enemies with powers he never imagined abound, sometimes hiding behind a mask of friendship. And an elusive girl haunts his dreams—is she helping him or binding him tighter into a thorny cage? For Sigismund, the truth turns out to be more fantastical than any story he’s ever heard.

 

Spindle's End, by Robin McKinley
Release Date: 2000
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 384
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I've never read a Robin McKinley book before (*gasp* I know!) so I haven't read this one either. 

Goodreads Description: 

All the creatures of the forest and field and riverbank knew the infant was special. She was the princess, spirited away from the evil fairy Pernicia on her name-day. But the curse was cast: Rosie was fated to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a poisoned sleep-a slumber from which no one would be able to rouse her.

 

Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, by Gail Carson Levine
Release Date: September 8, 1999
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages:112
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I haven't read this story, but I have read other books by Gail Carson Levine and I've loved them. This one sounds really cute from the description. 

Product Description:

A spiteful fairy. A beautiful princess. An outstretched finger. A spindle. A hundred year snooze. A charming prince. A kiss. All the familiar ingredients.

But wait! Where did that extra prince come from? And those fairy gifts that have never been there before? And what does a flock of balding sheep have to do with anything?

Gail Carson Levine has waved her magic wand over this old standby, and presto! It reappears, transformed—new, sparking, and funny! Hoots and guffaws are likely, chuckles and giggles are guaranteed.

In this third of her Princess Tales, Levine shows a precocious but lovable girl taking control of a destiny she never asked for, with hilarious and happily-ever-after results.

 

The Healer's Apprentice, by Melanie Dickerson
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Publisher: Zondervan
Pages: 272
Author's Page
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

I'm not really sure I see how this one is a retelling, but I've heard that it is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I have it on order, so I suppose I'll find out soon enough. The plot sounds interesting, and that cover is so pretty. 

Product Description: 

Two Hearts. One Hope. Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her---a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

Have you read any Sleeping Beauty retellings? What did you think of them?

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The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker

The Wide-Awake Princess, by E. D. Baker
Release Date: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 272
Received: Library book
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Author's Page
Amazon Page
 

Summary:

We all know the story of Gwen: When she was born, her parents made a little mistake with the guest list, which led to the ticking off of a bad fairy, which led to the prick-her-finger-on-a-spinning-wheel-and-sleep-for-100-years curse. Such a curse adds a lot of stress, not to mention all the work involved in keeping a kingdom spinning-wheel free. So when Annie was born, her parents begged a good fairy to find a way to protect their second daughter from similar curses. With a wave of her wand, the good fairy makes Annie immune to magic. Since this also has the effect of dampening all magic used around Annie, her parents are a little put out when their own magically-enhanced beauty and charms fade whenever Annie is around. Still, she's safe, and as long as she stands far away from her family, Annie's gift has little effect.

Life is fairly ho-hum for Annie until Gwen manages to get her hands on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday and the kingdom-sleeps-for-100-years curse is set in motion. Everyone in the castle drops instantly into sleep, all except, of course, Annie. Never one to wait around for someone else to fix things for her, Annie sets out on a mission to find a prince to kiss her sister and end the curse. But which prince is her sister's true love? There's no way of knowing, so Annie sends every prince she finds back to her family's castle. Every prince she finds, however, seems to already be embroiled in his own quest or sticky situation, so Annie must first help with these various deeds and debacles.

Review:

I really enjoyed this story! Annie is a great character from start to finish and would make a good role model for the intended audience. She's kind, has a good sense of humor, does things for herself, is smart, and is still girly. Too often authors seem to think that the only way to make a strong female character is to make her this tough, hard-hearted warrior or tomboy. Annie manages to be a strong girl while still remaining feminine and harboring a crush on her body guard/companion.

Liam (the bodyguard) is also a strong and admirable character in his own right. This is appreciated, as another pitfall authors often fall into when making strong female characters is diminishing the male characters to accomplish a false strength-by-comparison. He's also a pretty likable guy. The other characters were less fleshed out and more caricatures, but they were appropriately humorous, likable, despicable, annoying, etc.

As a fairy tale retelling, The Wide-Awake Princess excels. The original elements of a number of fairy tales are woven together in a way that both pays homage to the original tales while also turning them on their heads in fun an inventive ways. Annie's ability to deflect and dampen magic is an ingenious twist that made for countless entertaining scenes and possibilities. Given how pervasive magic is in fantasy and fairy tale stories, these scenes felt especially fresh and humorous. For fans of humorous fractured fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, off-beat princesses, and light fantasy, The Wide-Awake Princess is a must have on the To Be Read list. 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key  

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