Thursday, July 19, 2012

Enchanted To Know You


Published: May 8th, 2012
Enchanted
By: Alethea Kontis
Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN-13: 9780547645704

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?


Review

   Sunday Woodcutter is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter.  But she feels alone and ignored as the youngest in a large family.  Sunday loves writing and telling stories, but even that becomes dangerous when it's apparent that she has the power to make them come true.  Then she meets an obviously enchanted frog who wants to hear all her stories and know all about her for a change.  They build a friendship and one night after Sunday kisses him, the frog becomes Prince Rumbold once more.  Too bad he's the Prince that her family blames for the loss of her older brother Jack.  Sunday is missing her friend the frog and wondering what happened to him, when all of the sudden Prince Rumbold, who has been missing for months, appears and states that he will be throwing a few balls to find a bride.  All the young ladies in the kingdom are invited.  But will he be able to win Sunday's heart now that he's a man again?  What is the mystery about the King and Godmother Sorrow, with such a sinister feeling?  And did Jack really die or is he out there somewhere?  Most of all, will they have a happily ever after?  This book was something that I expected to be a straight re-telling of The Frog Prince - boy was I ever in for a surprise!  This book had bits and pieces of that story, Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, Rumpelstiltskin, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, and probably one or two I didn't even pick up on.  It made the story slightly wacky, but definitely all the more interesting.  I never truly knew what was going to happen.  Sunday was slightly disconnected from me as a reader, but I found myself loving the plot and her sisters so much that I didn't even care.  The warring Godmothers were a nice touch and the twist about Sunday's Mother and her connection to them was unexpected to say the least.  I really enjoyed this book and all of it's magical twists and turns.  The romance between Sunday and Rumbold was sweet and light-hearted, even with the familial mis-understandings and tension.  The sub-plot with Wednesday and the King was creepy enough to send shivers up my spine and totally fairy tale, through and through.  The ending was cute and overall about what I'd expected.  I would recommend this book to fans of fairy tales, who would like to read something a little off the beaten path.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

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