The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In the tradition of Gail Carson Levine, Karen Cushman, and Shannon Hale comes a magical debut that weaves favorite fairy tale elements into a fabulous new story starring an irrepressible heroine.

Jillian’s Review:

This was a lot like reading The Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, only The Princess Curse is Middle Grade instead of Young Adult which means there’s not nearly enough romance for my taste. That being said, it’s still a great read. There’s lots of action and humor with a great heroine.

As with the majority of MG and YA novels I’ve read, the heroine is strong willed, smart, and determined, which are all great qualities (especially when reading about a person with them) but not true to the typical teenager. I often forgot that the main character was only 13 and thus kept looking forward to the romance. It never came, which it good when the main girl is only 13! I wrote the sequel to this one in my mind after I finished reading it. My sequel was YA a few years afterwards so the girl is old enough to have a romance with the guy and I went to sleep happy.

A great book for girls ages 10-13ish.

 

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake.

But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.

Jillian’s Review:

Cute but predictable. Annie is a fun, energetic, and determined main character and was enjoyable to read about. I wasn’t a fan of what a negative image Baker gave Princess Gwennie (AKA Princess Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty), but I understand this isn’t Disney and Baker wanted to put a little twist to the storyline.

There were lots of little adventures that Annie encountered with her trusty Knight. Unfortunately everything was so predictable that it became almost mundane to read. If you have to choose between reading this or Tuesday at the Castle pick the Castle, it’s much better written and not nearly as predictable. Plus, the romance isn’t mushy and out of place like in Wide-Awake Princess.

I think this book is perfect for the younger reader, probably age 8-12.

 

Tuesdays at the Castle, book 1 by Jessica Day George

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

Jillian’s Review:

As with all of George's books (Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow; Dragon Slippers series; etc.), this was wonderfully written, cute, fun, and just a great read.

The characters were loveable and realistic right from the beginning. I love it when the kids are smart and strong, and Princess Celie and her siblings are in every way.

The plot was great, told in a fun way that younger readers will love. And the Castle! It’s wonderful how George gave a building a personality and a role to play. I loved the relationship between Celie and the Castle and how it helps Celie get through the toughest challenges.

This book is perfect for young girls (and us girls young at heart). I have high hopes for the next in the series which Jessica Day George told me herself will be forthcoming.

Dragon Flight (Dragon Slippers, Book 2) by Jessica Day George

Synopsis (from GoodReads.com):

With the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion. Never one to sit around, Creel throws herself headlong into an adventure that will reunite her with her dragon friend Shardas, pit her against a vicious new enemy and perhaps rekindle a friendship with Prince Luka that seems to have gone cold. Funny, heart-felt, and action packed, this is a sequel that will satisfy on every level.

Jillian’s Review:

This second installment of the Dragon Slippers series was just as fun, exciting, and interesting as the first. I've mentioned before how much I LOVE George's writing style and she doesn't stray from it in this one. The characters are realistic and likeable (or hate-able) and most importantly, I finished with a smile on my face and an uplifted heart. I really like that Creel (can’t stand her name) is strong and brave but doesn’t really see herself that way. It’s refreshing to no have the main character’s personality be overpoweringly stubborn. That seems to be the trend in the YA novels I’ve recently read.

The only problems I had with this one were that we’re told that Creel and Luka spend tons of time together, but we don't really get to see any of it. I would have liked to see a bit more romance but I understand that this is a juvenile book so it shouldn't have too much. George does a great job of showing the reader what everyone is wearing (which makes sense since Creel is a seamstress), yet I can't for the life of me remember what Luka looks like. Still, these are minor issues for me because the rest of the content of the book was marvelous.

I can’t wait to read the next one!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Synopsis (from Amazon product description):

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.

Jillian's review:

I’ve really enjoyed all the novels I’ve read so far by George. She has a gift for bringing cherished fairytales to life. It helps that not only is the story great, but so is her writing which is sadly hard to come by in YA Fantasy.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow was the first of hers I read and I loved it—from page one to the end and that doesn’t happen often enough for me. Lass was easy to love and to wish the best for. I hated her mother and loved her oldest brother, just as I was supposed to. I didn’t really feel like I got to know the prince well though, which was pretty sad since Lass faces serious dangers just for him. But I still wanted Lass to go after him and I was glad she was so faithful to him. The adventure towards the end where she faces the trolls seemed almost out of place and rushed, but it thankfully didn’t detract from the story as a whole.

I was a bit leery to suggest this one to my 13 year old niece only because some strange guy crawls into Lass’s bed each night when she’s in the ice palace, but it’s part of the curse and NOTHING happens. That said niece love this story, too.

An enchanting read.