Review: Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

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Title:  Enchanted
Author:  Alethea Kontis
Series:  n/a
Publisher:  Harcourt Children's Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date:  May 8, 2012
Source:  Southern Book Bloggers ARC tour

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?

I love a good fairy tale retelling as much as the next girl. I enjoy reading fairy tales to my four-year-old daughter, as well, and I’m already stock-piling a few YA/MG titles to read with her when she’s a little older. Enchanted will definitely be going on that pile, probably sooner than most. I say that because it felt like it was written with a younger (or a young-at-heart) audience in mind.

Enchanted was cute and fun and completely harmless. There might be a few moments that are a tad scary for little ones, but when my daughter is capable of reading this book, I assure you I would have no problem giving it to her to read on her own. The romance is sweet and adorable and prudent, but that kind of goes along with the territory. It was shocking in those times to see two young people holding hands, let alone making out. I’m glad this retelling did not stray from those ideals.

My only real issues with this novel were the initial pacing and the sheer number of characters. This was a rather short novel – at least, compared to most I read – at 305 pages and the first 80 pages or so were spent on back-story. Add to that the fact that I practically had to draw a family tree to keep all of the characters straight, and I was a little put out.

However, once I saw how all of the characters fit into the story, it made sense. This wasn’t simply ONE fairy-tale being retold, and so all of the many characters were indeed necessary. I loved seeing how so many of my favorite fairy tales from childhood were brought to new life and incorporated into Kontis’ retelling of The Frog Prince. It was a pleasant surprise revisiting some of my old favorites.

This was a light, fluffy read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who adores fairy tales, retellings, or enjoys returning to some old friends every now and again. I can’t wait till my daughter is old enough to experience this book for herself!

Rating:  1/2
 
Book-A-Likes:  Entwined by Heather Dixon, Beastly by Alex Flinn