Reviews for Ella Enchanted

The average rating for Ella Enchanted based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-07-07 00:00:00 Jonathan Crummett just as good on the 800th read ---- i will reread this book infinity times. ---- Have I mentioned I love middle grade? Because hey, guess what, I absolutely goddamn love middle grade. (I feel like I shouldn’t say “goddamn” in a review of a children’s book, but also I am still me. I still have my brand to look out for, regardless of target audiences.) A n y w a y. This book rules. I have a kind of complicated relationship with the movie. It has a reputation for being among the worst book-to-film adaptations, and that is, guess what, totally warranted. They’re two totally different stories, essentially. But uh…(whispers) I guess that’s kind of why/how I like them both? I GREW UP ON BOTH OF THEM OKAY. THEY’RE BOTH GOOD IF YOU LOOK AT THEM SEPARATELY. Ahem. Anyway. I say for the second time. This book, in case you live under a rock that prevents you from hearing about great middle-grade adventure retellings of fairytales with feisty female protagonists, is a Cinderella retelling wherein Cinderella (just Ella tho) has been cursed with obedience. She has to obey every command given to her. IT SUCKS. But it double-sucks because Ella is a lil badass and totally feisty and stubborn and would neverrrrr listen to anyone if she could help it. Unfortunately she cannot. But she gets into some fun hijinks and verbal battles and whatnot because of it. There is also Prince Char, who is an absolute BAAAAABE. One thing that no one can argue with in the movie is that the movie-Char is fine as hell. Pro tip: picture this for the rest of the review. The HAIIIIIIIR. Oh my god. Anyway. (Three times now. Stop counting.) Char’s full name is Charmont, which is just one letter off from Charmant, which is the French word for charming. And he is EXTREMELY SO. A book boyfriend for the ages and the only man who could ever deserve Queen of Feist Ella. This should be enough to convince you that this book rocks and it is ten years past time for you to read it. Amazing badass female protagonist + dreamy love interest + great well-developed romance that starts as a friendship (which I didn’t mention until this point but now you know) + adventurey exciting plot + curse + fairies + ogres + giants + fairytale lands + mythical creatures + elvin artists + Cinderella retelling = perfection. Okay, to be fair, I didn’t include a lot of that information before now. But again: now you know. Bottom line: This book is like throwing a bunch of ingredients for perfection in a pot and hoping they stick. And guess what? THEY DO.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-05-03 00:00:00 John Lopez Feminists often denounce traditional fairy tales because they perpetuate the ideals of a patriarchal society by encouraging girls to behave like proper princesses and wait for charming princes to take charge and save the day. In response to these traditional fairy tales, many authors have tried to reclaim the realm of fairy tales for girls. These retellings feature active protagonists who are not scared of taking charge and do not need princes to save them. One example of this new fairy tale genre is the 1998 children’s novel "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine, which takes an untraditional approach to retelling the story of Cinderella. The novel addresses several specific feminist issues, specifically negotiating and fighting the burden of obedience, the importance of female friendships and, of course, learning to save yourself. The story is set in an imaginary, medieval-esque kingdom called Frell. A roaming fairy named Lucinda gives Ella the gift/curse of obedience at Ella’s birth. As a result, Ella has to do everything she is told, no matter what harm it might cause to herself or others. (In the novel, the severity of Ella’s curse in constantly underscored with passages explaining how little control Ella has over her own life: “If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I’d have to do it. And hopping on one foot wasn’t the worst order I could be given. If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I’d have to do it.") As the plot moves forward Ella is compelled to leave home to try and find Lucinda and ask her to lift the curse. Along the way she also falls in love with Prince Char. For varying reasons, depending on the version, Lucinda refuses to lift the curse. Further difficulties arise as Ella continues her quest. That's the main body of the story. The Cinderella element is relevant mainly to the last quarter of the novel where actual elements from that story (the slipper, the ball) appear in the story, although the evil step-sisters and fairy godmother are present throughout the narrative. There are several reasons that I love this novel and recommend it to everyone. The first is that it's an imaginative retelling of Cinderella which makes the story exciting for readers familiar with the original version without making it too abtruse for readers who have never heard of Cinderella. Also, the book is full of great role models for girls. All of the female characters are strong, self-aware women--things seen far too rarely in the fairy tale genre. The novel is narrated in Ella's voice. This makes it easy to see how strong Ella is as a character (especially at the end of the novel). The other great thing about this book is that it all seems authentic, never over the top or under-written. In addition to creating immensely likable main characters, Levine creates a compelling world within the pages of "Ella Enchanted" vivid with details ranging from Elvish and Gnomish languages to customs at a Giant's wedding. The story is an immensely entertaining page-turner that will (even better) leave readers feeling satisfied when they reach the final scene where Levine ties everything together, artfully blending empowerment with a happy-ever-after ending fit for a traditional fairy tale. Excerpted from a scholarly article I wrote about Ella Enchanted as a book and movie. You can read the full article here: You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print