Enchanted by Alethea Kontis: Audiobook Review

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Pages/Time: 305 / 7 hours, 51 minutes
Format: Audiobook*
Source: Purchased
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge, Audiobook Challenge, List of Ten

Find it on Goodreads!

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 know it's being marketed as such, but y'all, Enchanted is not a Young Adult novel. That does not mean, however, that you, a reader of any age, shouldn't take the time to read it. It is a high compliment that as I went through the story, I couldn't stop making comparisons to my favorite childhood book, Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted (and not just because of the title!) Both books are sweet and magical, they feature a brave and earnest protagonist, a prince, fairy godmothers, lots of magic, and a family (though Sunday came off much better than Ella on that front). Ella Enchanted is recommended for 8 and up, and I think Enchanted can also be enjoyed by that audience. One major difference between the two books, however, is that Enchanted gives us the extra bonus of chapters from the prince's perspective.

Let me start with the thing I loved best about this book: the Woodcutter family. They are the biggest, most adorable pot of dysfunctional functionality. I have a particularly hard time remembering lots of characters, but never once did I confuse the many names and faces that were thrown my way. Sunday, her parents, her six sisters, and three brothers all had distinct personalities, but they weren't just caricatures (for the most part). I had my personal favorites, but I really felt I got to know every one of them. I had to listen to this book away from other people because it was a little embarrassing the the number of times I got completely choked up at a touching Woodcutter moment.

Sunday's wonderful family is a stark contrast to Prince Rumbold's, who has an indifferent father and a mother he lost shortly after his birth. My experience of this book was definitely enriched by the time I spent in his head. He likes Sunday so much; it's adorable. At first it may seem completely nonsensical that he is holding three balls to get her attention--rather than go up to Sunday and tell her the truth--but you come to understand why he thinks he needs all the fuss. While I enjoyed getting his perspective, I did find several of the scenes from his point of view extremely confusing. Everything made sense in the end, but getting there was occasionally disorienting, and I wish there had been a little more explanation.

Alethea Kontis does such a fun job mixing up all kinds of fairy tales and serving them in places we least expect them. I was absolutely delighted with myself each time I stumbled upon a reference I recognized (and I'm sure there were many that I didn't). I was relieved that Prince Rumbold (Grumble) and Sunday's connection was given a little time to develop, and there was none of that love-at-first nonsense that bothers me so much in books. Though their romance was the storyline that drove most of the action, it was not the only major plot line. Readers beware! There is much intrigue and action in store for you here, but don't worry, you get all the adorable mushy stuff too.

*Audiobook Note*

It took me a long while to get into the voice of Katherine Kellgren. I enjoyed her interpretation, but I felt that she was inappropriately cast for the role. Sunday is an absolutely silly 16-year-old girl, and Kellgren is very clearly an adult English woman. Her voice for the prince as a frog drove me absolutely nuts. It sounded frog-like, but it also made the prince sound 65-years-old, which was totally creepy. Truthfully, I might have preferred one of those voices that they use for the middle grade contemporary novels, if only because that would have better suited the book.

Enchanted is a cute and whimsical novel with family, romance, and fairy tales all mashed up. While it definitely has a younger feel than other YA today, there is plenty for audiences of all ages to enjoy. I am hoping we get several companion novels about the other fabulously interesting Woodcutter family members. Overall, a fun debut novel from Alethea Kontis that fans of Gail Carson Levine, Jane Yolen, or Shannon Hale will certainly enjoy!

Cover Convos

Hey y'all! Usually I like to feature new covers in their own posts, but there have been so many in the last couple of weeks that it's been completely impossible to do so. Therefore, I decided to do a post on recent cover releases for some of my most anticipated titles (not including Dualed and Days of Blood and Starlight, which were my last two WoWs).

(This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you're looking for more, feel free to check out IB Teen Blog or A Reader of Fictions.)

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Release Date: March 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Find it on Goodreads!

Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

I defy you to tell me that you don't like that cover. It's basically pure wish fulfillment; I see it and picture myself floating amidst an awesome wind flurry with a hot guy. And lets be real, who doesn't want to have some sexy times while flying? Besides, the word sylph makes me giggle for some weird reason.

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Harper Children's

Find it on Goodreads!

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

From reading that summary, this is not the cover that I would have imagined. The summary seems like a romantic fantasy and the cover brings to mind some sort of epic monarchical tale. Even though they seem to contradict one another, I think both seem FABULOUS. And honestly, City of a Thousand Dolls is potentially my favorite title I've heard in a while, so I was sold long before I even knew what it was about. Cannot wait!

The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble

Release Date: 2013
Publisher: Soho Press

Find it on Goodreads!

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to
hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

Soho Press is only just launching it's YA imprint next year, so this will be one of their first titles. Since I have friends that work there, I'm a little biased, but I had already decided I wanted to read this book before I realized it was theirs, which I think that proves its worthiness on multiple levels. This book seems funny, lighthearted, and cute, and the cover conveys that well.

The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri

Release Date: April 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Find it on Goodreads!

The trouble started for the Amore family during the tragic and triumphant days of post-WWI America, and clings fast to the air around them still. Twenty two year old Elly Amore is only the latest in a series of Amore women to lose her way, trip into trouble, and hide behind secrets.

Elly won't have an abortion, and her mother, Carmen, won't support that decision. She's also voted "no" on Elly's idea to return to their estranged family in the Bronx. But something pulls Elly there, and whether it's the magic of The Sight she shares with them, or a simple case of family ties, she's determined to go. It won't be the first time Elly's been there. She spent a summer in the Bronx when she was ten, giving the Amore's a karmic reprieve from fading away entirely. The only problem? Elly doesn't remember that summer. She doesn't remember anything from her childhood at all.

Recapturing those memories becomes an obsession for Elly. As she falls into the past (and into love) Elly learns the secrets of her magical family, secrets that will unlock her Great Aunt Itsy's voice and reveal, once and for all, the truth that will heal or shatter the Amore clan.

Truthfully, I usually blacklist books the second they mention war in the summary. After crying myself to sleep and weeks of endless nightmares in the wake of Summer of My German Soldier, middle school me developed a complete aversion to them. Therefore, I probably wouldn't have picked this book up. Until I saw the cover, that is. Go ahead, call me shallow, but doesn't it appeal to you a tiny bit too?

What do y'all think of these covers? Any that you are looking forward to particularly? I would love to hear your thoughts!