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Ella Enchanted Book Review

What an enchanting read! Pun intended. Ella Enchanted is humorous and entertaining, with a strong-willed female main character and a fun story, all combining for an overall enjoyable reading experience. 

Gail Carson Levine's first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Ever, a New York Times bestseller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and a New York Times bestseller; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; the Two Princesses of Bamarre; A Tale of Two Castles; Stolen Magic; The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre; Ogre Enchanted; A Ceiling Made of Eggshells; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction books Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly and Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, as well as the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie. Gail and her husband, David, live in a two-centuries-old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York State. You can visit her online at www.gailcarsonlevine.com. Find more of my reviews of books on TIME's Top 100 YA Books of All Time list here. 

At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy's gift—the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it's to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate... Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

I was familiar with Ella's story because of the movie, but even those who haven't engaged with this story in any form before will be pleasantly surprised. Ella is given a "gift" at birth—the curse of obedience. She has to obey any command given to her, no matter how outrageous or deadly. The novel centers on Ella's coming of age moment as she tries to break the curse to get what she wants out of life. One cannot doubt the importance of a narrative like this—a girl breaking from the chains that bind her to pursue what she wants—and Carson Levine never lets Ella's goal out of sight. It is front and center, making for a very inspiring and hopeful novel overall. 

Of course, Ella Enchanted is packed with adventure and romance. Ella embarks on a quest to get rid of the curse, in which she meets up with elves and has to escape ogres, all to lead her to the fairy that gave her the gift in the first place. Along the way, Ella makes very good friends, some enemies, and finds a prince that captures her heart. The fantasy elements of the novel that make it such a fun read—the quest and mystical creatures—combine well with a narrative that resonates with modern-day readers—the ability to be your own person and create your own life.

It is clear to me why Ella Enchanted still draws so many people together to celebrate the story and the way it resonates with all kinds of readers. Find more of my reviews of books on TIME's Top 100 YA Books of All Time list here. 

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*

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