Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

I have only just started blogging and I'm already a bad blogger! I finished this book a couple days ago and told Myself to "go write a book review"... but I guess Myself didn't want to listen. So, here I am. Fashionably late, I hope. :)


(From Goodreads)
Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. 

 ~

From reading various reviews I learned that most people greatly enjoyed this book. Adventure, mystery, and romance all spun together in a breathtaking story. My expectation: another fairy-tale retelling with a predictable ending and sappy romance. The reality: an amazing fairy-tale retelling with twists and turns, lovable characters, and a balanced romance. This made me very happy, as you can imagine. I love it when books turn out better than I thought they would be!

The character development with the two MCs was nicely done, and by the end of the book I felt like I personally knew Galen and Rose. One of my favorite things while reading this was how the princesses are portrayed. The youngest ones cry, complain, and blurt out whatever is on their minds - just like any kid you'd meet (especially at my house), and even though the older ones aren't main characters you still get a sense of their personalities. Overall, I think every character was well written and easy to 'get to know'.

Fun little tid-bit I thought was amusing: at the end of the book, before the acknowledgements, there are pattern instructions for two of the things Galen knits in the story (yes, he knits and he's awesome for it). So, if you are a knitter you can knit the same things he did! I am not a knitter, if you were wondering, and the only thing I've tried knitting I never finished. It's still lying in a box at the top of my closet ;)

Five stars

Age 12+

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in England around the year 1352. Annabel is the daughter of a deceased wealthy merchant (big surprise, huh?) and has a mother and two older brothers who are just plain lazy. Because of this, Annabel is sent to be an indentured servant for three years in the new lord, Ranulf Le Wyse's, house. Rumors around town say he's ugly and beastly, but over the weeks Annabel learns to love him. Understandably, she  is worried that her feelings are wrong because he is her lord. And sadly, because Ranulf's wife (now dead) had betrayed him in the past, he thinks that all women can't be trusted and shuns his feelings for Annabel in order to protect himself. Will love and justice reign?

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and had a great Christian message about loving others and not judging them. It has sweet romantic parts that, in my opinion, don't cross the line of inappropriateness that others books do. There are a few parts where Annabel is harassed by a man who wants to marry her, but they don't go to far and definitely show what a dishonorable man can be like. On the other-hand, the character of Lord Ranulf pictures what an honorable, Christian man is like. So very worth the read :)

5 stars

Age 13+

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Kyle Kingsbury is handsome, popular, and has the 'hottest' girl in school for a girlfriend. His dad is a news reporter. You know, the good looking guy with the sparkling smile and perfect hair? Yeah, that's him. He's the dad who only cares about his job and reputation, and by living this way he taught his son to be a rude, arrogant, jerk. So, although Kyle looks like he has it all, in truth he really doesn't.

Guess who comes into the scene next? That's right, the witch. She turns Kyle into a beast and says he can only break the curse if his true love kisses him before two years time. Then he meets Lindy.



I'm really a fairy tale kind of girl. Fantasy, adventure, and romance are things I love most in a book. Unfortunately, my view of 'romance' isn't very popular these days. It's hard to find a book that doesn't go too far with it's lovey-dovey moments. Beastly went to far in some parts. Kyle is constantly thinking of having sleeping by him and there are a couple sexual references. They weren't as horrible as they could've been, but I almost put the book down because of them. Maybe I'm too sensitive? There were also (in my opinion) a couple curse words, minor in some eyes, but not something I like reading.

Overall, Beastly was a pretty enjoyable book. I even laughed at some parts. Sadly though, it will not be a book I recommend to everyone.

Three Stars.

Ages 15+

Summer!

Summer is just around the corner, like literally just around the corner! For me, summer means books. I read like a maniac during this time of year. Mostly, I think, because my library does a summer reading program and depending on how many books you read you get a gift card to Target, or...wait for it...BARNES AND NOBLE!!! It's a win-win situation all around! I get to read a bazillion books and get free money to buy more books - Happy Dance!

 

So anyway, I am challenging myself this summer to post a book review of EVERY book I read this summer. Evey. Single. One. Hopefully, at the end of the summer, I'll be better at writing book reviews. Plus, it will give you all a laugh to see me mess up profoundly on each one I write. ;)

Any book suggestions? I'd love to hear them!