Bewitching

Author: Alex Flinn
Goodreads Rating: 4.09
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 338


I won this book as part of Goodreads Giveaways. I really liked the idea of this book, and waiting to get it really built up the anticipation for it. I did not read or even see Beastly. Honestly, it doesn't hurt you if you haven't but it is a nice background to have. 


Goodreads Synopses:


Kendra Hilferty, the witch who curses Kyle Kingsbury in Beastly, tells about her immortal existence-how she discovered she was a witch and the various ways she has used her powers to help people throughout the centuries. (Unfortunately her attempts have often backfired.) As it turns out, Kendra has actually had a hand in "Hansel and Gretel," "The Princess and the Pea," and "The Little Mermaid"-but these are not the fairy tales you think you know! Kendra's reminiscences are wrapped around a real-time version of "Cinderella," except the "ugly" stepsister is the good guy. With dark twists, hilarious turns, and unexpected endings, Bewitching is a contemporary read for fairy-tale lovers, fantasy fans, and anyone looking for more Alex Flinn.


My Review following the jump.

So at first I was irritated by the book, I didn't like the so said "Old English" speak and the book seems to be marketed at first for a younger teen demographic. The had to force myself past the first part of the book, but once I got past introducing her to being a witch and how she got that way, I felt more comfortable with the story. My biggest complaint was with the start of the book that you were just thrown into this plagued world with a girl who is struggling to keep her last family member alive.


Once the story got past 1666, I felt more comfortable with how it was progressing and the language used. It felt like all the "thee"s and "thou"s were all misplaced in the converstaions. I loved how all the stories of Hansel and Gretle, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and The Pea were woven into the story, breaking from the Cinderella one that was the focus of the story. 


One thing that is of note is that while the story is about Kendra, she is more of a background player 


I also liked how they took the story of Cinderella and made her the evil one. In each story they weren't Ariel or Cinderella or Hansel and Gretle- They had other names, like Cinderella was Lisette and the "evil" stepsister was Emma. Their story was a sad one, but in the end it showed you that karma does work. 


I also liked how real history was incorporated into each fairy tale. Since The Little Mermaid is my favorite and I love the history of the Titanic, I loved how both were pulled together for a new and interesting twist on a human curious mermaid. I may not have liked the ending associated with that particular story, but I did love the new tale.


I really disliked Lisette and her entirely superficial personality and I didn't think she deserved the second chance that Emma gave her. I also liked the moral story behind it-that not everything is what you think it is. Emma's mother was unnecessarily mean, both to her daughter and her step-daughter, but that is the role of the evil step-mother. 


I mentioned I would be passing this book onto my boyfriend's younger sister, who is 12, and I think she is the perfect age for it. The preteen and early teen is the perfect age range for this book. This book is already on shelves, so if you enjoy new twists on fairy tales, then this is a book for you. This book is the first in a new series by Alex Flinn, and I'm excited to see what the future has to hold for Kendra.