Ella Enchanted
Written by Gail Carson Levine
Reviewed by Ting K. (age 10)
I chose this book because I heard from my sister that this was a really great book and because she also thought I would like it. This book is sort of like the story Cinderella.
A little girl was just born that evening named Ella. Everyone was rejoicing, except for one person - Lucinda, a fairy who had a plan to put a spell on Ella. So on that day, Lucinda gave Ella the "gift" of obedience. Ella grew older and older. She had to do what everyone told her to do and had to obey everyone. The spell could never be undone!
Ella livked with Mandy (her cook), many maids, and her father, Sir Peter of Frell. Her mother had died. Ella's father was a marketman, trading things all day long and Ella loved him. One day at a party Ella's father planned, a family came and the woman named Dame Olga fell in love with Ella's father! Soon they got married. Ella felt dreadful because now she had two bossy stepsisters, one named Hattie and the other named Olive. Even worse, later on Hattie found out about the spell and always ordered Ella around because she knew that Ella would obey her. Hattie even ordered Ella to give her Ella's most precious possession, her mother's silver necklace. Ella had a dreadful life until one day she met Prince Char at one of his balls that was held to find Char a wife. Ella dressed up in a dress that Mandy made for her and went there in an old orange carriage that Mandy transformed into a sparkling carriage. Ella spend most of her free time with Char, playing outside and in the castle, but soon her two stepsisters became very jealous and did anything to stop Ella from geting near him.
One day while Ella was in the kitchen with Mandy, Lucinda came and told Mandy horrible news (but to Lucinda it was great news). She had put a spell on Sir Peter and Dame Olga - the "gift" of true love which meant that wherever they went they also had to be next to each other and could never separate! Ella was so angry at Lucinda that she wanted to kill her. At the moment she left, Many told Ella the secret that Mandy was Ella's godmother. She also told her a way that may be possible to break the spell. So from that dy on, Ella tried all the ways she could think of to break the horrible spell. If you want to know if she ever did, you will just have to read the book!
I thought this book was one of the best I've ever read before. It has lots of will and hope to it. All during the book I felt the same way that Ella did about Lucinda and Hattie - the feeling of wanting to punch them in the nose! I thnk that if I were to add something to the book, I would add more adventures to it. Possibly going on a boat that is about to sink and rescue people. I recommend this book to childrn who like to read fairy tales and like stories that have fairies and magic in them. I have enjoyed this book greatly! I wish to read more often and read more books that are like this!