Tuesday, June 26, 2018

{Book Review} Spelled by Betsy Schow

Title: Spelled
Author: Betsy Schow
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retelling
Published: June 5th, 2018
Author Links: Goodreads / Website 
Book Links: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N

Somewhere over the rainbow, all spell is about to break loose...

Fairy Tale Survival Rule No. 32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks - like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the charming brooding prince Kato is not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End of the world of Story.

   Once upon a time... There was a spoiled princess living indoors behind locks and spells because the alternative is that could burn down the world. A curse was put on her family years and years prior and now Dorthea has to live with it being passed down to her. The witch who cursed the family messed up the spell and didn't specify which Emerald princess would receive the curse so the entire line has spent their lives in gilded cages.
   Dorthea spends her days looking for ways to break the wards that keep her bound to the castle until the day she meets a prince and makes a wish and everything changes.
  I'll be the first to admit that fantasy and YA books are usually not my cup of tea. I prefer mysteries, suspense and romance. HOWEVER, I picked up Spelled for the COYER Fairy Tale Read-A-Thon and I really enjoyed the book. The book itself doesn't have a four or five star rating, but I didn't let that hold me back from reading it or from making my own opinion about it.
   Spelled is a fun and easy book. There's no drama or angst, in fact it's very light-hearted and fast paced. There are quirky references with a fairytale twist made to popular social media apps and designer clothing and there is different recognizable fairytale references made in several parts of the book. While no overwhelming romance takes place, I really like how Kato and Dorthea come together in their own time and their feelings develop naturally instead of being forced. While I liked Dorthea, I wish her character would have evolved a bit more from the spoiled princess, but Kato, broody and sarcastic, was really my favorite character.
   Overall, if you're looking for a story that is light, silly and quirky, this just may be your jam. Forewarning though, you may need a little time to warm up to the heroine.




 
 

2 comments:

  1. This is on my TBR, glad you enjoyed it! I like that it is on the light, quirky and fun side.

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  2. What a hoot! I love the clever way of using the old fairytale and Wizard of Oz elements.

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