By Gail Carson Levine Fairest (1st First Edition) [Audio CD]

In this, very loose, retelling of Snow White Gail Carson Levine spins a tale set in the world of Ella Enchanted about a young girl with an amazing voice, and unamazing looks. Ava was abandoned at an inn when she was just a baby. The innkeeper took her and raised her as his own and she grew into an amazing singer but had to put up with people's stares, slurs and abuse concerning her appearance which was not inline with what the kingdom thought of as beauty. She is often described as being ugly but when a more frank description is given their main complaints are that she is large, both tall and broad, and that her coloring is odd, having pale skin, dark hair and red lips.

Her voice overpowers all of that though and she is ultimately considered one of the best singers in the kingdom, and that matters very much in Ayortha the kingdom of singers, where people sing all day, every day. Singing is an intrinsic part of their culture, they have Sings and singing contests, and songs for every occasion. When, by chance, she is taken by a duchess to the King's wedding and the Queen overhears her singing she covets the voice for herself. Queen Ivi discovers that Ava can not just sing but can also use mimicry to mimic other people's voices and can throw her voice without moving her lips, a talent Ava calls illusing. Ivi threatens Ava's family unless the commoner uses her voice to replace the Queen's during major singing events so that, combined with the Queen's otherworldy beauty, the Queen could capture the hearts of her people.

When the King is injured the Queen comes into power and uses her new influence to create a dictatorship with Ava as the unwilling tool to help it come about. Things turn dire for the kingdom and ultimately Ava has a lot to learn as she chooses between the beauty she craves and the kingdom she loves.

I loved this book as I thought it had a lot of powerful messages about looks in a thin obsessed and beauty obsessed society. I loved how this heroine was not above saving herself when need be and also accepted help from others when she needed it, not too far one way or the other. I also liked having a prince that looks beyond skin deep when he falls in love. Highly recommended young adult novel that takes a fairy tale and spins it into something even a modern day teen can relate to without ever leaving its magical kingdom.

This last week I listened to Fairest by Gail Carson Lavine. I was in the mood for something light with a happily ever after kind of thing after reading a lot of darker bits. I kinda wonder if that's partially because I'm so ready for spring and happily ever afters tie into good weather in my brain.

Fairest is a retelling of Snow White and takes place in the same world as Lavine's Ella Enchanted retelling of Cinderella. The maid Aza is abandoned as a baby and raised by an innkeeper and his family. Unlike the usual spin on step families the family truly loves her and she truly loves them. (As a step mom meself it appealed immensely to me to see a happy step relationship.) Physically Aza is an ugly kid, both in her own eyes and the eyes of other, and that theme of chasing beauty and what it means to be beautiful on the inside and the outside is really what the book is about.

The language is not overly difficult save for some of the names, the fantasy spellings are occasionally horrid, but easily readable by around 10 and up. In a month where I just needed a little `and they all lived happily ever after' this was a fun feel good listen. The one problem I had with the audio book is that they sing all of the singing parts, which are abundant. Initially it was kinda cute, like listening to a Bollywood film, but some of the songs are LOONG and I didn't like the melodies they'd chosen enough to listen. I became grateful for the fast forward button at a few points. Despite some of that annoyance, I do really like the full cast audio for this type of book.

A great book for a lazy sunny afternoon or while on vacation.

For those out there that enjoyed Levine's "Ella Enchanted," she gives readers another likable heroine in "Fairest." Taking on the story of snow white in an altered story-line connected to the world in "Ella Enchanted," Aza has the most beautiful singing voice throughout the land, but she is said to not possess beauty which Ayortha also values besides singing. Although she is juxtaposed next to the beautiful Queen Ivy as her lady in waiting, Aza does seem to capture the attention of the prince. However, through an unfolding of events and discoveries, Aza gets caught up in a whirl wind of greed, jealously, and deceit by other characters that induces her to become the heroine that will save the kingdom and that will ultimately save herself. Though I still enjoyed "Ella Enchanted" slightly more than this story, "Fairest" had created an interesting take on the Snow White tale and the play of external and internal beauty was quite powerful throughout with Aza being a truly beautiful character as the story unfolded. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved "Ella Enchanted" though I wouldn't set my hopes too high in terms of it outdoing Levine's first book that this novel's world exists in.

I purchased Fairest as part of The Enchanted Collection (boxed set). I knew that it was based on the story of Snow White, but that was about all I knew. The story does follow along the expected path, but there are certain unique twists that make this version worth reading.

Aza is an interesting character, especially in this context, as she is not pretty (as one would expect the Snow White character to be). She's tall, wide, has "pulpy cheeks", and tends to blush when she's shy or embarrassed (which is pretty much any time she's around other people). The message about the dangers of being overly concerned with outward appearances was a good one, and important in our image-obsessed society. However, I didn't find the characterization of Aza entirely consistent, either. When she's imprisoned by the queen, she suddenly turns into something of a fighter, head-butting guards and otherwise physically challenging them. From what we'd seen up to that point (a shy, hulking girl who'd never used her size to overpower others), it didn't make a lot of sense.

At times, I almost forgot I was reading the story of Snow White, but small clues served as a gentle reminder until the more well-known elements of the plot kicked in. Aza disliked apples. She spent time underground, among the gnomes (who took the place of the dwarfs in this version). The queen had a hand-mirror with some astonishing properties. I also enjoyed the tie-in with Ella Enchanted. Fairest takes place in the same world, in the neighbouring kingdom of Ayortha. Aza is actually Areida's sister (and Areida is Ella's finishing-school friend). I do wish, though, that more had been tied together. In Ella Enchanted, Prince Char spent time among the Ayorthaians. It would have been interesting if he'd made an appearance in this book.

My major complaint with Fairest was all the singing. I wouldn't have minded if the characters had sung all their speech, or even if it had been stated that they'd sung a song. But I found the songs themselves tiresome and boring, and I didn't think they added a lot to the story. Other than that, though, this is a good book with a good message that I'd recommend to young readers.

Fairest is the companion novel to Levine's Ella Enchanted. It takes place in Areida's home country of Ayortha and stars her older sister. It is loosely based off of Snow White and strongly addresses the issue of beauty and feeling ugly.

This is one of those books that I'd give to my child without fail for the moral hidden within: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it really shouldn't be the most important things. Aza is considered ugly for a human, but to gnomes she is considered prettier than most humans. Her family could care less what she looks like because they love her all the same and are proud to call her daughter even if she is not their family member by blood.

Though the book is not as immersive and enchanting as Ella Enchanted (that's a hard book to follow by anything), the characters and theme of music and beauty in this book is magical in its own right. Not comparing it to Ella Enchanted this book is amazing. It is the most original adaptation of Snow White that I have read, and the singing in it had me singing out my conversations for hours afterwards (much to my family's chagrin).

In a land where beauty means everything, Aza finds herself lacking in every way possible. Her only redeeming quality is the beauty in her voice. If only her singing reflected what others saw when they looked upon her face. She spends most of her time trying to hide her face from the staring eyes of guests at her parent's inn. Singing is the only beauty Aza finds in herself, and she sings often while she is working.

She discovers that she can "throw" her voice and make it appear as though it came from another place in the room! She tries to teach her family her new trick but no one else is successful.

A Duchess passing through the inn on her way to the King's wedding invites Aza to come along as her maid. While at the castle, the new Queen discovers Aza's talent in "throwing" her voice and insists that Aza stay and become a lady in waiting, so that the Queen can use Aza's voice as her own.

When the King is injured, the young Queen is hungry for power and the kingdom is soon threatened to fall apart, as well as Aza along with it.

I have heard great things about Levine as a writer, so when I had a chance to read FAIREST I jumped at it! And I have to say that I wasn't disappointed! I loved the fairy tale setting and the storytelling quality of Levine's writing.

The plot was fast-paced and Aza's growth within the novel is believable. Aza isn't your typical heroine and that made the story so much more enjoyable. I loved that the book tackled the issue of beauty, which is something that I know I struggle with, as well. I know that I'm looking forward to reading more of Ms. Levine's works in the future!

Reviewed by: The Story Siren

Fairest Scholastic Inc., 2006, 326 pp.,Gail Carson Levine ISBN 978-0-545-11025-9

Abandoned as an infant, Aza lives with her adoptive family at the inn. Aza is a black haired, large framed girl living in the Kingdom of Ayortha. She is also a maid at the inn of Ayortha, owned by her adoptive parents.
Aza is a singer and rarely one in the Kingdom of Ayortha but none knows. Aza's voice is beautiful but her looks are not. Her voice's sound is the same talking and singing. Aza but she is disliked because of her looks. Considered ugly, with her pale complexion, blood red lips, black hair, and large frame, the taunting patrons cause Aza to shy away from others. Her only reprieve comes from singing in a land where song is an integral part of the society, an undeniable gift. She discovers the ability to project her voice to sound from anywhere in the room. Aza is a courageous girl in this book because when she starts working for the Queen she has to do a dangerous mission and Aza has to try and save herself and the kingdom.
This writing is an unbelievable fairytale. I would recommend this book to 7-11 year olds who like a good fairytale. Gail Carson Levine did a great job with the book Fairest. You have to read to find out what happens to Aza and the ability of her voice.

I listened to this instead of reading it. The full Cast Audio production is AMAZING! They actually sing all the songs. I was humming them afterwards. It was like watching a musical.

As for the story, a fun but predictable (as fairy tale retellings often are) retelling of Snow White. I found this one, being in the same world as Ella Enchanted to be totally entertaining, though.

Very heavy-handed with the whole beauty isn't everything etc. message.

Overall, I enjoyed it.

If you're going to read this book, listen to it instead!!

Fairest HarperCollins, 2006, 336pp., [...]
Gail Carson Levine ISBN 978dsf0734084

Fairest is a magnificent fairytale set in the land of Ella Enchanted, another one of Gail Levine's fantastic books. It is told from the perspective of Ella's friend's older sister, Aza. Aza goes from being an innkeeper's daughter to being the queen's lady-in- waiting. While she is the queen's lady-in-waiting, she's blackmailed, she falls in love with the prince, is accused of being an ogre and then is thrown in the dungeon! Aza is in despair. Will the prince fall for her? Will she ever escape? As you can see this book is chock-full of adventure!
Also, while reading this book, I realized that these two books are going on simultaneously. Throughout the book there are little hints about where Ella is. For instance in Fairest , Aza mentions that her sister was going away to finishing school and in Ella Enchanted that's where Ella meets Arieda, Aza's younger sister. I thought that this was really interesting because I knew where it is in relation to Ella Enchanted and that it's happening all in the same magical world.
This book has a really good moral of not caring about what you look like as well as having a great story of love and adventure. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good fairy tale! PR9

Wow! What an imagination Levine has. I'm amazed at her creativity and ability to weave an interesting and unpredictable story. Even my husband read it and really really liked it. Although I love a lot about the story, I especially love that the author doesn't follow the trend in our society today that if you aren't beautiful you need to have a surgery or put on more makeup or buy more expensive name brand clothes to change your appearance. Many reviewers complained about her obsession with her looks because she was so ugly, but that is exactly what our society is like right now. Everyone is so obsessed with looks and plastic surgery and the perfect body and weight, that we're ruining our teenage girls because they don't look like the models on TV or in the magazines. I think every teenage girl and many adult women, should read this book to realize that it's not about how you look on the outside, it's about the kind of integrity you have on the inside that really matters. What a shame that we are teaching our girls that their looks are more important than their integrity and moral character. I love the main character in the story. This is a fabulous book for anyone of any age. Levine is a great story teller.

Just as Gail Carson Levine's award-winning Ella Enchanted tackled the story of Cinderella, giving the story depth and meaning whilst simultaneously treating the reader to one of the best heroines and most realistic romances in all of Young Adult literature, "Fairest" purports to retell the fairytale of Snow White with a few twists.

Aza was abandoned as an infant at the Featherbed Inn and adopted by the innkeeper and his wife. Though loved by her family, Aza is ashamed of her weight and perceived ugliness, particularly since the kingdom of Ayortha is one that prizes beauty and song above all other virtues. Shunned by many of the guests, Aza enjoys solitude and occasionally the company of the gnomes that sometimes stay at the inn, including one that prophesies that in the future they'll meet again underground at a time when Aza will be in grave danger.

A change in the routine of life comes when a noblewoman in need of a lady's maid convinces Aza to attend the marriage of King Oscaro and his young commoner wife Ivi. Through a sequence of events, Aza finds herself in way over her head when she's made lady-in-waiting to the new Queen Ivi, who wants to exploit her talent of throwing her voice (what Aza calls "illusing") in order to make it appear as though she herself is a gifted singer.

What follows is a fairly loose retelling of "Snow White", with several good ideas on adapting fairytale to fit Aza's personal story, including a more sympathetic wicked queen, a unique interpretation of the magic mirror, gnomes in place of the seven dwarfs, and even a funny twist on the poisoned apple (it turns out Aza doesn't like apples all that much). Aza's task lies in clearing her name, securing the safety of the kingdom, and being reunited with her love Prince Ijori.

The book is clearly meant to provide commentary on our appearance-obsessed society, but unfortunately it's not handled particularly well. It spends more time on how Aza simply wants to be pretty, rather than the pain of the hurtful comments that are directed at her and the psychological effect such things have on a young mind. There's a difference between being self-conscious about one's looks and excessive *worrying* about one's looks (generally described as "vanity.") Aza falls into the latter category, as she's constantly looking into mirrors to check her reflection, worrying about her clothing, and has formed the habit of putting her hand over her face so that people can't see her. Wouldn't this just attract more attention to herself? (The moral is also somewhat undermined when she is spared by the "huntsman" ordered to kill her because he finds her so beautiful (thanks to a magic potion she took earlier). So...beauty really *is* important. Without it, she'd be dead).

The importance placed on beauty in Ayortha also creates problems further on in the story. We're supposed to be concerned when Ivi is takes over the palace and begins to meddle with the way things are run, but we're never really given a reason to care about the wellbeing of Ayortha. Apparently it's full of people who ostracize Aza just because she doesn't fit into the social norms, as according to her: "As bad as the ones who stared were the ones who looked away in embarrassment. Some guests didn't want me to serve their food, and some didn't want me to clean their rooms." If this is the way Aythorians treat "ugly" children, then their kingdom can get invaded by Huns and burnt to the ground for all I care.

Perhaps it's unfair to hold up "Fairest" again "Ella Enchanted," but really, the comparison is inevitable when one considers the differences between the two heroines. Ella burst off the page with liveliness, good humor and zest for adventure, whereas Aza is significantly more sedate and less confident. Nothing wrong with that of course, but Aza turns out to be one of those girls that will just Not. Stop. Crying. She cries when she's happy. She cries when she's sad. She cries when she's embarrassed, or frightened, or nervous. At a crucial point of the story, when she should be (and when her counterpart Ella certainly *would* be) looking around for weapons or an escape, she simply sits and cries some more. I'm afraid I got fed up with her well before her happily ever after rolls around (did she cry for that too?)

There is plenty of fun to be had considering that "Fairest" is set in the same universe as "Ella", and as such there are several references to the earlier book. Aza is the little sister of Areida, who was Ella's best friend at finishing school, and there are mentions of Ella, her father Sir Peter, and Lucinda the fairy (who is behind most of the trouble in this book too!) But unlike the previous book, which shed light on several fantasy idioms and poked gentle fun at the clichés of a fairytale realm, there are several awkward or unwieldy plot devices here that come across as unintentionally funny.

For instance, Ayorthia is a singing kingdom, which means that its people "sing" their declarations of love to each other, get together for communal sing-a-longs, and even (as in Aza's case) sing when they're in mortal peril. Sure, it's all in keeping with their culture, but on trying to picture it in your mind, it just seems silly. In another example, King Oscaro is hit on the head with an iron ring and for some reason looses the ability to speak (I'm guessing he's concussed, but wouldn't it have just been easier to say he'd had a stroke?) and later Aza bites into the infamous apple, chokes on her mouthful and...goes into a coma? Say what? The book is full of awkward, strange plot contrivances like these (such as Aza trying to squeeze through a window instead of looking for a door, Aza "grinning" at a man who's just tried to kill her, and a kiss/declaration of love that is abruptly cut short by the couple simply walking away from each other for no apparent reason) that grate on the imagination and make it difficult to really "believe" in what's going on.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. Like all of Levine's books, "Fairest" is told in a bright, breezy, imminently readable tone and is certainly entertaining while it lasts. Despite her cry-baby tendencies, Aza's first-person account of her life is sincere and sympathetic, and the world that Levine has created for her characters is just as colourful and charming as it was in "Ella." Had I been able to use half-stars in these reviews, I would have put "Fairest" at two and a half stars, but since I can't, I scaled it back to two simply because I know Levine can do better than this. I adored "Ella Enchanted," and recommend it to anyone who cares to listen to me, but this follow-up book pales in comparison. Aza is a bit too dim-witted for her own good, and the reason I haven't mentioned much about her romance with Prince Ijari is simply because there isn't all that much to say. I laughed and cried alongside Ella, but all I wanted to do here was hand Aza a tissue and tell her to stop her endless moping.

Absolutely love this book. Love it. It's so magical and enchanting! There's dreams, romance, humor, and sadness throughout the book.

A girl, Aza, longs to be beautiful, but isn't. She is ugly. She is called "ogre" "horrid" "monster", etc. She is ugly in everyone's eyes. Except the prince. THAT'S what makes it even more good! Aza has a special gift, though. She can sing. And where she lives, singing is very important and everyone does it. They have singing traditions, etc. But beauty is also praised highly of, too. But she has the most beautiful, magical enchanting voice, everyone is hypnotized by it. She can also alluse, which is mimicking anyone's voice and can "throw her voice around the room."
She loves her cat, too. Since she lives and helps take care of the inn with her family, they get many visitors. One of them happens to be a duchess who is visiting the King and Queen's wedding. The duchess seems fond of the cat as well as Aza and invites Aza to come to the wedding. Aza hesitates.
The duchess insists. Aza goes and ends up meeting the queen and tells her about her voice. The queen, who cannot sing at all, wants Aza to sing for her and threatens that if she doesn't she shall be thrown on prison and her family will receive punishment. Aza is forced to agree and there is where the adventure begins! She becomes a lady in waiting, meets the prince, falls in love...
I can't tell the rest. You'll have to read it for yourself. It's SUCH a good book. I love it love it!!!

Fairest was full of fairytale romance and adventure, but also had a lot of deeper issues that is seen in society today such as the superficial need to be beautiful in order to be successful. This fairytale princess is full of depth and not some air head waiting to be rescued. She takes action and makes her own dreams come true.

The prince also had a lot more depth and characterization than the original stand in. He doesn't immediately fall in love with the heroine, but does fall in love with her voice. Their relationship takes a steady pace throughout the story developing from friendship into something deeper. I really enjoyed these two characters and believed they really deserved their happy ending together.

I think modern fairytale lovers will enjoy this beautiful new story in "Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine.

Aza has the most beautiful singing voice, but lacks the looks to match. Although she is paranoid about her ugliness (and treated badly by her culture that values physical beauty and vocal talents above all else), Aza finds herself lady-in-waiting to the beautiful (and self-centered) new Queen. Soon, though, the Queen is using Aza's singing for her own. Even worse, the court (except for the kind prince) begins to suspect Aza has something to do with the Queen's evil behavior. Levine succeeds again in creating a wonderful retelling of a fairy tale, twisting the weaknesses of the old into a moral for our modern world. She illustrates the horrors and dangers of being obsessed with beauty and of our own feelings of inadequacy, the tragedy of living in a culture fixated on beauty rather than morality or character. Levine weaves a magical tale twisting fairy tale elements into something new, charming, and unique, adding complexity and depth to the expected plot and stock characters. Grade: A

Our daughter bought this book and this is her review. Quite truthfully I have not read it yet but I plan to based on her recommendations. Usually the heroine is a beauty but in this case, not true. Aza is what we would call in our area 'dog ugly'. She has a beautiful voice along with a magical gift of being able to throw her voice which makes this unusual story. It is a fairy tale that does end as it should. We both like the 'and they lived happily ever after' ending to any fairy tale.

This is such a wonderful book for girls! The message about beauty is a timely one, and this book is very important for our society, particularly now. We live in a time when young people are bombarded by images of so-called physical beauty, and what type of standards are "acceptable". It was so refreshing to read this book - a story of a girl who also suffers from the knowledge that she does not neatly fit into the standards of beauty in her society, but gains self acceptance through a series of exciting and unusual circumstances.

Gail Carson Levine is a wonderful writer, and the twists and turns of this novel will hold the imaginations of young readers. This story is a fantasy, complete with ogres, fairies, magic spells, gnomes, an evil queen, etc. I was most impressed with Levine's take on on being "the fairest". Buy this book for the young girls (and boys) in your life!

I like fairy tale retellings, and Levine has a way of using the barest outlines of a fairy tale and making the story her own. This one bears only the faintest resemblance to Snow White. Aza, the young adopted daughter of an innkeeper, could never be considered beautiful, but she has a wonderful voice - a talent prized in the music-mad land of Ayortha. She also has a special secret talent - she can throw her voice. When their king marries a young girl of great beauty, Aza against all odds becomes her lady-in-waiting. But the queen is not the innocent people believe her to be, and Aza finds herself in a tangled web from which she may not be able to extricate herself. Levine knows how to twist a simple fairy tale into intricate convolutions that make the story fresh and yet familiar.

I highly recommend Fairest By Gail Carson Levine. Fairest is a spellbinding story filled with humor, adventure, and romance. This tale is about a girl named Aza who is definitely not "fairest of them all". People usually scoff at her and spurn her. Sadly, Aza was left at the Featherbed Inn when she was a month old. The innkeeper and his wife decided to take care of Aza and love and care for her like one of their own. Aza lives in the country of Ayortha (the land of singers) where Aza has a gift of her own even without fairy intervention! It is a voice that can do almost anything. One day, when a duchess comes to stay at the Featherbed Inn, she sees Aza and wants her to accompany the duchess to come to Ontio Castle to meet King Oscaro, his new wife, Queen Ivi, and Prince Ijori. When Ivi and Ijori hear Aza's voice, Ijori falls in love with her and Queen Ivi falls into deep jealousy... The amazing tale unravels as you read the book. It's filled with a tale for love and hate. I recommend this book for girls who love to read between the ages of 9-13. I hope you like it!

Title: Fairest
Pages: 326
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Gail was born in borough in NYC. She credits all of her creativity to her parents who painted and wrote plays for children. She started writing when she was forty-ish in 1987. After many many rejections she finally wrote Ella Enchanted and found the right agent at the right conference who was willing to look at her manuscript. It took her 9 years from when she started writing to get anything published. She has published around 16 books and had one movie produced. Gail currently lives in New York with her husband and dog, yes dog, in a really old house.
Agent: Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown. They are accepting queries. Mail your query, synopsis, sample chapter, resume and SASE to:
Curtis Brown Ltd.
Attn:Query Department
Ten Astor Place
New York, NY 10003

This was a great book with only a few flaws that I mentally had to block out. The characters were vivid and likable... or hateable, depending on who they were. The scenery and back story were well built. The prince was charming. So how could you go wrong? I am afraid that the picture on the cover was the first problem. I love it, but it led me to believe that the book would be for an older YA audience whereas the writing feels closer to Middle Grade. The other issue is that in this vivid village everybody sings all of the time. It's like living the whole of your life in a musical. I was waiting for someone to sing, "I am going to use the chamber pot!" The final issue is minor, but I can't stand it when you are reading a great book and then you stumble over some overly foreign name that you spend five minutes trying to pronounce and then just decide to call him Bob because you can't wrap your tongue around it. They are all minor points, but bothersome nonetheless.

So, this is the story of snow white as seen through a fun house mirror. Snow White, or Aza, is a chubby, tall girl with no looks. She is surrounded by a world of beauty that looks down on unbeautiful things. Her only redeeming traits are her eyes (of course), her warm heart (ooooff course), and her beautiful singing voice. Aza has some serious self-confidence issues and balks at the invitation to go to the castle. She goes for her family and ends up falling for the prince, Ijori. There is an evil mirror who turns the new queen into a plotting manipulator and causes her some major issues by playing mind games. Aza finds out some interesting truths about being pretty and why she is the way she is. She learns to like herself through others eyes and all of her wishes come true in the end.

The romance wasn't bad between Ijori who is supposed to be 17 and Aza who is supposed to be 15ish. Ijori has big ears that charm her, and he is equally charmed by her "grandeur." (don't ask me). They hold hands a lot and he eagerly tries to protect her... mostly. They kiss on page 170 for the first time and it was well played. Later he screws up and has to apologize profusely, but then they kiss some more toward the end of the book. It was sweet and a little sappy, but it still made me smile.

My favorite lines were:

"Perhaps I could learn to wear myself without apologies..."

&

Ivi said, "A good tailor can perform wonders."
He smiled looking at me, "If he has someone extraordinary to perform them upon."
My blush was blushing.

I give this book a six out of ten. I definitely did not want to be disturbed while I rounded the last few chapters.
It was a super easy read; 1-2 days tops. A great book for 12 and up. There were evil schemes, a naked swim (not co-ed), and one ogre was stabbed in the throat. And they all lived happily ever after.

Check out more of my reviews on clean romance novels at The Buttoned Up Bodice

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Just when I think that Gail Carson Levine actually *can* write books without overtones of left-wing indoctrination, I read one of her books like this one. Maybe it's just the Ella universe where she really lets herself go in that regard. And it's really too bad, because this is a fun take on the story of Snow White--not slavish to the fairy tale, but enough like it to make it fun to compare plot points.

Sadly, she spoiled my otherwise enjoyable reading experience with PC drivel. And much of it ultimately fails. Other reviewers have mentioned the overwrought it's-okay-to-be-ugly (*if* you have some other wonderfully appealing characteristic) theme, and how the events of the story ironically prove that being beautiful and/or having a guy love you really *are* vitally important. We also get another fail with the multi-racial main character, because it's okay to be part gnome, but not okay to be part ogre (you have to belong to the correct minority, see?). But the most successful PC indoctrination moment is the one that offended me most: a relatively pointless (plot-wise) scene in which Aza's gnome friend, who is a judge with the power to see bits of the future, allows a thief to keep his stolen property without any punishment...because that's the only future (according to the gnome) where things work out well for the thief. Maybe one could read that as a message that only people with such a god-like power should presume to judge according to instinct rather than law. But I strongly suspect that the message that was *intended*--and certainly the lesson that children are most likely to take from the incident--is that we shouldn't punish people when they do wrong because it might be bad for them. If that's not what you want your children to believe about law and justice, you might want to think twice about letting them read this book.

When I was in grade school, I loved Ella Enchanted. It was an inspired retelling of a favorite fairytale with a lot of great set up, character depth and fun before we got anywhere near the royal parties. So years later, when I saw this book on the shelf at my bookstore, I was excited.

And it pains me to say it was an utter disappointment. The set up is as inventive as I expected but that's it. It's shorter than Ella Enchanted, but tries to pack in as much stuff so you don't get the amount of development. Aza and Ijori had nowhere near the time and depth Ella and Char did to make me like them. They had the typical "quick love" that you usually make fun of fairy tales for. Some parts worked, but again, felt like they came out of nowhere and I never felt invested in this couple. Ella and Char meeting as kids and getting to know each other was one of my favorite things of Ella Enchanted and the forced feeling romance in Fairest really disappointed me.

Aza doesn't work for me as a protagonist either. Her quick forgiveness of Ijori after he apologized through a letter pissed me off. It made her seem immature and like a doormat. In fact, that's her most of the book. She feels very weak willed, often shallow (as does EVERYONE in this book) and unable to make her own decisions. And if she does "change" it seems unnatural because it happened so suddenly. Her getting angry (rightfully) and making him work for her forgiveness would've made her seem like she really learned something and toughened up from her experiences before facing her ultimate enemy at the end. Instead it feels like "Oh, you think I'm attractive? I forgive you, let's get married."

Then there are the dwarves. There are NONE! It's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and there's not one dwarf! There's gnomes, which I could've worked with. Seven gnomes, sure. Except there is 1. 1 gnome we get to know. And he doesn't do much aside from house her for a bit and hypothesize her origins. Then the apple is rushed, the kiss is rushed, the ending is rushed, and it all just feels rushed. So yeah, this was nowhere near as good as Ella Enchanted. I give it a little credit for interesting ideas, but the execution is just all out flawed, I'm sorry.

Fairest

By: Gail Carson Levine Genre: Fantasy

Aza lived in the kingdom of Ayorthia. She was cleaning a gnome's room once and as she worked ZhamM (a gnome) came in. Then he had a glimmer into the future. "If we will meet in gnome caverns and you will be in danger," Days later a duchess stayed at the Inn. She returned one time on the way to the king's wedding. Aza was invited to go to the wedding with her. When she was there, Aza befriended the queen. One day when she was in the queen's room she saw a magic mirror. She found a vial of liquid that had beauty marked on it. Aza drank it. She became beautiful but the queen became jealous and put her in jail. Aza escaped and found her way to gnome caverns. There she found zhamM just like he had predicted. ZhamM told her to be careful and that she still might be in danger, but Aza wasn't careful enough. She was hungry. At the gnome market she found someone selling apples. She bought an apple. When she ate it, it made her choke. She realized that it was a poisoned apple. Read and find out more!

I thought it was interesting that the author wrote in first person. She really grasped Aza's character. She was in her head, told her thoughts, and was descriptive. I liked this book a lot because Aza had some of the same peer pressure problems as us, only a little more exaggerated. I didn't like this book though because I think that this was a little too easy for me because there wasn't a lot of difficult vocabulary, but if you like a book about magic and singers, then this is the book for you!

Title: Fairest
Pages: 326
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Gail was born in borough in NYC. She credits all of her creativity to her parents who painted and wrote plays for children. She started writing when she was forty-ish in 1987. After many many rejections she finally wrote Ella Enchanted and found the right agent at the right conference who was willing to look at her manuscript. It took her 9 years from when she started writing to get anything published. She has published around 16 books and had one movie produced. Gail currently lives in New York with her husband and dog, yes dog, in a really old house.
Agent: Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown. They are accepting queries. Mail your query, synopsis, sample chapter, resume and SASE to:
Curtis Brown Ltd.
Attn:Query Department
Ten Astor Place
New York, NY 10003

This was a great book with only a few flaws that I mentally had to block out. The characters were vivid and likable... or hateable, depending on who they were. The scenery and back story were well built. The prince was charming. So how could you go wrong? I am afraid that the picture on the cover was the first problem. I love it, but it led me to believe that the book would be for an older YA audience whereas the writing feels closer to Middle Grade. The other issue is that in this vivid village everybody sings all of the time. It's like living the whole of your life in a musical. I was waiting for someone to sing, "I am going to use the chamber pot!" The final issue is minor, but I can't stand it when you are reading a great book and then you stumble over some overly foreign name that you spend five minutes trying to pronounce and then just decide to call him Bob because you can't wrap your tongue around it. They are all minor points, but bothersome nonetheless.

So, this is the story of snow white as seen through a fun house mirror. Snow White, or Aza, is a chubby, tall girl with no looks. She is surrounded by a world of beauty that looks down on unbeautiful things. Her only redeeming traits are her eyes (of course), her warm heart (ooooff course), and her beautiful singing voice. Aza has some serious self-confidence issues and balks at the invitation to go to the castle. She goes for her family and ends up falling for the prince, Ijori. There is an evil mirror who turns the new queen into a plotting manipulator and causes her some major issues by playing mind games. Aza finds out some interesting truths about being pretty and why she is the way she is. She learns to like herself through others eyes and all of her wishes come true in the end.

The romance wasn't bad between Ijori who is supposed to be 17 and Aza who is supposed to be 15ish. Ijori has big ears that charm her, and he is equally charmed by her "grandeur." (don't ask me). They hold hands a lot and he eagerly tries to protect her... mostly. They kiss on page 170 for the first time and it was well played. Later he screws up and has to apologize profusely, but then they kiss some more toward the end of the book. It was sweet and a little sappy, but it still made me smile.

My favorite lines were:

"Perhaps I could learn to wear myself without apologies..."

&

Ivi said, "A good tailor can perform wonders."
He smiled looking at me, "If he has someone extraordinary to perform them upon."
My blush was blushing.

I give this book a six out of ten. I definitely did not want to be disturbed while I rounded the last few chapters.
It was a super easy read; 1-2 days tops. A great book for 12 and up. There were evil schemes, a naked swim (not co-ed), and one ogre was stabbed in the throat. And they all lived happily ever after.

Check out more of my reviews on clean romance novels at The Buttoned Up Bodice

[...]

Just when I think that Gail Carson Levine actually *can* write books without overtones of left-wing indoctrination, I read one of her books like this one. Maybe it's just the Ella universe where she really lets herself go in that regard. And it's really too bad, because this is a fun take on the story of Snow White--not slavish to the fairy tale, but enough like it to make it fun to compare plot points.

Sadly, she spoiled my otherwise enjoyable reading experience with PC drivel. And much of it ultimately fails. Other reviewers have mentioned the overwrought it's-okay-to-be-ugly (*if* you have some other wonderfully appealing characteristic) theme, and how the events of the story ironically prove that being beautiful and/or having a guy love you really *are* vitally important. We also get another fail with the multi-racial main character, because it's okay to be part gnome, but not okay to be part ogre (you have to belong to the correct minority, see?). But the most successful PC indoctrination moment is the one that offended me most: a relatively pointless (plot-wise) scene in which Aza's gnome friend, who is a judge with the power to see bits of the future, allows a thief to keep his stolen property without any punishment...because that's the only future (according to the gnome) where things work out well for the thief. Maybe one could read that as a message that only people with such a god-like power should presume to judge according to instinct rather than law. But I strongly suspect that the message that was *intended*--and certainly the lesson that children are most likely to take from the incident--is that we shouldn't punish people when they do wrong because it might be bad for them. If that's not what you want your children to believe about law and justice, you might want to think twice about letting them read this book.

When I was in grade school, I loved Ella Enchanted. It was an inspired retelling of a favorite fairytale with a lot of great set up, character depth and fun before we got anywhere near the royal parties. So years later, when I saw this book on the shelf at my bookstore, I was excited.

And it pains me to say it was an utter disappointment. The set up is as inventive as I expected but that's it. It's shorter than Ella Enchanted, but tries to pack in as much stuff so you don't get the amount of development. Aza and Ijori had nowhere near the time and depth Ella and Char did to make me like them. They had the typical "quick love" that you usually make fun of fairy tales for. Some parts worked, but again, felt like they came out of nowhere and I never felt invested in this couple. Ella and Char meeting as kids and getting to know each other was one of my favorite things of Ella Enchanted and the forced feeling romance in Fairest really disappointed me.

Aza doesn't work for me as a protagonist either. Her quick forgiveness of Ijori after he apologized through a letter pissed me off. It made her seem immature and like a doormat. In fact, that's her most of the book. She feels very weak willed, often shallow (as does EVERYONE in this book) and unable to make her own decisions. And if she does "change" it seems unnatural because it happened so suddenly. Her getting angry (rightfully) and making him work for her forgiveness would've made her seem like she really learned something and toughened up from her experiences before facing her ultimate enemy at the end. Instead it feels like "Oh, you think I'm attractive? I forgive you, let's get married."

Then there are the dwarves. There are NONE! It's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and there's not one dwarf! There's gnomes, which I could've worked with. Seven gnomes, sure. Except there is 1. 1 gnome we get to know. And he doesn't do much aside from house her for a bit and hypothesize her origins. Then the apple is rushed, the kiss is rushed, the ending is rushed, and it all just feels rushed. So yeah, this was nowhere near as good as Ella Enchanted. I give it a little credit for interesting ideas, but the execution is just all out flawed, I'm sorry.

Fairest

By: Gail Carson Levine Genre: Fantasy

Aza lived in the kingdom of Ayorthia. She was cleaning a gnome's room once and as she worked ZhamM (a gnome) came in. Then he had a glimmer into the future. "If we will meet in gnome caverns and you will be in danger," Days later a duchess stayed at the Inn. She returned one time on the way to the king's wedding. Aza was invited to go to the wedding with her. When she was there, Aza befriended the queen. One day when she was in the queen's room she saw a magic mirror. She found a vial of liquid that had beauty marked on it. Aza drank it. She became beautiful but the queen became jealous and put her in jail. Aza escaped and found her way to gnome caverns. There she found zhamM just like he had predicted. ZhamM told her to be careful and that she still might be in danger, but Aza wasn't careful enough. She was hungry. At the gnome market she found someone selling apples. She bought an apple. When she ate it, it made her choke. She realized that it was a poisoned apple. Read and find out more!

I thought it was interesting that the author wrote in first person. She really grasped Aza's character. She was in her head, told her thoughts, and was descriptive. I liked this book a lot because Aza had some of the same peer pressure problems as us, only a little more exaggerated. I didn't like this book though because I think that this was a little too easy for me because there wasn't a lot of difficult vocabulary, but if you like a book about magic and singers, then this is the book for you!

Totally adorable. Not edge-of-your-seat type reading but so charming that I opted to read it instead of watching some very scandalous reality tv, and that's saying a lot.

Aza, the leading lady, learns that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and to accept herself just as she is...but if you can look past the fact that you're being given a moral lecture (not that I disagree with it) there is a lot of clever manipulation of archetypal fantasy figures and ideals all situated in an interesting universe and culture that Levine has built in this series.

"Fairest" is a young adult fantasy (with some romance) set in the same world as "Ella Enchanted." Adults will enjoy it as much as teenagers. The pacing and world-building were good. The characters were complex and enjoyable enough, but I never really bonded with any of them.

I liked the moral that changing yourself to fit in with what others think is desirable or beautiful has its price. There was no sex or bad language. I've liked some of her other books more, but, overall, I'd rate this as enjoyable, clean fun.

Review by Debbie from Genre Reviews (genrereviews. blogspot. com)

This book was so captivating. From the first lines to the last, I was so overtaken by the creative storyline and personal (yet sometimes insecure, and therefore more human) characters. I was excited to see into the world of Ella Enchanted once again. Even though both girls (Aza and Ella) are from different kingdoms, Aza's sister is Ella's only friend from finishing school: Areida.

Although I didn't realize how many aspects of "Fairest" were mentioned in "Ella Enchanted" until I re-read the latter, I was so pleased to see how they were linked. Areida and Ella became friends at finishing school in the Kyrrian town of Jenn. Areida tells Ella of her parents, the inn where she and Aza live, and the "Sings" that are held monthly in her home province of Ayorthia. At the end of "Fairest", the author clues you in on the detail of Areida and Ella's friendship, in case you were wondering if the two Areidas were in fact the same person.

I am an accomplished singer at my school (I'm 16), and I was so happy to read a book that focused on it and talked about a land where singing was part of their culture. I even tried to illuse a couple of times, with no success obviously, since it's something only gnomes can do. <3

This book, which is by Gail Carson Levine, takes place in the kingdom of Ayortha, where all creatures value singing. Aza has a beautiful voice, however, she is very ugly . People and other creatures all can't help staring at her. She attends a wedding at the royal castle of Ayortha where the new queen, beautiful Ivi, tells her to be her lady-in-waiting. Ivi can't sing, so she asks Aza to sing for her. Things get out of hand when everyone else in the castle, including Prince Ijori, find out what she's been doing. They think that she is part ogre. Ogres are ugly and can persuade anyone to be their dinner. Aza runs into Ivi's room and finds a magical mirror. That mirror changed everything.

Gail Carson Levine twists the story of Snow White into "Fairest." I rated this book 4 stars because it describes everything and the plot is clear. Levine uses a creative choice of words. This book keeps you hanging after every chapter and you will find it hard to put this book down.

-S.G.

In a country where singing is as everyday as talking, Aza is blessed to have a beautiful voice . . . but she is not equally blessed with good looks. When she travels to the King's wedding she is afraid everyone will shun her because of her ugliness. Therefore she is pleasantly surprised when she is befriended not only by the Prince but the new Queen herself! But what if those people are not what they seem - or look - to be? What if she herself is not what she always thought? Before she knows it, Aza has delved deep into the intrigues of the court . . . perhaps too deep to stay alive.

I had a wonderful time reading this romping fairytale by the author of Ella Enchanted. One part that disappointed me was that the romance wasn't as charming or well played out as the one in Ella Enchanted. Nevertheless it was full of rich descriptions, colorful characters and an engaging plot.

Gail Carson Levine has strong female leads that are empowering for girls everywhere. I liked it well enough as an adult, but I know I would have liked it much better as a 12 year old. If you are wanting a good, safe book for your kid to read, this is definitely it.

This book is interesting and colorful, with distinct personalities for each character. There are even some characters that I love to hate, such as, oh, the majority of the citizens, who seem like little more than xenophobes who despise Kyrrians and people who are unattractive and/or can't sing.

Songs are nice to see, especially in a book based in a kingdom of singers, but about half of them could stand to have been removed with no effect on the plot. And the members of the nobility talk too much, whereas in Ella Enchanted they are stated to be very quiet.

Aza, the main character, seems to be universally disliked, mostly for irrational reasons. In the end when the Prince finds out about her forced agreement to sing in the queen's place behind everyone's backs, he automatically despises her for lying to everyone, ignoring the fact that the queen would have had a dreadful punishment in store for her and her family had she not agreed to go along with the plan. Maybe things like that are in the plot for drama's sake, but seriously... before then, the prince was a remarkably reasonable person! It's like someone else temporarily took his place, because that was out of character for him, big time.

Otherwise, this book has a complex storyline, which will keep you engaged all the way through. You won't be bored, that's for sure.

My seven-year-old daughter and I read this together, and she loved it so much that the minute we finished, she asked me to download the audio book so she could hear it again. I liked the critique of the importance placed on physical beauty. There is some advanced vocabulary and a few kissing scenes, so I probably wouldn't recommend reading it to kids much younger than seven.

In the beginning, Aza is made fun of, because she is very ugly. She befriends a goblin, who tells her that she is beautiful. While working at her parents tavern, she meets a duchess, who takes her as an escort to the King's wedding. The Queen cannot sing. The Queen makes Aza a lady and gives her money in return for the use of Aza's voice. She is getting to know the prince. Th king gets hurt and the queen does bad things. She becomes unbeautiful and everything is back to normal. She marries the prince. THE END! It was a sweet little Faerie Tale.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine, I thought that the book needed just a little more suspense in it (towards the end it gets confusing). I wasn't a big fan of the violence in the book. It needed more suspense because it didn't catch my attention that much, but it was still a good book. The violence was kind of sad because a girl is tied up in the dungeon cell and is threatened to be killed. I would recommend it to a friend if they like princesses, kind of like snow white. I say that because the book is mostly about a princess and she was born singing instead of crying. She has to save herself from many things. I would mostly recommend it to someone would doesn't like a lot of suspense.

Fourteen-year-old Aza has never believed that looks aren't important. How could she when she is the ugliest girl in Ayortha? Abandoned at the Featherbed Inn in the town of Amonta as an infant, Aza is adopted by the kind innkeeper and his wife. The only thing she has going for her is her amazing singing voice. In the kingdom of Ayortha, singing is first and foremost. If only she wasn't so ugly, she could accomplish great things.

But Aza's wildest dreams come true when she is able to accompany the Duchess of Olixo to the royal wedding between King Oscaro and the young Kyrrian commoner Ivi. Queen Ivi soon befriends Aza, and Aza decides that Ivi must be kind. All that changes when a terrible tragedy occurs, and Ivi forces Aza to do something terrible. Little does Aza know that Ivi's fantastical beauty isn't natural- it is caused by a wicked magic mirror named Skulni. Skulni knows what Aza most wants. And he can make her more beautiful than Queen Ivi- the fairest in the land.

Fans of fantasy will gobble up this retelling of "Snow White", with Aza as Snow White, Ivi as the Wicked Queen, and Prince Ijori as Prince Charming. Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was excellent. You really feel the connection between the characters. I was sad when the book ended. It's loosely based on Snow White, but it has plenty of original twists. I reread this book five times. It's good especially for girls, but boys can like it too. You will hate the queen and laugh at the songs placed in the book. I have never read a better book.

Levine captured me at a very young age with "Ella Enchanted" and "The Two princesses of Bamarre", but I felt she did a rather shoddy job with "Fairest", considering the talent she'd already displayed. Her story was certainly original, and for the most part intriguing, but I felt that her writing left much to be desired. She moved quickly, too quickly, through most of the climactic events, and wasted pages elsewhere describing useless information. It seemed to me as if she argued with her editor over the length of the book, and rather than cutting the superfluous portions, she kept all portions, but edited them to fit her editor's length suggestion, not necessarily to clarify or improve some sections. All in all, Aza irked me a tiny bit, and it seemed to me that her IQ could have easily been raised a few points. I also thought Aza's relationship with Ijori was....odd. It seemed very rushed, with no basis for it at all, and yet they still proffessed such strong feelings. Essentially, my review is this: the frame of the story if fairly solid, it was simply in the execution, the writing of the story, that Levine made her mistakes.

Despite the professional reviews written above, I think that their association with fairy tales may be a little out of touch. This book is not the classic retelling of Sleeping Beauty but that of Snow White. As any Disney Classic Movie connisseur or for that matter fan of fairy tales will know.

This novel is a beautiful retelling set in the kingdom of Ayortha, one kingdom over from the Kingdom ruled by the well know woman Ella of Frell from Ella Enchanted. This is an amazing novel, written in beautiful prose and described fantastically. It is an excellent follow up to Ella Enchanted, even if that heroine does not herself appear in the novel. I can only hope to enjoy more novels of this caliber from Gail Carson Levine and I must find more novels by this author to read. I could not put this novel down, I stayed up all night to finish it.

I sincerely hope that you take a chance on this novel and enjoy it as immensely as I have.

I absolutly loved this book. it has the main character as an "ugly" innkeeeper's daughter. she's brought to the castle for the king's wedding with the duchess and is selcted as the lady in waiting for the queen. she has a crush on the prince. when the king becomes ill the queen makes new laws and disolves the council, banishes the birds and asks aza (inkeeper's daughter) to sing for her, a horrible crime yet Aza does it in fear something bad will happen to her family if she doesn't. she has secret outings with the prince and all the while she wishes to be pretty.the story goes on, but i loved it because the main chararter struggles yet some how it all turns out. read it you will not regret it.

What makes a good fairy tale? A happy ending? A damsel in distress? A fair maiden winning her prince? Disney will tell you that a fairy tale needs all these qualities and more. People who have a sound sense of reality will say differently. Fairest captures everything right about a fairy tale. You are thrust into a middle of a world that is so completely different, you will want to go back again and again. While the people may act similar to us, you can tell they are alien. And for once, the animals do not talk! Anyone can enjoy this story. I dare you not to like it.

I really loved "Ella Enchanted", so I was tickled when I began reading "Fairest". I admit that it wasn't as intriguing as "Ella", but it still was definitely worth reading. It is such an original spin on the story of Snow White. I loved that it gave answers for all the strange things that happen in the original Snow White, especially how Snow White was able to come back to life after eating a poison apple. I loved the clever twist in the end, but I won't tell you what it was.

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this book. I have always loved fairytales, and this, like many other Gail Carlson Levine books, is an enlongated version of a fairytale. It is about a girl who many humans think is very ugly, but she can sing very well. These characteristics force her to live a very interesting life: from meating "dwarfs", making friends with a queen, and falling in love with a prince. this novel is very well writen and i couldn't put it down until the end. it is a great book for ages 8-100: My friends and family loved this book! It is a truly intreaging twist on the famous fairytale Snow White. :)

This book falls drastically short of Ella Enchanted and rates very low overall. Levine fails at this one.
The whole book is about a poor wretch who is big and ugly. She has a good singing voice, but bemoans her terrible appearance throughout the entire book, even at the end. She is overly shy, lacks courage to stand up for herself, and, of course, big and ugly. Not exactly a captivating heroine...
Levine tries to tie this and the world of Ella Enchanted together, but contradicts herself over and over (e.g. the aristocracy is supposed to almost never talk, as per Ella Enchanted, but the court does not have the aforementioned trait). Come on Levine, can't you follow your own rules?
Don't waste your time on this one.

I read this novel because I absolutely loved Levine's earlier story Ella Enchanted. Levine's writing is thoroughly enchanting not only in plot--which is interesting and nicely developed--but also in her use of words--which are playful and witty. Fairest maintains this quality. However, this later book might rely too heavily on the success of Ella. Similar themes and scenes recur in a different setting with different characters. The moral of the story is an important lesson for every young girl to learn--self-confidence and a healthy image of her own body. A worthwhile read.