Fairest

I've heard one too many times "it's no Ella". I believe everyone who said that is right. This is better than Ella.
This is Aza. Aza was abandoned in an inn when she was a baby. Ever since she was born she has had the most beautiful voice -- and ugliest face -- in Ayortha. Many have commented that she looks like a troll, ogre, or gnome. She is ashamed of her face, and most often tries to hide it.
One day while cleaning, Aza discovers a new trick to use while singing. Illusing. It is her ability to throw her voice across the room without moving her lips.
Aza later becomes acquainted with the Duchess who invites her to the royal wedding of the beloved king and a mysterious Kyrrian commoner. The next thing she knows, she's queen Ivi's lady-in-waiting. The job comes with lots of perks, but requires her to deceive the whole kingdom. She has been blackmailed into illusing for Queen Ivi, who is jealous of Aza's stunning voice.
While on this adventure, Aza is on her own personal quest to make herself beautiful.
This book has many of the same elements of the original Snow White (Magic Mirror, Poison Apple, Jealous Queen, even Gnomes (who are somewhat similar to dwarfs), but they've been placed in a fresh, new story.
I have loved this book for a long time. Re-reading it was very nice. With most books I'll forget the story after a while. Reading it brought back some good memories.

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.

Levine's books are always a treat for me to read. Ella Enchanted, her most famous work and The Two Princesses of Bamarre (my personal favorite) both proved that a heroine doesn't have to be perfect in ways that were easy to identify with. Fairest is no exception. Aza is very easy to identify with--not just because she is ugly, but also because the trials she goes through are trials everyone deals with.

I liked Aza, she was a honest open character who did her best to do what she says she will do. She cares about others more often then herself and has been able to rise above the pettiness of the inn's guests to feel that she was greatly gifted by her family. I didn't begrudge her the fact that she often brought up the subject of her looks, the other characters rarely let her forget how she looked after all.

Ivi, as is to be expected I guess, was a horror. Even before Aza realized, finally, what was going on with her I could have guessed it. I would accuse her of being bipolar, but honestly even when she was being 'generous' with Aza the fact was that you could hear what she wasn't saying out loud. 'I will give you this Aza, but mine is still better' or 'You look great in that Aza, but I still look better' seemed to be the theme of their relationship. Attention, of any kind, always had to be on her. Good, bad or even hateful it had to be directed at her. She was a vain birdbrain given to selfish tantrums (I honestly wonder what she was like before she married Oscaro. I can't imagine that as a peasant girl in Kyrria she could have gotten away with even a smidgen of what she pulled in the Ontio Castle).

Ijori...I really really liked him at first. He seemed like such a wonderful guy. But I don't believe he ever really got over his intial distrust of Aza--despite what he said. Too quickly did he decamp from her when it looked like things were stacking against her. Too harshly did he decry his feelings for her when favor turned against her. I wouldn't have faulted Aza for socking him.

In the end this book left me with more feelings of unease then Ella or Bamarre did. The moral of the story (any good fairy tale has one after all) seemed too forcibly hoisted on the reader. Forgive Others! Accept yourself! Be Confident in Yourself! I might have liked this better if Aza didn't accept herself after Ijori said he thought her looks were fine and he liked them better then ordinary beauty.

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.

Aza has a good life. As a baby, she was abandoned, but she happened to be placed on the doorstep of the absolute best family anyone could possibly hope for. Her beautiful voice is enough to bring the strongest man to tears; however, this could never be enough. If you want to be anything important in the kingdom of Aortha, looks are everything. This is not something Aza possesses. Teased by her brothers and gawked at by those who stay at her parent's inn, Aza is normally kept in the back of the inn where she washes dishes and cooks. This suits Aza just fine, yet by a strange turn of events, Aza ends up at the king's wedding and in the center of attention. When the king is later injured, (nearly to death) his new queen demands a favor of Aza. A favor that could risk imprisonment or even death for Aza.
In this tale of love, mystery, and danger also lies deceit, jelousy, and hatred. Gail Carson Levine has managed to write a masterpiece fit for royalty. I would recomend this book to anyone, especially if suspense, thrilling action, and a complicated plot is your thing! Fairest far exceeded my expectations and the characters immediately son my heart. this book is a must read for all ages!!

Writen by: Esther Givens

I loved this book. I think that it is as good(or maybe even better than) Ella [...]. This book has everything that you could ever want in a classic-variant: loads of excitement, secrets, romance, and A LOT of twists and turns.

Fairest is about a young woman named Aza, who lives in Ayortha, a kingdom from the world of Ella Enchanted, that is known for wonderful singing. Aza is ugly. So ugly, that her real parents abandoned her at an inn, in a town called Amonta, where she is taken in by the inn keeper and his wife. The only pretty thing about Aza, is her singing voice. But to Aza, that doesn't make up for her looks. However, Aza discovers one unique thing that she can do with her voice. She can illuse, or make her voice sound like it's comming out of an inanimate object. One day, the duchess of Olixo stays at the inn. When she takes a liking to Aza, she invites her to the king's castle for the his wedding, and Aza accepts her offer. Aza didn't know how much her life was about to change. In the presence of royalty, Aza stands out even more than she did at home. When the newly crowned Queen Ivy (who has an awful voice)fist hears Aza illuse, she wants Aza to illuse for her. If Aza doesn't sing for her, then her family pays the price. Aza has to keep this a secret and serve as Ivy's lady-in-waiting; or she loses the money that her family desperately needs, she never sees Prince Ijori(a prince that loves her for herself and thinks that she IS beautiful)agian, and she could be......arrested. Will Aza do what's right and tell the truth? Will she let Ivy harm everyone that she loves? Will she sing for Ivy and risk being discovered? Will she lie to everyone she loves just to protect them? Will she risk her life just to be beautiful? Read this book to answer these questions and more.

I would reccomend this book to kids ages 11 and up. If you love Gail Carson Levine's other marvelous books, then you will certainly love this one. This book is a read that tells you that looks aren't everything, that someone out there loves you just the way you are.

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

"I was born singing. Most babies cry. I sang an aria."

What a stellar first line. What follows is Levine's tale loosely based on the fairy tale Snow White. All the basic elements of the ancient tale appear in some form or fashion in the novel: apples, fair skin juxtaposed with jet black hair, dwarves (or gnomes in this case), a charming prince, and a cleverly disguised wicked queen. I would definitely recommend reading Ella Enchanted first before reading this one; this book has some characters connected to Ella. It's not imperative that you do so; just helpful.

Song is an important concept in the book; the Ayorthaians value singing as their main form of expression. This fact leads to my only complaint for the book: lengthy passages of sung poems or verses are included in the novel and I confess I began to skip over them. I found the songs to be annoying after the first 8 or so. Perhaps others wouldn't find them to be as distracting as I did. I understand the need for them to be there; I just did not like the vast amount included.

One of the main themes of Fairest is an important one for the book's target audience: accept the way you look. You're unique and beautiful just as you are. Aza was just like any other teenage girl - insecure and too hard on herself. I think many YA readers could relate to the way she feels. This aspect of the novel is very applicable in today's appearance-driven society.

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.

Posted April 4, 2009, 2:25 PM EST: I thought the book Fairest was a good book. Its about a girl named Aza who is a good singer but she thinks she is ugly. Then she becomes a lady in waiting to the new Queen Ivi. And the queen is jealous that Aza can sing so well. So she uses Aza's gift of mimicing other peoples singing voices so the queen could pretend that she can sing well. Believe it or not the book has parts from Snow White in the book theres a poison apple and a magic mirror. In the end Aza realize's that everyone is beautiful in thier own way. I was dissapointed that the queen didn't get punished for giving Aza the poisoned apple.In the end the queen is sent away and the king who is better now, goes to visit her. And why did the Snow White in this story have to be ugly? Gail Carson Levine is a good writer but in my opinion I don't think this would be on my number 1 top 10 book lists but it was a good book. Another thing I was dissapointed wit was that the story Fairest is supposed to be a story about Snow White and its mostly nothing like the tail. Next time Gail Carson Levine should write something more like Snow White.

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!!!

"You are not my advisor".

I was her lark.

Aza was born singing. In fact in the land of Ayorthaian village of Amonta Aza means lark. The thing is Aza was born in an inn, by a woman who smuggled herself in and out, leaving Aza behind with the innkeepers. When the woman abandoned her the innkeepers took her in as one of their own. Now Aza lives with Ollo, Yarry, and Areida (whom readers may recognize from "Ella Enchanted").

Aza grows up quite the songbird, but the problem is that she is unattractive. Her cheeks are far to chubby, her skin far too pale, her lips far to blood red, her hair far too black. To top that off she has proportions quite unbecoming to a young woman, her shoulders and neck are too wide, and her height is far from diminutive. She manages her ego until she becomes a young woman of 15, but by then people's stares and rude comments are too much for her and she has developed many quirks to help hide her ugliness. She also has a peculiar gift that she calls illusing. This allows her to throw her voice at various objects and not move her lips. Being an excellent mimic also lends itself well to illusing, as she is able to convince people it was not her whose voice It was.

When she befriends duchess Olixo who frequents the inn she suddenly sees a chance to visit Ontio Castle, where King Oscaro is planning to wed Lady Ivi, a Kyrrian woman of 19 and incredible beauty. Garbed in the hideous castoffs of the Duchess' Aza enters into court as a companion, but quickly befriends Ivi after an accident involving the King renders him near comatose and is elevated to the status of a lady in waiting. She agrees to take this position as a means of providing much needed funds for her family as well as a chance to be near the Prince Ijori. The rub of the matter is that Ivi knows about Aza's talent for illusing and, being a poor singer herself, forces Aza to provide her voice for her at the court's many sings. Aza feels dirty and used, but her developing friendship with the prince encourages her to keep up the charade. Also there is a certain mirror that Ivi has in her possession that has shown Aza what it would be like to be beautiful, and the lure of that vision is far to great for her to resist. What's an unattractive girl to do?

Readers will appreciate the premise of "Fairest", as it is based off of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves". It is also se in the neighboring land of Ayortha, neighbor of course to Frell, whom we all remember from Levine`s Newbery Honor work "Ella Enchanted". This book is a sequel in a very loose sense that the story is set in the same world, but not about all of the same characters. While Areida, who was Ella's best friend, is present she is hardly ever written about, and Ella is only mentioned once towards the very end of the book. Aza, however, is a character worthy of Levine's ability. Whereas Ella found strength in defiance, Aza finds strength in her talent, as uses it to her quiet advantage. The thing I liked about Aza though is that she is far more overwhelmed by her looks than her talent, which most young girls uncertain with there selves will identify with. This is a realistic, everyday problem that we all have dealt with, an uncertainty of ourselves and how awkward and ugly we think ourselves. Now, her voice is sublime, so much so that she is the envy of others for it, and this singular talent allows her to keep her head high, even when she is being used for her abilities.

Levine deftly manages to bring details into this book that were present in "Ella Enchanted". Her lighthearted prose is comic and tragic at the same time, and yet lighthearted enough to not weigh the reader down. She manages to breathe life into some very likeable, and unlikable, characters. And the way that she blends Snow White elements within this world is very interesting. Even though we all know the story she manages to surprise us with some twists and turns we do not recognize as being original elements until later. This is a fantastic add to Levine's universe, a great read... and I hope to see more like it in the future (and, frankly, expect it now that I know she is willing to write sequels).

I was excited to read a novel by Gail Carson Levine; but this book turned out to be less than I was hoping for. It make work out better for young girls, but I seriously doubt young adults or adults will find it all that engaging. On a side note I listened to this as an audio book and that was definitely...well...an experience. They used a full casting for the audio book and all of the songs were sung in all of their full operatic glory. I was riding my bike when I started listening to this book and I almost fell off of it when all the sudden music started pelting out in the middle of my audio book....

Aza thinks that she is ugly; she is too big and has different coloring from other people in the kingdom. Her parents run an inn and love her dearly, but they are not her birth parents (they found her on the steps of their inn as a baby). When Aza accompanies a Duchess to the wedding of their new king she feels drawn to the new Queen. The Queen ends up asking Aza to be her lady-in-waiting and from there Aza gets embroiled in a dangerous plot to help Queen Ivy save face.

This book is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It has some similarities to that story but more differences. If you think Disney took the grim out of Grimms Fairy Tales well then this book is Disney sugar coated with a cherry on top. There is so much happy ever after it is almost sickeningly sweet. The dire circumstances of the heroine are never really dire at all; the book is completely predictable.

Aza makes an unlikely role model for young girls. Aza (who is wed at 16 years old, I might add) is fifteen going on sixteen but has the mentality of a ten year old. Her obsessiveness with her ugliness is really...well...obsessive. She easily tosses morals aside to be beautiful. At the end she says she can't believe how much she has changed throughout the book; when not a few seconds earlier she was *again* whining about her ugliness. At times the author tries to excuse Aza being ugly because she sings so beautifully. Is it a requirement that everyone do one thing outstandingly wonderful to make them a good person?

All of the characters pretty much have this shallow level of depth. All the characters are type-cast. Not one single character does anything surprising.

Is there good in this book? If you read it knowing what to expect it is an okay book. It was actually what I expected, but not what I was hoping for. It is super cute, and super sugary. I as said it is a Disney film with heaps of sweetness added. That is not all a bad thing. The book ends how you expect and all the characters are just so good that you can't help but smile at times. Of course at other times you want to slap them for being so stupid, but I feel that way about Disney films too.

If you love Disney and you love cutsey and you want to be a princess then this book is for you. I think it will probably find appeal with younger girls who still dream of being a fairy princess. I think anyone over ten years of age will have trouble finding much to love here. This book did not make me eager to read more of Levine's books. Maybe if I am in the mood for more brainless sweetness I will check other out. Instead of reading this I would recommend "Princess Ben" by Catherine Murdock; this is also a sweet fairy tale but with more guts and more interesting characters.

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.

Aza was left at the Featherbed Inn as a baby, and now, at age 15, she lives there with her adoptive parents and siblings in a land where beauty and song are everywhere. But, there's a little problem. Aza is ugly. She is bulky and clumsy with dark hair, pale skin, and a red mouth. She is very insecure, and awkwardly aware of peoples' constant stares. But what few people know is that Aza has an unusual talent: In addition to having a beautiful singing voice, she can also immitate anyone else's, and make it seem to come from anywhere; the ceiling, under a bed, anywhere.
One day when a duchess comes to the Inn, she invites (or rather persuades) Aza to join her on a trip to the palace to attend the King's wedding. Aza hesitantly accepts. She meets the new (young) queen, who blackmails her into using her unusual talent to her advantage. As the situation get's worse, Aza finds herself with another problem: The handsome prince is pursuing a friendship with her, and she's falling for him. But how could someone so handsome ever love someone so ugly??

"Fairest" is a wonderful, endearing fantasy story by the talented author Gail Carson Levine that any girl, young or old, will thoroughly enjoy. It is well-written with romance, magical creatures, and surprising plot twists. It is an easy read, but nothing too juvenile. The magic isn't too overly involved, and the romance isn't largely detailed or graphic.
I love this book!!

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!

Fairest / 978-1-934180-08-2

There is an entry on TV Tropes called "Idiot Plot", which is defined as a plot that is only possible because all the characters are complete idiots. With that completely unrelated tidbit in mind, let's go over the plot of "Fairest".

"Fairest" is set in a provincial little kingdom, whose humble and quiet subjects are abjectly and lovingly devoted to their wise and gentle king. When the exceedingly wise and clever king decides to marry a sexy young foreigner who is (a) literally less than a third of his age, (b) completely ignorant of the country's ways and customs, (c) not even remotely trained in the rudimentary concepts of leadership, and (d) utterly spoiled rotten, the wise king and his wise advisers and his humble people see absolutely nothing potentially wrong with this stellar plan.

When the totally unforeseeable occurs, and the extremely elderly king becomes incapacitated in an accident, it becomes apparent that this sweet provincial kingdom who has weathered its fair share of civil wars in the past, has literally never heard of a succession plan. The young queen - who has been married less than 24 hours at this point - immediately assumes the throne, forcibly disbands the parliamentary council, and starts to rule with an iron fist - a course of action that no one opposes because no one in this kingdom has ever had a teenage daughter before.

The protagonist against all this political intrigue is young Maid Aza. Aza, poor thing, is ugly - she's literally so ugly that guests at her adopted parents' inn will sit and stare at her for hours, fascinated by her intense ugliness. Seriously, she makes Quasimodo look smoking hot - and she will tell you again, and again, and again how truly ugly she is. (This is particularly helpful in the audio book version - if she just told you 99 times how ugly she was, it might not fully sink in; it's that extra 100th time that really makes or breaks the story.) How is she ugly? Well, she's kind of tall, and kind of wide, and her skin is ghost-white, and her lips are blood-red. She's HIDEOUS!!!

Ultimately, "Fairest" is a difficult book to enjoy, because the protagonist is distinctly unlikable. Apart from the constant, repetitive, excessive, repetitive, annoying - did I mention repetitive? - reminders of how "ugly" she is, she comes across as almost as selfish and spoiled as the Designated Villain. When people in the kingdom are starving, and Aza is being blamed for their suffering, she simply cannot take her mind off of an upcoming shopping spree; when the distraught palace staff start "pranking" Aza to get back at the queen, instead of explaining that she's on their side, Aza instead totally gets off on threatening the staff and making them grovel before her. It's hard to root for the Designated Hero, when she's just as unlikable and selfish as the villain - and the villain has been magicked up to the gills enough that it's almost easy to believe that her behavior may not be completely typical at this point.

We listened to this audiobook on a long trip; the box proudly proclaims that "Not one single sentence has been omitted!" but this is something I think they should have rethought. Since the kingdom in "Fairest" is a "Planet of Hats" where everyone sings constantly, someone hit upon the world-beating idea of making a musical out of this story. The voices are, for the most part, good - but the songs are boring and tedious - the repeated cleaning songs, bathtime gurgles, and the like reminded me of the poetry of Grunthos the Flatulent and his twelve book epic 'My Favorite Bathtime Gurgles' - and we all know how THAT ended.

Bottom line, I suppose some young readers may like this book, but I found the protagonist so appalling, and the supporting characters so utterly stupid, that I found no enjoyment here.

~ Ana Mardoll

First of all I'd like to say that I can't beleive that some people don't like this book. Even though I'm a kid (11 years old) writing this review on my mom's account don't skip over this. I have read this book like 3 times and I still love it.

Although it does talk about how ugly this girl is a lot it never seems to get annoying. How would you feel if you were ugly and in a world where looks are VERY important? Aza, the main character, goes on a huge adventure and finds out that looks aren't everything. And is accepet because of her ugly looks in a certain mysterious place. She finds love and hatred grow in this castle and that they both spring out at her. She lives a crazy life but a great one at the same time.

That's all for now!!

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.

As a fan of other Gail Carson Levine's books-Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre, especially- I was super excited to read this book. And it turns out that it is just as good as the others. It's smart and clever without sounding too overwhelming or confusing, and it's a book that once you get into it you can't put it down. You can sympathize with Aza, and I found myself rooting for her the whole way.

In typical fairytale fashion, it has a happily ever after ending, but that's part of what adds to the charm. It's one of those books where you know how it's going to end, but how the character gets there is more important than where she winds up.

This book is good for a light and fluffy (and quick, if you're me) read, and I would recommend it to someone in the mood to disappear, if only through the pages of a good book.

Aza ins't just plain; she's plain ugly. In a land where song, grace, and beauty are prized, Aza's large stature, not just in height but also breadth, are deemed appalling and overshadow her amazing abilities in singing. Abandoned at the Featherbed Inn as a newborn, she is lovingly raised by her foster family. But their love can't overcome the low self-esteem Aza develops because of how other people treat her. When an unexpected chance to travel to court for a royal wedding comes, Aza is hesitant but goes to help her family. There, she is "befriended" by the new queen, Ivi, who is selfish and self-absorbed. Soon after the wedding, the king is severely injured and Ivi is claimed ruler in his place. Forcing Aza to use her unusual ability to project her voice for her own gains, the queen quickly becomes a dictator that threatens Aza's honor, her tenuous relationship with Prince Ijori (the king's nephew and heir), and the country in general. Can Aza overcome her own lack of self-assurance to save herself and her land?

Very loosely based on Snow White, _Fairest_ is filled with all of the insightful and humorous writing that made _Ella Enchanted_ so delightful and is sure to quickly become a hit with readers of all ages.

Also recommended: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Ella Enchanted, the Septemus Heap series, books by Shannon Hale

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!

Aza is so ugly that she was abandoned as a baby. Fortunately, the innkeepers who found her on their doorstep took her in as their daughter. Teasing and stares aside, she has grown into a beloved member of her family.

Aza's life changes when a special talent catches the new queen's eye. Asked to be the queen's lady-in-waiting, Aza is thrilled--until she learns the price she must pay. Trapped in a deal she dare not break, Aza will face love and danger, and a chance to gain the beauty she always wished she had. In order to find her way, Aza will risk everything she has, and more.

Levine has created a fresh interpretation to the Snow White story. Set in the world of ELLA ENCHANTED, FAIREST introduces us to a young heroine who is forced to rely on her talents and wit where other girls would use their pretty faces. Aza is strong, yet fallible, as she embarks on an adventure beyond anything she ever imagined. Her character is wonderfully realized within Levine's vivid world.

FAIREST provides girls and young women a strong message of self-worth. As they say, beauty is skin (or voice) deep. It is a person's character that counts, and girls are perfectly capable of handling their own problems--or accepting help when they need it. Aza does both in this story. She learns to stand up for herself and what's right, but she also finds out when it's wise to let others help.

As great as this novel is, the ending is wrapped up a little too neat. The villain of the story doesn't seem to get the sort of punishment that they seem to deserve, although this is an issue discussed at one point. Some other loose ends are left dangling at the end of the book, but perhaps this is a lead-in to more modern fairy tales.

I highly recommend this book for girls aged eight and up. In a world where "thin is in" and looks count, this is a super way to reinforce the importance of valuing the individual. Everyone has something special to offer, as long as we're willing to get to know them.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer

9/17/2006

Fairest is an amazing book to read. I loved it so much. Romance, fairy tale all in one. It's about a girl named Aza who isn't beatiful, but has an amazing, wonderful, beatiful voice. She has a strange special talent no one else can do. She can sorta "throw" her voice anywhere she pleases without moving her lips. She calls it illusing. Thanks to her special talent it also got her into a heap of trouble that if she dosen't do as told it could get her into jail by the queen!
This book is one of the best love story/fairey tale I ever read. So I hope this helped because if you don't get this book you are missing so much that you would have loved. So come on what are you waiting for?!? =)

I bought Fairest a while ago, but I didn't read it for a long time. Finally, with my friend's encouragement, I picked it up and began to dive into the Snow White re-telling.
This is unlike other fairy tale re-tellings, yet in a good way. It's not totally obvious until you get near the end of the story that this tale was made to resemble Snow White. This leaves a wonderful surprise that has you thinking, "I never saw it coming!" The Snow White puzzle just slowly pieces itself together, and you probably won't realize it until some of the final pieces are played.
Aza was never attractive. She was left behind in a hotel when she was a baby, and the owners graciously took her in despite her appearance. With paper-white skin, blood-red lips, and hair as black as a frying pan, Aza is certainly not the fairest of them all.
Yet...she can sing. Beautifully, as a matter of fact. She's simply spectacular! Aza also soon discovers the gift she has of "illusing" - throwing her voice across rooms so it seems that someone or something else is speaking. Despite her voice, though, Aza does not believe she has a real future ahead of her...that is (spoilers begin here), until the Duchess arrives. The Duchess befriends Aza after meeting her cat (the Duchess loves cats) and when the Duchess's companion fails to accompany her to the King and to-be Queen's wedding, it is Aza she asks to go.
This soon changes Aza's life. After discovering her gift of illusing, Queen Ivi "befriends" Aza and asks her to be her lady-in-waiting. But Aza soon discovers that Ivi wants to take advantage of her gift of illusing. Ivi cannot sing, so she makes Aza illuse to make it appear as if she is the one singing.
This and a developing relationship with the Prince, Ijori, complicates Aza's times in the castle. Still, despite all of what she has, Aza still wishes to be pretty. Soon, she finds her wish granted after her illusing fails during a Sing.
This and Aza's dangerous desire to be pretty fly the story into a suspenseful mode (spoilers end here), though I'm not going to give away any more spoilers. Anybody who likes Snow White should definitely read this book; it is one you won't be able to put down. Other fairy tale re-tellings pale in comparison to the bold story of Aza.
All in all, Fairest truly proves to be the "fairest of them all" in the world of these re-tellings. If you read this book, you won't regret it.

I read this when I was younger and loved it. Reading it again now that I'm older, I still love it. It is a sweet story of growing up, of bravery, song, and courage. Although clearly a J-fic novel, Ms. Levine's kingdom of song and magic are enchanting, and I'm glad to have read her books.

What do you get when you combine the fables of the Ugly Duckling and Snow White, and combine it with a kingdom where signing is almost as frequent as talking? A good twist on a classic story that I'd love to see translated into a musical!

The main character is obsessed with her physical beauty, but her good heart and incredible voice more than compensate, as she lives in a kingdom where signing is a very highly practiced and praised art.

Unfortunately, one of the most important aspects of this tale (the signing) is where the book is weakest. Song just doesn't translate well to the written word. Without pitch and tempo, it's pretty much just poetry. Unfortunately, poetry is an acquired taste for most people (myself included) and falls mostly on deaf eyes.

If only Stephen Schwartz (who turned "Wicked" into a musical) and Gail Carson Levine could work together to turn this into a musical. Compared to the Wizard of Oz, I suspect there's an even bigger market of people who know the tale of Snow White, and the tweaks to the tale in this book make the plot deeper and more meaningful (addressing self image and even bullying to a point). If Mr. Schartz could make some memorable melodies, rewrite some of the songs to include a bit more wit and humor, this book could become the fairest of all broadway hits!

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.

First of all, I read this book in a weird way. Half of it I listened to on an audiobook, but the abrupt musical bursts left me disconcerted and annoyed. I couldn't bring myself to believe that the main character had a voice that could bring down the sun, to paraphrase Levine, when listening to the audiobook. I was interested, though, so I popped on over to Borders and bought a copy.

Not worth my $6.99.

I'm not even going to delve into Aza's obsession with appearance -- other people have already broached the subject quite well. What bothered me the most, by far, were the long verses that popped out of nowhere every five lines. I like the idea of a musical kingdom, but don't like having to read each song. It weakened the prose rather than made it more interesting. I just couldn't be arsed to read the lyrics, and listening to it -- well, I don't think I've ever heard anything more cheesy in my life.

Another thing that really bothered me was the relationship between Aza and Ijori. I just couldn't bring myself to believe that they really, truly cared about one another. Their relationship felt forced at best, faked at worst. I kept expecting Ijori to do something really heinous, like declare that he never loved her because she was so ugly or something, just to change it up a bit. No such luck. Their romance was just so unbelievable. I wish we could have had more interactions between the two and were not just told to believe their love. Heck, Aza had more chemistry with the dog than she did with the prince.

I never like comparing an author's books to one another, because I believe that each book should stand on it's own, but I did pick up Fairest because I read Ella Enchanted, first, and I was sorely disappointed.

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.

I'm disappointed. I wonder if I wouldn't be disappointed if Levine hadn't written something like Ella Enchanted. Then again... Fairest really wasn't very good. The story was interesting, but the characters were confusing and complex. And things happened that didn't seem right. People changed their minds too quickly. The love story in the book didn't capture me, in fact it made me think, "You think that is love? Are you crazy?" there were a few rare moments when I thought it was a really fascinating story, but not many.

I was so excited to see that Gail Levine had written another book. So when I saw it in the book store I snatched it right up. I couldn't wait to get home and start reading. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. It starts out with Aza who isn't very pretty, but she can sing beautifully telling about how she was taken in by the innkeepers who found when her "wench of a mother" abandoned her at the inn...

It has all the elements of a great fairy tale, a handsome prince and an evil queen. It's one of my favorite fairy tale fantasies, right up there with the North Kingdom by Jordan N. Danniels (my number one favorite book). So if you're looking for a good fairy tale to read don't pass this one by!

This new take on the Snow White story is a bit darker than Ella Enchanted but still funny. Dealing with betrayal, self-worth, and the true meaning of beauty, Fairest is a great addition to Levine's spunky princess tales.

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 has changed my life. Whenever I feel ugly, or sad, or unlovable, I go back and re-read Ms. Levine's beautiful piece of art.
Aza is an insecure young woman who finds love and realizes her inner "grandeur." If you have a young woman who needs a boost in her own self-esteem, I recommend this book with my whole heart. It is a must-read for any princess lover.

The book I read was Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. The book is a fantasy novel. This author has written several other books in the same genre including the well- known Ella Enchanted. Ella Enchanted and Fairest are not in a series, but they are set in the same place and the characters intertwine. Also one of her books is a guide to aspiring young authors.

Fifteen year old Aza of Ayortha is very insecure about how "ugly" she is. According to her, the only attractive feature she has is her voice. In a singing town like Ayortha that was very lucky. When the Duchess of Ontio selects her as a lady in waiting her life changes forever. It changes even more when the future-queen Ivi takes her in as a lady in waiting. Ivi takes advantage of Aza's talent to"illuse", or throw her voice, by making her sing for her. If she didn't do that then she would imprison her and take away Aza's family's license to own an inn. It turns out that Ivi is being manipulated by Skulni. Skulni is an evil magic mirror created by Lucinda, who pops up quite often in many of her books.

I personally thought this was a wonderful book. I myself might enjoy it more than others because it happens to be in my favorite genre. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasy and happy ever afters. I would highly recommend this author to just about everyone. Fairest is a quirky, fun, and mixed up fairy-tale that I loved.

Short and Sweet Review, by Michelle:
Eh.

How's that for short? Okay okay. I'll write a little more. Fairest is an interesting, albeit simple retelling of one of my most beloved fairy tales. It was interesting, but it is definitely aimed at a younger audience than the YA fiction I'm used to reading. That being said, I still enjoyed it and do not regret taking the time to finish it. If you are looking for a unique twist on the classic tale, you'll enjoy it. If you have a young daughter, even better! It'd be a fun story to share with her.

Ever since I read it in middle school, this has been a favorite of mine. Most books I liked back then seem dumb now that I'm an adult, but Fairest is still wonderful. Every single time I read it. Definitely a must read, especially for young girls. It promotes self confidence and honesty, and the story is more about self love and acceptance than romance. And even the romance is great!

Fairest was a superb retelling of Snow White. Like in Ella Enchanted, Levine managed to totally change the characters and the situations, but keep the soul of the fairy tale thriving. I enjoyed the romance, and the themes of forgiveness and love-of-self instead of love-of-beauty. It is a great read for teenaged girls and for adults who love a good fairy tale.

"Fairest" was a disappointment, because I don't read books specifically for positive messages for young women about their body images. I would find negative messages repellent, but first and foremost, the story must be good. In other words, I like spinach souffle but I don't care for spinach babyfood.

"Fairest" suffers in comparison to both "Snow White" and "Ella Enchanted." It is only an okay story, while the original fairy tale, "Snow White," is well balanced, and "Ella Enchanted," by the same author and based on the Cinderella story, manages to include the core of the fairy tale, building and elaborating on it in remarkably. "Fairest" seems to have missed the point of the fairy tale. Many of the fancies and whimsies are fine, but they just do not all come together in a satisfying way.

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.

Let me just start out to say that I LOVE all of Levine's books. But I was sort of disapointed with this one. Aza was so obsessed with her looks and spent a very little bit making clear what she really learned about real beauty. Also, the singing got really old too. There was a song on almost EVERY PAGE! Aza falls in love so quickly it makes me sick.
Altough I didn't like a lot of this book there were some really cool parts. I like the bird hall and other things. I really liked all of Levines other books, but this was a "meh" book

It is one of my favorite books by Gail Carson Levine. In this story Aza is not the prettiest girl ever. Despite this fact, she finds a way to true happiness. Who couldn't love this book!? It has love, sadness, happiness, evil plots, and more. If you're looking for a book you couldn't put down even if your life depended on it, then read Fairest.

I first read this book as a young teenager and while browsing the library recently I saw it and decided to re-read it. It is still good! The story is engrossing and the author has created an amazing new world to draw you into. I highly recommend any of Levine's books.

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.

One of my favorite books of all time was Ella Enchanted, so I was delighted to see Fairest set in the same kingdom. Although there were certainly elements of the writing that I liked - namely, the funny creatures/curses - it lacked a certain umph. It was just so-so. Aza is a little bit too concerned with her looks, and the whole Skarpi in the mirror thing was such a change from Ella Enchanted -- I guess what I mean is that it went from a unique gift that could be seen as a curse to a more cliched fantasy genre evil magician thing, which just didn't fit the setting. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as good as I expected.

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.

he names in this book are not fun to pronounce out loud. I read this to Cenneidigh and we both enjoyed it. I would recommend Ella Enchanted first, then this one. The story was sweet and yet had its scary moments. A little Snow White meets Shrek.

I love this author and every single one of her books that I have read . she takes a regular old fairy tale and weaves into something intricate , new and exciting . I always find her books very satisfying and her endings never leave me ripped off , she takes you on a magical ride with adventure, sweet , innocent love and so many other things that will blow your mind and make your imagination soar .

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 is a version of snow white and a very good one a book that brings the story to life.when i read this book i felt like i was aza.it shows aza falling in love for more then a prince just saveing her but he loves her for her.anyway it is a great book i will read it again.and if you love this book you should read SNOW BY TRACY LYNN

Don't bother buying this book on CD. The main character is supposed to have THE most beautiful voice, but the actress who is doing the singing has a horrendous quaver at the end of every note. It SOOO difficult to listen to. I'm only on the 3rd CD and don't know if I'll get to #4.

I can't get past the singing to comment on the story or writing or anything.

I am a big fan of Gail Carson Levine's. I just finished "Fairest" and absolutely love it. I have read some reviews that don't give this book as high a rating as Ella Enchanted, but it is a lovely book that has some great messages to it. Read this book!

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.

In the summer of fourth grade I went to the public media center and found this book. Threwout the whole summer and am pretty sure for the rest of my life I willl alway love this book. My love of readin came from this book and I will alway thank Gail Carson Levine for writing this book.

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.

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 is a version of snow white and a very good one a book that brings the story to life.when i read this book i felt like i was aza.it shows aza falling in love for more then a prince just saveing her but he loves her for her.anyway it is a great book i will read it again.and if you love this book you should read SNOW BY TRACY LYNN

Don't bother buying this book on CD. The main character is supposed to have THE most beautiful voice, but the actress who is doing the singing has a horrendous quaver at the end of every note. It SOOO difficult to listen to. I'm only on the 3rd CD and don't know if I'll get to #4.

I can't get past the singing to comment on the story or writing or anything.

I am a big fan of Gail Carson Levine's. I just finished "Fairest" and absolutely love it. I have read some reviews that don't give this book as high a rating as Ella Enchanted, but it is a lovely book that has some great messages to it. Read this book!

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.

When I read Fairest I had just finished Ella Enchanted but I think it is better than that one! One thing I really liked about it is that it's a twist on Snow White but you have to read a lot of the book before you figure that out. I also really like the way the characters are discribed so that you know a lot about each one. Another thing I really like is how the author comes up with very creative discriptions about what life is like in Ayortha (the country where the story takes place). For example she talks a lot about how the Ayorthians have Sings. If you like fantasy and fairy tales you should definitely read this book!

In the summer of fourth grade I went to the public media center and found this book. Threwout the whole summer and am pretty sure for the rest of my life I willl alway love this book. My love of readin came from this book and I will alway thank Gail Carson Levine for writing this book.

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.

Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine, is a retelling of the classic story Snow White. But in this story, Eva is definitely not the fairest in the land. The rest of the story is basically the same premise, with a few magical twists. I enjoyed the book but at times it seemed to drag. By the end of the book though, I was racing through it to discover the final outcome. Eva is definitely a sympathetic character that grows in strength and confidence by the end. If you enjoyed reading Levine's other magical book Ella Enchanted, you will enjoy this one as well!

Gail Carson Levine has once again outdone herself. Fairest is one of the best books I've ever read! If you liked Ella Enchanted, you would love this book, because it has the same plot. Although, i don't think the title "Fairest" fit the book perfectly, it was still enjoyable to read.

Ok, so Ella Enchanted was the best book ever... but Fairest is a whole different story. The story goes by too fast. Fairest features a girl named Aza who is unattractive (at least she thinks she is). She wishes for one thing: beauty. Yet she has a beautiful singing voice. When the queen of Ayortha asks Aza to do a dangerous job, Aza accepts and risks her life.

This book was just.. so.. boring. Sometimes I just wanted to tell Aza, "OK, you have your own talents other people do too!" She was SO self centered! I mean really, wishing for beauty when she has a beautiful singing voice and awesome skills that I would LOVE to have, that's just being downright unappreciative. She should appreciate the talents she has and not dreaming about what she wants. The prince she falls in love with has absolutely no character. This book goes along the lines 'love at first sight' which is kinda lame.

I wouldn't recommend this book, but to some people it might be the best book ever. This is just my opinion. But really, don't waste your time and money on this book.

Gail Carson Levine's style shines through once again as she breathes life into the overtold predictable fairytale of Snow White. Very similar to Ella Enchanted, Fairest takes place in the same world and has (as is Levine's style) a very unconventional twist to a well known story. The characters of Fairest will capture your heart and make you want to read Ella Enchanted again. A fantastic story for children and teenagers alike. Even the adults will enjoy this well told tale.

Being both a librarian and big fan of fantasy/sci fi in particular I expected to like this book more than I actually did. I think it is a good book for tweens. But not for grown-ups who like to read YA books for their own enjoyment - I think adults will be disappointed with the one dimensional nature of the characters and storyline.

this book is amaizing. all a little girl wants is to be pretty. but she soon finds out theres more to her tale that being ugly. a duthess brings her off to the kings castle,and the adventure begins. she will meet a tricky mirror, a snarky cook, and the love of her life! be ready for a wild ride!

I really enjoy this book. It is about a girl aza who is lucky enough be be invited to a royal wedding. she is very concious about he apperance

(apperantly she and everyone around her doesn't think shes the "fairest one of all")this story also includes many songs because of the place they live in which loves to sing. It's a great thing to read with a wonderful messege. It's also not difficult to understand. enjoy

I, unfortunately, amd going to add to the chorus of opinions urging you to stay away. This is a book best borrowed, if you absolutely must read this dreadful thing. There aren't many books I've thrown. But this is one of them. I could live with the whiny, self-obsessed "heroine" if I had to, if the rest of the story was any good. However, like so many others, I literally could not find it within myself to sympathize with her for even one second. And at the end, when I might have bumped up to two stars for some of the beautiful prose, came the letter. That's where I threw the book. A young man abandons you to the wolves with the slightest of provocation. You forgive him, based on one lousy memo. And you marry him at sixteen years old. Yes, this is so definitely the image I want my twelve year old daughter to have. Sure. (and please read that as sarcasm dripping from my voice.) I truly wish I could get my money back on this abominable thing.

this book was great.funny,sad,happy.i loved it ,my daughter loved it.

i hope young girls who don't think they are "pretty"enough read this book

and see that beauty is really not what matters.

When I read Fairest I had just finished Ella Enchanted but I think it is better than that one! One thing I really liked about it is that it's a twist on Snow White but you have to read a lot of the book before you figure that out. I also really like the way the characters are discribed so that you know a lot about each one. Another thing I really like is how the author comes up with very creative discriptions about what life is like in Ayortha (the country where the story takes place). For example she talks a lot about how the Ayorthians have Sings. If you like fantasy and fairy tales you should definitely read this book!

A simple fairy story set in a make believe kingdom. The plot is unique but slow, the characters are one-dimensional. If you liked Ella Enchanted, you'll like it. But if you're looking for something rich and believable, this isn't it.

This is not a review, it is a question. Didn't anyone try to decode the languages in "Fairest"? I've encountered three so far, gnomish, spellbook, and ogre, all of which are clearly variations of language games. But I've found no obvious clues, and it is driving me crazy!

I enjoyed "fairest", but I dont think it was up to the same level as "Ella Enchanted". The style of the book was relatively the same, but I believe that Ella is a much more likeable character than Aza. I do think that it is a very good book (as is most of Levine's works) and definitely worth reading.

There aren't many books with ugly heroines. I also grew up ugly, awkward and insecure in grade school and I always hated teenage romances novels where the unnatractive heroine had to be conviced by a boy before she could believe in herself. I agree the plot could've been better. I was dissaponted at the end that Aza had so much help from others the ending was just too obvious. I would like to have seen more adversity and trial on Aza's part instead of Prince Ijori and her other friends coming to her aid all the time.

Before you judge me, let me just say that I tried my hardest to suffer through this bomb, but it DIDN'T work. I read Ella Enchanted with my two kids and we loved every minute of it. Naturally, we moved on to this one. It was a bad choice, and I don't recommend you do it either. Waste of time and money!

It started in the first few chapters. My kids wouldn't listen to it. I spent much of our reading time asking them to sit quietly and listen. When I realized that the entire book was descriptive (not enough plot for me...), I could see the kids' dilemma... Levine describes everything with such detail that the story doesn't advance. Many reviews have talked about how the heroine's looks were a constant focus, but I felt that EVERYTHING had to be described in the same detail. The last straw for me (I lasted a few chapters more than the kids, but not much), was when she was exploring the castle and Levine talked about every sight, smell, sound that Aza experienced. WHO CARES?!?!? The castle was too vast for me to imagine, so why try to detail the whole blasted thing????

I won't be finishing it, and it sounds (from other reviews) like it's not worth the agony anyway. If you decide to read, the good luck to ya!

On a seperate pice of paper,write a book report.

1.the book title and the author. then write your opinion and what type of book it is
2.what the book was about and not giving away the ending
3.your opinion about the book

On a seperate pice of paper,write a book report.

1.the book title and the author. then write your opinion and what type of book it is
2.what the book was about and not giving away the ending
3.your opinion about the book

This book is loosely based on Snow white....Aza was abandoned at birth, luckily the innkeeper and his wife take her in. She has a beautiful voice which is prized in Ayortha. She is lucky enough to be able to go the King's wedding. she ends up being blackmailed by the new Queen because Aza can illuse her voice (throw her voice)and the new Queen can not sing. Then throw in a magic mirror and some gnomes and you have the rest of the story.

I read through the entire book waiting for it to get better. It never did.

To begin with, I loved "Ella Enchanted". It was a magical book. So it is with much disappointment that I write this review.

I really wanted to love this book. But I couldn't even stomach it most of the time. First of all, there was the obsession that the main character had with her looks. Every other sentence has something about her being "ugly". Either she's saying it to herself or someone else is saying it about her because it's understood that she's not good looking. The main character, on the other hand, is well known for having a beautiful voice. All the sentences that don't harp on her (bad) looks go into detail about her beautiful voice. (It makes one wonder what would happen to a character in that world who - HORRORS - doesn't have a beautiful voice or a great face.)

The Prince Charming of the book is also quite unlikable. Well, the reader is supposed to like him, but I found it difficult to like a hero who so readily turns his back on his 'beloved' - even when it means she will be imprisoned. And, then, when he sends her a letter asking her to forgive him, the heroine does it so easily that it's almost offensive to the reader that we're expected to just go along with it. I couldn't help but think that Ella of Frell would have kicked his rear end.

When I wasn't annoyed and turned off by the horrible characters, I was irritated by the inclusion of a song every two seconds. And they weren't even GOOD songs. So, I found myself skimming through most of the songs and that accounts for - at least - 50% of the book.

In short: If you must read, please get it from a library. I actually bought mine from a used bookstore at half off and I regret even spending that much.

I eagerly awaited this book when I learned that Levine would be writing another story in the world of Ella Enchanted, but unfortunately, it turned out to be quite a disappointment. There's nothing much wrong with the story line, I think, but the way in which the novel was written does nothing to make you like the characters. There was no connection formed between the reader and the characters as there was in Ella Enchanted. You get the feeling that the author struggled to find her characters' identities and 'voices,' without ever finding them completely- or at least, without fully conveying them in the text. I felt detatched and impersonal even at the end of the book, coming away disappointed and unmoved.

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.

I waited for four months since I heard this was coming out to buy it. When it finally came I read the second I got it. Needless to say it wasn't all that great. It was more like a cheap spin off of Snow White than a book that could stand on it's own. If you want to read this book, I suggest renting it from the library.

I had a hard time starting this book, I'd read a couple pages, then walk away. Once i got to about page 50 though, I couldn't stop reading and stayed up till 4am finishing it.
This is a book about Ava, who thinks of herself as hidious and hides her face all the time. She goes to the castle as a lady-in-waiting and befriends the queen, who makes her trick everybody, so they think it's the queen singing when it's really Ava. She meets her long-lost 'cousin', falls in love, gets trapped in a mirror, and narrowly escapes death a couple of times.
This book is incredible! I also loved 'Ella Enchanted'-Gail Carson Levine, 'Daughter of Venice'-Donna Jo Napoli, The 'Boston Jane' series, and all of Sharon Chreech and Shannon Hales books.

Ok, so Ella Enchanted was the best book ever... but Fairest is a whole different story. The story goes by too fast. Fairest features a girl named Aza who is unattractive (at least she thinks she is). She wishes for one thing: beauty. Yet she has a beautiful singing voice. When the queen of Ayortha asks Aza to do a dangerous job, Aza accepts and risks her life.

This book was just.. so.. boring. Sometimes I just wanted to tell Aza, "OK, you have your own talents other people do too!" She was SO self centered! I mean really, wishing for beauty when she has a beautiful singing voice and awesome skills that I would LOVE to have, that's just being downright unappreciative. She should appreciate the talents she has and not dreaming about what she wants. The prince she falls in love with has absolutely no character. This book goes along the lines 'love at first sight' which is kinda lame.

I wouldn't recommend this book, but to some people it might be the best book ever. This is just my opinion. But really, don't waste your time and money on this book.

The book is very good, but the audio book brings the songs and the story to life! The singers that perform on the audio book are very accomplished. This is in my oppinion the best book she's written yet! If you haven't read the book, or have, but didn't like the musical sections in it or didn't think it flowed well, rent this from the library or buy it here (let's face it...for an audio book, it's definitely cheap enough!).

I don't have much more to say. I just adore her!!! It's the second book I am reading from her and I am already rooting for more!!! This book had some flaws and I have to recognize that Ella Enchanted was way better but it is just so good!!! And the moral! And the romance! And Oochoo! And zhamM!!! AND IVI!!!! I love her!!! I love ALL OF THE CHARACTERS!!!

4.8 stars

This is one of the books that helped me to love reading as a older child and I still love it. I think that its not only a fun read but its clever and teaches a good message of self love. I would highly recommend this book. I love how the author weaves all of her stories together in subtle ways.