Spelled (The Storymakers)

An ill-worded wish is worse than a curse...

SPELLED by Betsy Schow is an enchanting,farcical YA fractured fairy tale. It is the story of Dorthea, the Crown Princess of Emerald, and Prince Kato.

As the story opens, we learn that the heroine is magically imprisoned at her castle and not allowed to be near flames because of a curse:
Our family became spelled after my ancestor pixed off two evil witch sisters. The witches’ curse was supposed to doom my great- great- great grandmother to turn evil and torch the world— except the spell wasn’t worded right. It didn’t spec-ify which Emerald princess. So ever since, all the girls in the Emerald family have been stuck inside, since there’s no way to know what generation will inherit the curse.

Our heroine is a spoiled brat. She has money, clothes and servants. She spends her days attempting to break the wards holding her captive and dismissing her royal suitors.

Being shut in doesn't stop Dorthea from socializing with other fairy tale royalty.
Though all the major fairy tale families were coming tonight, I wouldn't exactly call any of them friends. Aside from the once-a-year gathering, I never spoke to any of them, except the occasional chat on Flitter with Cinderella, since we shared a love of designer footwear.

Nor does it keep her from shopping at her favorite stores: the Castle Shopping Network and Blooming Dales.

When her parents decree that she is to marry Prince Kato, Dorthea is rebellious to say the least.
No way. I would rather lick a toad. I would let a wicked old hag bake me into gingerbread before I married this son of a bas-ilisk who had the gall to look amused while I hyperventilated.

She throws a fit and utters a selfish, foolish wish that backfires and turns the entire fairy tale realm topsy turvy giving evil the upper hand and causing her parents to disappear. In Dorthea's words: "All spell broke loose." Evidence of the turmoil is all around. The wicked witch has taken up residence at Emerald and the Beast is now wearing Beauty's dress!
A ferocious growl drew my gaze to the back of the room, where a hairy beast wore a yellow ball gown. I tried to block out the memory of Beauty in that dress earlier this evening.

So... Dorthea, Prince Kato, who has been turned into a small, furry dragonish creature, and a reluctant servant embark on a quest seeking to reverse Dorthea's wish.

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there!

3 1/2 Wine Glasses!

eARC Provided by Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of honest and unbiased review for Blog Tour post found by clicking here

Spelled by Betsy Schow was definitely a unique book in it's overly populated YA Fantasy genre. You see here and there tons of fairy tale smash-ups, twists, retellings, blah blah blah, that it seems to get harder to find a book that takes the tales we've grown up with and have that author make it completely their own. Betsy Schow has donde that, and more with this novel.

Dorothea was something special. Without her, this story would have sucked really, really hard. She's the bad type of character you detest but love at the same time. At first she's shallow, conceited, a snob of fashion, and completely and utterly annoying with her whining here and there. Completely detestable yet likeable. Hers was a character that went through a complete character development by the ending. She became strong, independent, sacrificing, a loyal and reliable friend, and the master of her own story rather than depend on a fate that was made by the Storymakers. She was also super hilarious with the things she came up with. By the end I was even more in love with her.

This is my favorite quote from the book because it, basically, summarizes the whole theme of the book and shows how much Dorothea has grown from the whiny little princess at the beginning:

Though I still believed in the Storymakers, I'd started to question how much control I had on how this story turned out. Maybe it was me and not the curse that would determine the kind of person I became. The power alone wouldn't make me evil. It all depended on what I did with it. But that didn't mean I had to be helpless either, waiting for someone else to solve my problems. Hero or villain--it was up to me to decide.

Prince Kato is a complete darling. I love him! At first he's like this weird prince who looks super evil with an agenda of his own, I almost detested him. Almost. He later becomes a strange creature, kind of like a puppy, it was completely hilarious. I probably make no sense but I don't want to give away much. However, as we get to know him more like Dorothea does, he shows his true colors and that he's not as bad as Dorothea thinks him to be at first. He's romantic, dedicated, a true leader willing to give his all for his people, and did I mention romantic?

Other than the awesome cast of characters in this story, the other aspect that made this whole thing something amazing was the imagination and creativity the author had with everything. There's mention of fairy tales such as Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, basically all those. In Spelled we are thrown into this world where Fairy Tales are the norm and every princess in distress has her happy ending with a prince. Except Dorothea doesn't want this. There are things such as the Storymakers too, which in our reality are writers, who are the ones who create the destinies of these characters, etc. It was mindblowing to see all these twists with a sprinkle of the author's unique style make this tale memorable. And completely hilarious with fairy tale advice, villains telling their experiences, how to be a ruler, among many more things.

"I hate to tell you, but that Jolly Roger has sailed, sunk, and been eaten by ticking crocodiles."

"Power is a worm that crawls into your heart and eats away your soul. Finally, when there's nothing left--that's when the good part starts," Malevolent, Dungeon Confessions.

I doubt there was ever a moment when I had a straight face while reading this. I would constantly laugh, swoon, gasp, and try to keep guessing what was going to happen next. It was interesting how certain events were woven together by the end and highly entertaining. There wasn't a moment when it felt dull. I couldn't stop reading and was very, very desperate when I had to do something instead spending precious time reading. Highly recommend it to everyone who enjoyed fairy tales and is in desperate need of a new something in this saturated genre. Jewels like this are hard to find but highly appreciated once read. I really hope everyone who reads it gets to love it, and I can't wait for the sequel! Because there better be. I'll even stalk Sourcebooks Fire to get an eARC again lol.

Rating: 5 stars

Review by Jennifer Madero

Princess Sofia the First meets The Wizard of Oz and Once Upon a Time in Spelled.

I requested and received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I've never read The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, my favorite movie growing up was The Wizard of Oz. Maybe it was because I'm from Kansas, maybe because I loved the songs; I don't really know because I was three when the obsession started, but I still love everything at all like The Wizard of Oz to this day, so I was thrilled when I got approved for this book.

Spelled takes us into the land of the stories where our favorite fairytale and story book characters live their lives until the Storymakers get around to writing their happily ever afters. But what if the Storymakers aren't always in control of the outcome?

After a wish goes wrong, Dorthea, the Emerald princess must go on a quest to try and fix what she broke, which is basically everything in the land of Story. At the beginning of the book, she reminded me of any of the girls on My Super Sweet Sixteen; shallow, spoiled, and vapid. She wasn't really a very likable person, but I still found myself wanting her to get her way, and succeed.

There was so much that I loved about this book, from the chapter headers that were excerpts from books and magazines that are clearly popular in the land of Story, to the way aspects of the original stories were woven into this tale. The way the characters cursed ("For the love of Grimm") provided several giggles while I was reading. This was basically like getting to read a modern day prequel to The Wizard of Oz.

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It made me laugh a lot and kept me thoroughly entertained and flipping pages. I'd love to see a sequel and would definitely recommend it to YA fairytale fans.

Reviewed on Just Another Girl and Her Books blog

Spelled by Betsy Schow is a fanciful and satirical take on the story of The Wizard of Oz. It follows Dorthea, a princess whose family has been cursed and who can never leave her castle, lest she set off the end of the world. She is tired of the same old, same old and she’ll do anything to have a bit of adventure in her life. When she discovers that she is to be married to a haughty stranger, she makes a wish that goes seriously wrong, and Dorthea finds herself in a world that is totally screwed up. She must work with her future husband to restore magic and her home to the way it was before, all the while growing as a person and realizing there’s more to life than shopping and shiny shoes.

This book is a fun, hilarious and silly book. It is snarky and full of jokes. if you don’t like puns and play on words, watch out! This book is full of both. Schow tells the traditional story of The Wizard of Oz by combining all of the fairy tale tropes from all of the traditional tales into a ridiculous mix of humor and stereotype turned on its head.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The silly takes on all of the old school tales were entertaining. I like re-tellings of fairy tales as it is, but I haven’t read such a jokey take before. I laughed a lot and I highlighted some great quotes, which isn’t something I typically do when I’m reading. Every single aspect of fairy tales are present in this book. No matter what character or story type you’re looking for, you’ll find it included, often turned on its head.

The only issue I had with Spelled is that the over-the-top ridiculousness does get to be a little much at times. Though I loves puns as much as the next person, there are points where I get tired of hearing the same silly phrases over and over again. Overall though, the story was fun and really made me chuckle on multiple occasions.

If you like funny books and traditional fairy tales being twisted in a modern way, check it out!

***I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.***

"Spelled" by Betsy Schow encompasses everything I LOVE and HATE about young adult fiction. Set in the land of fairy tales come to life, Dorthea is the spoiled princess and prisoner of the Emerald Palace. A curse placed on all the females of her family keeps her a prisoner in her own palace. Then one wish gone awry unlocks the laws of magic and sends Dorthea on a journey to save magic and the fairy tale kingdom from destruction.

What I Loved

A story set in Oz....well sorta ;) The entire story is set in a land of fairy tales, like every fairy tale you can think of has its own kingdom including the Land of Emerald. This makes for an exciting read as Dorthea and her ragtag group travel from kingdom to kingdom on their quest. AND the author ties these different kingdoms to scenes from The Wizard of Oz which of course I loved!

The Fantasy Elements....this story is full of fantastical creatures, magic, and infused with just the right amount of fairy tale and pop culture. It makes for an entertaining read! The imagery is surreal and perfect and I felt as if I could feel and hear and taste everything that was happening to the characters.

Prince Kato :D This character is one that is easy to hate and love. He's arrogant (or at least he comes off that way), yet kind and loyal to a fault and so stinking cute as this weird chimera hybrid puppy. His relationship with Dorthea is tenuous to say the least as their first disastrous encounter but I did like him and rooted for him throughout the book.

The Humor....this book is hilariously funny. I laughed til I cried and then laughed some more. Dorthea is a spoiled brat and it shows. It's especially funny and a bit endearing when she's so concerned about her clothes and shoes after she basically causes the collapse of her kingdom. The pop culture/urban references to technology like iPhones and internet are throughout the book and appealing to those with dry humor like me ;)

What I Hated

Teen Drama....if I've said it once I've said it a million times, I CANNOT STAND TEEN DRAMA!!!! It's why I avoid young adult contemporary and this book is full of it.

Dorthea....the main character is extremely shallow concerned about the latest fashions rather than the collapse of magic, selfish thinking of only what she wants instead of what is best for her kingdom, and immature not thinking of the consequences of her wish. Despite how much I disliked her, Dorthea does have some redeeming qualities though they don't show up til the end of the book.

Mean Girls....I didn't like them in high school and I certainly didn't care for them in this book. Unfortunately Dorothea is one of them, picking on anyone she deems unworthy. This included her first encounter with Prince Kato and the maid girl she eventually saves.

The Villain....the Gray Witch or Griz is not very good at striking fear in the hearts of the reader. She's petty, doesn't seem to have a clear plan other than giving the princess her wish, and seems rather incompetent at becoming queen. She adds some comedic relief but not much suspense in my opinion.

Not What I Expected

This book was so far from what I expected, but that's not a bad thing. I was expected a loose retelling of The Wizard of Oz and while all my favorite elements are there, it isn't a retelling at all. Dorthea makes a wish that she can escape her curse and the forced engagement to Prince Kato, yet the wish becomes a curse itself when it threatens to undo magic. Dorthea is forced to face the world outside the Emerald Palace and she must rely on two people she didn't think worthy of her time. To defeat the Gray Witch, Dorthea must face her own fears about the curse placed on her family and she must learn to use the magic within her.

Overall I could have done without the first 50% of the book. It contained all I hate about young adult contemporary and I was really ready to DNF it. But the last 50% is golden! It's unique, reminds me of why I read young adult fantasy, and it's fast-paced. Dorthea's character redeems herself in the last half and Prince Kato becomes a bit more likable as well. I think this quote sums up the book really well: "It's not about who I want to be; it's about who I need to be."

So while I obviously didn't like some of the book, I really liked other parts and the ending has me hooked. If there are more books in the series (which the ending sets it up for more) I will read them. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy urban fantasy, fairy tales, all things Oz, and of course young adult ;)

This book is literally so much fun! I feel stupid saying it, but it really is. It's packed with so many laugh out loud moments, awesome (and a bit crazy) characters, and an adventure you will be thinking about for a long time.

Dorthea starts out as your typical teenage princess, spoiled, never has enough and thinks she is better then everyone else. That is what I loved most about her character. You start off Spelled with one Dorthea and you end the book with another. All through out Spelled she learned to value what she had and her parents, and not everyone has it as easy as she did. Dorthea is snarky, sarcastic, and wickedly smart when she actually thinks things through and doesn't act on a whim. Things she says and her inner monologue will have you out right laughing. Now to throw in Kato, who Dorthea originally thought was the gardener (See the excerpt below) who both hate each other, and now are arranged to be married, things get even funnier.

The banter between Kato and Dorthea was perfect. They hate each other, they both despise the fact that they are going to be married to each other soon. The romance was really well down. Betsy didn't rush the romance between Kato and Dorthea, it flowed and came to a head at a perfect point with in the story. I am adding Kato to my list of fictional boyfriends though, because he is just super yummy. I just can't explain why.

Overall I really liked this one! It was open ended so I am hoping for news of a sequel soon. I recommend this one for anyone who is looking for a laugh or just something fun to read on their off time.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I am so lucky to have picked this up from Netgalley! This was such a cute and fun read! So many puns throughout the book and I was laughing almost the whole time.

The story follows Dorthea, the Emerald Princess, as she makes a selfish wish that changes the laws of magic. In order to fix her wish she must travel to the hidden rainbow with Rexi (who used to be a frog) and Kato (her sudden fiance who is not human). The Grey Witch is on the hunt to stop Dorthea but that's not all who is against her. Every storybook character that you have ever read has had their lives changed and their stories are not so happily ever after anymore.

Dorthea is a spoiled princess that isn't allowed outside due to a curse placed on her family generations ago. She is bratty and I hated her in the first half of the book. She slowly grows up but it takes most of the book for her to realize it and what she has to do. Rexi was a great addition and she was so snarky I loved her! She was a great sidekick to Dorthea. Kato was ok as a prince. He was just as snarky/mean and I think the romance between Dorthea and him happened just a tiny bit too fast.

The best part of the book were all the puns and the side remarks made throughout the book about other fairy tales and their stories. I would LOVE to live in a world like that. It was so unique and creative, I just fell in love with Schows world building of Story.

I would highly recommend this book to fairy tale lovers! This will be a series since it kinda ends with a little bit of a cliffhanger but since it just came out it might be a while.......

If you put several fairy tales, an unhappy Princess, curses, evil witches, snarky humor, puns, action, adventure, and a little bit of romance in a pot, you get Spelled. This book had just about everything.

Part way through the book I started reading sections out loud to my my daughter. The writing is full of wit and creativity. I had to share the fun as we laughed together.

Dorthea is a Princess in a cage. The cage is a castle, but even a beautiful cage remains a cage. She isn't allowed to venture outside the castle because of an ancient curse. A Princess of her family will be the cause of disruption and fire in the Kingdom. All Princesses are kept in their palatial cage for their own good and for the good of the people.

Dorthea isn't happy with this arragement and makes an unfortunate wish that turns magic upside down and sends her parents to a place called Kansas. It is up to her, her unwanted fiancee, and a servant girl to go on an impossible quest to get save the day.

The book is set in the land of fairy tales. So while the story follows characters in the land of OZ, (very loosely) there are other creatures and characters from other tales who pop in and out of the story. The story flew at a fantastic pace and kept my interest throughout. I loved the writing style. It was full of attitude and determination. It was a great mix.

There is a slight amount of innuendo and violence in the story. Overall, it's a pretty clean book

Want a whimsical mix of fairytales? Want characters who grow and learn to admit their mistakes? Want magic that breaks the rules and wraps everything together nicely in the end? Want random coincidences that help and hurt the heroine? Want chimeras and gorillas and hydras and butterpillars?
Then this book is for you!
It reminds me of Heroes' Guide to Saving the Kingdom in pure fun, but this book's pov is closer to the protagonist, in her head. She still makes ironic references, but accidentally (like when she imagines she's in the center of a tornado, or that her friend nearly got squashed by a house and would've had nothing but legs sticking out).
The romance could've simmered longer. Two selfish royals save each other's lives a couple times and BAM they're in love. At least they're not head over heels, or horns over paws.
So, cute tale, and I loved all the connections to Wizard of Oz. ("Wizard of Is.") I sort of hope there's a second one.

Spelled takes us on a fun adventure reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz with a few other fairy tales mixed in. The story follows Dorthea, a self absorbed and spoiled brat of a character, as she struggles to correct the mistake she's made which has her fleeing for her life. Lets keep in mind that from the get go, you don't really like the main character. The upside though is that she is still entertaining and we do have the opportunity to see a lot of character growth throughout the story. What makes this really worth reading though is the story itself. It really is unique and refreshing despite being reminiscent of former fairy tales.

The book is filled with fun and exciting creatures and just enough fantasy. There is also a great dose of humor in the book which makes for a light hearted read. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, probably more so than our main character but I was okay with that. Where this book struggled for me was the teenage drama and angst. There was a little too much of it for me and that "mean girl" mentality than our main character had was irksome at times. I would say though that if you can get through the first half of the book, it really takes off them and makes for a pretty good story.

Princess Dorothea Gayle Emerald is sick and tired of being cooped up inside the palace just because of a curse some old witch put on her family line ages and ages ago. Have never really listened to her princess lessons, having never really believed in the curse, Dorothea makes a ill-worded, ill-fated wish that breaks all of the rules of fairy tales and destroys most of the magic and lets in a long-thwarted evil. She expects her fairy godmother to swoop in an d make everything better. Instead, she finds herself on a journey with Rexi, briefly a frog but always a thief, and Kato, a chimera, who is also her betrothed (surprise!). All she can really remember is that her fairy godmother told her to always keep ahold of her shoes, so come what may, her fabulous heels will always be with her.
Yes, this is a riff on the Wizard of Oz, and sometimes the action is brilliantly-crafted. Other times, however, it feels like the author is trying to throw as many hipster references to other fairy tales as she can. While the fabulous heels on the cover makes this look like a book for high schoolers, it really reads more as a middle school or upper elementary read. It isn’t bad, but it is also not brilliant. If you want to read a series that skillfully incorporates multitudes of fairy tales, try Alethea Kontis’s Woodcutter series instead.
EL, MS – OPTIONAL.

Spoiled-Brat-Princess Dorthea begins her tale confined inside the Emerald Palace due to a centuries-old curse put on her family. When her selfishness and irresponsibility unleashes a new curse upon her lands, and all of Story, she is forced to adventure out to find the Wizard of Oz for help. With only a sharp tongued servant girl and her betrothed (a magically enchanted chimera) for company, the three find themselves adventuring through the magically altered kingdoms and trading humorous fairy-tale inspired barbs along the way. Though Dorthea is highly unlikable, readers will likely find themselves rooting for her, which is a testament to the author’s writing ability.

Schow’s creative retelling of ‘Wizard of Oz’ has all the makings of a wonderful fairytale; wicked witches, flying monkeys, princesses and a seemingly endless supply of prince charming suitors. ‘Spelled’ also contains a plethora of fairytale and pop culture references. All in all, a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, lighthearted read that I recommend for anyone who loves fairy tale retellings or YA novels. There's just enough that's different here to really make it its own story instead of just another Wizard of Oz book told from a different angle. The character development is fantastic, both in the main character and her prince Kato. It's slow and steady, so you don't necessarily realize it as it's happening, but by the end of the story, you realize just how different everyone has become.

My one MAJOR beef with this book is no fault of the author. Early in the story, Dorothea's parents go missing (not a spoiler). For most of the book, you are supposed to wonder where her parents are. It's not actually revealed until the last 13 pages of the book. Which is great - except for the fact that you're told where they are in the summary of the book on the back cover. That was a HUGE spoiler and I kept waiting for them to reveal the information, and then it become clear it was a significant reveal that wasn't coming until the end. Except I already knew the answer. So if a Kindle version is a possibility for you, go with that so you don't end up spoiled on the storyline.

Good story, fun characters, decent pacing. A few copy errors that should have easily been caught, so I don't know if it is because of a formatting error or lazy proofreading.
The growth of the main character was okay. Could have been better, could have been worse. Hopefully, in the next book, she improves.
I liked the idea of playing g with the stereotypes and bases of fairytales, but some of the things were damn near groan worthy.

If you are looking for something to enjoy with your kids, this could work.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

Spelled follows the story of Dorothea, the Princess of the Emerald Castle. She has lived a charmed life, always getting the newest Hans Christian Louboutin shoes and designer ball gowns. Dot, as her closest friends call her, finds out that her parents have arranged a marriage for her with the gross Prince Kato. Dot gets so pixed off that she makes a wish on a (secretly) cursed star that sends her world tumbling through a tornado of changes.

Good Grimm, you can really tell that Betsy Schow had fun writing this book. It's full of funny and creative fairy tale puns, mixing up many different fantasy worlds to create a story where a spoiled princess must grow to be the heroine that can save her country, her family, and herself. While Spelled has some adult themes, it is written for a young adult audience. Spelled will take you on a magical adventure that will keep you on your red-ruby-heeled toes.

If you like Artemis Fowl, Forbidden Game or any other young adult novel with fairies then you will want to give Spelled a try. As an adult reader I found the not really profanity to be a little cutesy but the over all tone was well balanced and by the end of the story I had gone from hating the useless Princess Dorthea to hoping for her happily ever after. This book may have emerald kindoms, lying wizards and hydrophobic witches but you won't feel like this is an Oz story you've heard before. I will be recommending it for sure.

When I saw this title, I instantly loved the cover. I thought the idea was cute. I started to read and it was interesting. The author created a world where, there aren't bad words but fairytaled bad words. Just read and you will understand. I don't read many fairy tales but the story I thought was creative. The princess from other stories are there, Rapunzel and her hair! Too funny.

Dorthea has been in the castle all her life because of a curse. She is spoiled. But really what else is there to do.Trying to find a prince can be exhausting and boring.

"Girl of Emerald, no man can tame. Burn down the world, consumed by flames."

This book was really cute and at times pretty hilarious. The different characters were great. It wasn't hard to follow and it would be great for the YA crowd. For me it was just a good/enjoyable story. This really was quite an adventure....Lissa

Betsy Schow took a classic fairytale, flipped it inside out and upside down, and delivered a story that was filled to the brim with modern magic, fantastical new worlds and a humorous mixing pot of characters!

Oh I am SO happy I chose to review SPELLED for this blog tour. What an amazing story! Just to prepare you if you decide to read it though; Goodreads will tell you it's a standalone novel but it's not. Although there is no life-ruining cliffhanger, there is promise for another book. A sequel I will definitely be trying to get my hands on early!

I was happily surprised by this fairy tale retelling (kind of) of The Wizard of Oz. I found myself giggling throughout a good portion of it and believe me when I say I probably highlighted more than I left blank. I expected a retelling and a backwards one at that but what I did not expect was humor and characters that were so cleverly intertwined with one another. I had so much fun figuring out who was from which well-known fairy tale. Schow also made the story very modern with Story's own brands that are very similar to our own world. Like, for example, they totally have UPS over there! (United Pegasus Service, duh). And Flitter where Dorthea can connect with her close friend, Cinderella, and when that was out of use she could easily call up Beauty on her spellphone. Ha!

Dorthea was, at first, a character I would gladly give that extra nudge if she happened to find herself standing at the edge of a cliff. She was entitled and better-than. By the end she was barely recognisable. The character development was immense and so redeeming. She went from being a spoilt little brat of a naive princess to a fiery (ha) warrior princess ready to risk it all for the few people she grew to love and respect. She was someone I grew to like, I wouldn't say I connected with her per se. I mean how does one properly connect with someone like that? I did respect her though.

"Evil is tough to override, because it's ingrained in the soul. Nutcases, however, I could work with, and this lady was off her toadstool."

Kato was definitely my favourite character in this entire story. From the very beginning he wasn't afraid to speak his mind and tell the rude Dorthea off. He was enchanting in most everything he did and watching his feelings shift for the girl he once loathed was so rewarding knowing the journey they went through together. I cannot wait to see how things develop between them.

"So sit down, grow up, and start acting like the kind of princess your people deserve."

Rexi was another character I liked for the simple fact that she wasn't afraid to knock Dorthea down a peg or seven when need be. She was fiesty and sarcastic which instantly makes her easy to connect to, for me anyways.

"...Build a bridge, then make like a billy goat and get over it already because no one is listening."

YEAH! BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTERS EVER.

There was such a wide array of other characters here, maybe the biggest I've ever read about. I think it brought a lot of atmosphere to the story and without them it would literally just be a princess, a servant and a weird half-lion-half-dragon walking through the woods. It also helped that they were often characters from other fairy tales, it was fun to pick them out and match them to their original stories. There were also bibliobugs and wicked witches that listened to Wrong Direction so what are you missing here? NOTHING.

"She should know better than to mess with me in the middle of a shoe crisis, so I replied with the well-recognised dwarf hand sign telling her to Hi-Ho herself off a cliff."

Insta-love? Nada! Believe me... No instantaneous affection here in the slightest. I think that made the whole build up between Dorthea and Kato much sweeter and I really did enjoy the moments they had together. That being said, there weren't that many moments which don't get me wrong, is a good thing here. With so much going on and the main story line being that Dorthea is lost in some whacked out story world, the romance took a back seat and appeared at perfect moments.

At the beginning (or end? It was hard to tell because the ARC version was sort of just one long chapter) of each chapter was a 'quote' from some sort of book or magazine from the world of Story. These were such great additions! I'm going to list a few of my favourites below and, believe me, it was hard to only choose a few.

"It's not really a party until a fight breaks out and all seven dwarfs are passed out underneath the punch bowl." - Excerpt from "How to Have a Blast at Your Next Ball" in Fairy Vogue

"Rule #99: Sacrifice is necessary to gain anything of worth. Usually a pumpkin or a few mice will suffice. Never offer your first born though." - Definitive Fairy Tale Survival Guide: Volume 1
"If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." Gretel from Candy Kills: A True Story

The story developed really well and became unputdownable. I cannot wait to see what Schow has in store the the second book. *grabby hands* Gimme!

Review originally posted on cosyingupwithbooks.blogspot.co.uk*

A most unusual retelling of the Wizard of Oz, for sure. It was fascinating and different, but it just never really "grabbed" me.

Dorthea is the Emerald Princess, confined to the castle due to a generations-old curse. When she makes a wish that goes VERY wrong, she is thrown into an adventure to beat all adventures.

The characters are all very well written, and easy to like--or hate. The situations are a bit contrived at times, but aren't most fairy tales? It's interesting to see how Dorthea changes and matures throughout, however. By the end, she's much less the spoiled brat and more the caring princess and friend.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

I love fairy tale mash-ups and retellings, and Spelled did not disappoint. If you took Cher from Clueless and put her in the center of a huge mix of fairy tales and the Wizard of Oz, you might end up with something like Spelled. This was a fun read with lots of clever characters, fast dialogue, and cute plays on words. Lots of humor. And that cover is GORGEOUS.

Betsy Schow engages the reader with each new chapter by giving us rules from the “Definitive Fairy-Tale Survival Guide, Volume 1.” Each rule she gives us at the beginning of the chapter pertains to the main event that happens in that chapter. Each chapter has a different eye-catching title. She uses sound words to make the reader hear what she wants them to hear. She uses descriptive language to make the reader feel and imagine what is happening in the story. The text is fairly large and is written in small paragraphs. Each chapter picks up right where the last one left off. She uses very sarcastic language and uses “pix” as a term that would mean the same thing as “damn” or something more vulgar. Her sarcasm makes me laugh and makes me connect more with Dorthea because it reminds me of myself. This novel is driven by the plot and Dorthea’s character, and the decisions she makes. Overall, this book is a good read.

Love this fairy tale with all the familiar characters in an alternate universe. It's an updated modern tale with a princess, a prince, and a frog that kept me guessing to the end. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!

absolutely loved this take on the wizard of oz. Dorthea is a new take on the traditional Dorthey, spoiled but with a good heart. and like any good fairy tale there is a prince but this one is a little furry. i like how the other fairy tale princesses are mentioned as well giving an opportunity to expand on this world if the writer wanted to. and the supposed wicked witch not being wicked. im cool with that. hoping for a sequel or two!

Spelled is a cute adventure with hilarious puns. Though I do recommend, there are some cons. The characters can be a bit annoying, Dorthea is spoiled (but she goes grow up) and Rexi is a major klepto/terrible friend. I wish there was more chemistry in Kati and Dorthea's relationship, it was like they didn't stand each other then to admitting that they were both ok and cute and then they were each other 's true love. Really i would rate it a 3.5.

Read these books (this being the first of three purchased and finished in as many days) on a whim and wow!! Can only say that Betsy Schow quickly became one of my favorite authors with these books! Highly recommend if yourself even remotely interested in the book jacket blurb you won't be disappointed.

This was definitely different than what I expected. In several parts of the novel, Schow was trying to hard to be funny/inventive with her altered pop culture references-- I could have done without these notes because they weren't necessary for the storyline. However, the twists and turns made the novel more exciting and I'm ready for the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the arc of Spelled by Betsy Schow. This fun, silly and charming story made me smile! Spelled is based on many fairy tales mixed together. The main characters are lovable and instead of swear words being used to express emotion, magical words are used. Very enjoyable read and the ending alludes to a sequel.

I definitely enjoyed Spelled. It was a fun and thoughtful read. I did feel that it got a bit jumbled at times. Almost like the story was jumping forward too fast and I was having a hard time keeping up with the plot due to the pace and quick changes. That being said, the book has a solid central story that is unique and intriguing. I have a feeling based on the end of Spelled that there will be a follow up novel if not several, and I’m on board to continue reading about Dot’s adventures. My hope is that any novels moving forward will slow down a bit and take a bit more time with each of the characters and their collective adventure.

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of the book to review for my blog: http://thetipsyverse.com/2015/06/25/book-review-spelled/

I love how they incorporated traditional fairy tales with this one. I've never considered the Wizard of Oz a fairy tale, yet it fits in smoothly. I think this book was also written to create a great movie as there are many scenes that whiz by. Id love to see it a movie.

Spelled by Betsy Schow, was from page one enchanting and entertaining. I was easily caught up in this amazing world with it's sweet characters and delightful romance. Spelled is witty and has intriguing plot twists that had me turning the pages until I finished. And one day I hope to be as accomplished as Dorthea in walking in heels.

Fun! Action and adventure sprinkled heavily with sarcasm, wit, vivid imagery, and incanny turns of events!!! Couldn't put it down. Read it in one evening (late into the night) and immediately handed it over to my best friends and my husband. We all are awaiting the second and third installments. Now that my eldest is ten, I'll hand it to her as well. The sequel has been pre-ordered. Can't wait!!!!

Glam it! This book is a hilarious adventure complete with a pixed off princess who is trying to set her mixed up fairy tale world right again with the help of some unlikely characters. Great, quick read!

Humorous take on The Wizard of Oz. Well, pretty much taking the whole world of Oz and decimating it for a few pieces and retelling the story so it's completely unfamiliar and awesome.

Schow's humor and wit makes the story itself that much more enjoyable. You think you want to pass this up? Pix that!

Honestly i was skeptical of this book at first. i hought it would be some cheesy story where everything magically fixed itself but it was way more. it was so much fun to read. i thought it was just so amazibg.