(Originally reviewed January, 2010)
Once Upon a Marigold - Jean Ferris
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy (I found this in the "Young Adult" section at Borders, but... no major distinction between the two)
# of pages: 266 (pb)
Publisher: Harcourt
In the tradition of uber-short reviews from my pre-blogger days, here is my unedited review:
Cold indeed is the heart not made warm by this bubbly fairy-rale romance...Kirkus Reviews
Well said, Kirkus! I never thought I'd find "over-the-top" so funny and refreshing!
Take all the things considered necessary for a good book nowadays: complex, complicated and ultra-flawed characters, excessive backstories, social commentaries, and sad, morbid endings - and flip them over like a flapjack, and you'll have a good idea of what Once Upon a Marigold is. Yes, the characters are lovably simple, yes the story is a bit on the predictable side (that's the nature of fairytales, after all!) and yes, there is a (da-da-dum) HAPPY ENDING! And I loved it all, and so will you!
Here's the setup: a commoner raised by a troll who falls in love with a princess and must rescue said princess when the evil queen plots to take over the throne. Exciting! No, I'm not being sarcastic, it's truly exciting! Somehow, the fact that Jean Ferris wrote this book specifically as a fairytale story makes everything so much easier to digest. You know going in that this is going to be a fun and uplifting read. This story is like Lean Cuisine: it tastes good and it's good for you!
This is a book that definitely wants to be read! I was in Borders about in January, minding my own business, when my eyes fell on this title and its sequel, and I just had to buy them. It's like it wanted me to find it (kind of like the Ring, only not evil and creepy).
So I would recommend this book to anyone who likes being happy! It's a simple read (less than 300 pages) and only took me 2 nights...
"No royal curse,
No Trojan horse,
and a happy ending, of course!"
(Actually, there is a royal curse in this story, but whatever, you get the point!)
This book has just made me giddy-happy, can you tell? Too much realism is bad for the soul! And the stomach! Read Once Upon a Marigold!
A word on the sequel: I didn't really like Twice Upon a Marigold as much as its adorable predecessor, so I'd say it's an optional read. It's still pretty good, though :)
Once Upon a Marigold - Jean Ferris
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy (I found this in the "Young Adult" section at Borders, but... no major distinction between the two)
# of pages: 266 (pb)
Publisher: Harcourt
In the tradition of uber-short reviews from my pre-blogger days, here is my unedited review:Cold indeed is the heart not made warm by this bubbly fairy-rale romance...Kirkus Reviews
Well said, Kirkus! I never thought I'd find "over-the-top" so funny and refreshing!
Take all the things considered necessary for a good book nowadays: complex, complicated and ultra-flawed characters, excessive backstories, social commentaries, and sad, morbid endings - and flip them over like a flapjack, and you'll have a good idea of what Once Upon a Marigold is. Yes, the characters are lovably simple, yes the story is a bit on the predictable side (that's the nature of fairytales, after all!) and yes, there is a (da-da-dum) HAPPY ENDING! And I loved it all, and so will you!
Here's the setup: a commoner raised by a troll who falls in love with a princess and must rescue said princess when the evil queen plots to take over the throne. Exciting! No, I'm not being sarcastic, it's truly exciting! Somehow, the fact that Jean Ferris wrote this book specifically as a fairytale story makes everything so much easier to digest. You know going in that this is going to be a fun and uplifting read. This story is like Lean Cuisine: it tastes good and it's good for you!
This is a book that definitely wants to be read! I was in Borders about in January, minding my own business, when my eyes fell on this title and its sequel, and I just had to buy them. It's like it wanted me to find it (kind of like the Ring, only not evil and creepy).
So I would recommend this book to anyone who likes being happy! It's a simple read (less than 300 pages) and only took me 2 nights...
"No royal curse,
No Trojan horse,
and a happy ending, of course!"
(Actually, there is a royal curse in this story, but whatever, you get the point!)
This book has just made me giddy-happy, can you tell? Too much realism is bad for the soul! And the stomach! Read Once Upon a Marigold!
A word on the sequel: I didn't really like Twice Upon a Marigold as much as its adorable predecessor, so I'd say it's an optional read. It's still pretty good, though :)
