Ella Enchanted

Title: Ella Enchanted

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: HarperTrophy

Copyright Date: 1997

Pages in Book: 240 pages

Reading Level: 8-12 years

Summary: When Ella of Frell was born, a fairy named Lucinda gave her the gift of obedience. Every order that Ella was given had to be obeyed. Ella’s mother dies, and at her funeral she meets Prince Charmont. Her father sends her off to school; Mandy (her godmother) gives Ella her mother’s necklace and a magic book. At school, Hattie learns of Ella’s problem and begins taking advantage of the fact that she can never say no. Ella tries to fight every order that Hattie gives her, and after finding out that there is a wedding that her father is attending (where the fairies are also attending) and she heads towards the land where they will all be. On her way to the wedding, she is captured by ogres and Prince Char soon saves her. Ella finds Lucinda, but she refuses to retract her “curse”. Ella later meets up with Prince Char again at the wedding, and they go off and dance together. He leaves for a year, but Ella and Prince Char write each other, and quickly fall in love with each other.  Sadly, Ella’s father goes out of the country and her stepmother makes Ella a slave in her own home. While a slave, Prince Char declares his love for her, but for his own protection, Ella pretends that she’s run off with another man. He’s heartbroken, but upon his return to Kyrria, Ella disguises herself so that she can go to the three day ball and see him. Mandy and Lucinda help her, and after reforming, Ella goes to the ball as Lela. On the last night of the ball, Hattie snatches the mask off Ella, forcing her to run away. Char realizes who she is and demands that she marry him. She refuses, and by doing so, she breaks the curse. She then accepts his hand in marriage and they live happily ever after.

Reaction: I thought this book was very cute! I was surprised to see how different it was from the movie! I thought that the movie would’ve at least followed some of it! But no! I loved how Ella and Char fell in  love over letters, and that he still loved her after she wrote him off. It was such a cute book, and I couldn’t help but think of how happy she winded up being, even after all the problems and trials that she had in her life.

Recommendation: I’d recommend this to any child. Preferably girls, but I don’t doubt that some boys would love this one too. I think there is a great message that is portrayed here, and one that I didn’t have any problems with. I thought it was a cute book.  

Potential Problems/Conflicts: I didn’t have any problems with this book. It’s a lot like Cinderella, and if the children like that book, they are guaranteed to like this one as well.