Wednesday, February 23, 2011

My Fair Godmother


This. This is exactly what I'm looking for when I read YA books usually meant for teenagers. I absolutely loved this book. About half-way through I looked at Jon and said, "I'm buying this book." It shouldn't have taken me so long to actually read this book, because I've been hearing from book bloggers and author blogs (namely Shannon Hale) that it's amazing. It was Janette Rallison's other titles that turned me off. Things like Revenge of the Cheerleaders, and It's a Mall World After All. I was worried that this would be a ditzy teen novel, and I was wrong. While it does begin with a teenage/high school-ish setting, most of the book takes place in medieval times.

It's about Savannah, recently dumped by her boyfriend (so he can date her older sister), who qualifies for help from a fairy godmother. Only instead, she ends up with Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Everstar - who is only a 'fair' godmother with a tendency to seriously mess up wishes. I won't tell you much more, but before you know it, Savannah is stranded in medieval times along with a friend and, essentially, hilarity ensues. That and some serious character development. I loved Savannah; she was a strong heroine, which is exactly how I like my female protagonists.

The plot is multi-layered and interesting. Lots of little details and crazy twists. Fun magic, emotional moments, great romance. Believable characters. Funny, witty. I'm a fan. It reminded me of two of my favorite books: Ella Enchanted and Goose Girl. But not really, because it was completely original. Oh, and did I mention that Janette Rallison is an LDS author? No need to worry about swear words or any inappropriate material of any sort. This is the kind of book our teens should be reading. It has definitely fast-tracked itself to the top of my to-buy list. Fans of YA lit, fantasy, romantic comedy, and fairy-tales: this book is for you!

2 comments:

Jeff and Rebecca said...

Sweet! I'm glad to hear you loved this book. I was browsing the library shelves the other day and found this one, so I grabbed it, hoping it would be good. I haven't ever heard of it before this. It wasn't until I got home that I recognized the title--I had seen the title in my blog list under your blog, but hadn't looked at it then. So I was in the middle of enjoying this book when I thought to look to see what you had to say about it. I was going to be sad and embarrassed if you had decided it wasnt' worth your time. :)

Lynnette said...

Thanks Em. It sounds like a really fun book to read. Ella Enchanted and Goose Girl are a couple of my favorites. Plus I like knowing that there are no worries about bad language or situations. I actually haven't even heard of this book. I'm so glad you do a book blog!