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| Ella Enchanted | 
 enlarge | Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $17.89
Buy New: $0.77
You Save: $17.12 (96%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (1141 reviews)
Sales Rank: 326078
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Library Binding
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 0060275111
EAN: 9780060275112
ASIN: 0060275111
Publication Date: May 30, 1997
Release Date: May 9, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
How can a fairy's
blessing be such a curse? At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift--the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse--once and for all. In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom'and she'll have to obey? Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella's quest to break the curse once and for all and discover who she really is is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and as richly poignant as Beauty, and has all the marks of a classic in the making. 00 Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award, 99-00 Black-Eyed Susan Award (Gr 6-9 Cat), 00 CA Young Reader Medal (Mid. School/Jr. High Cat.), 01 Blue Spruce Award Masterlist (YA Cat.), and 00 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award (Grades 6-8 Cat.) 2000 List of Popular Paperbacks for YA and 00 Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book
Amazon.com Review
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery, trying to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you've ever read. Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1136 more reviews...
 A mostly enchanting book November 26, 2008
I came to this book in the odd position of having seen the movie first. I must say, I was quite surprised. Aside from the names of the characters and the curse of obedience, little was the same. When I started reading, my mind was trying to make comparisons... but the stories were so different that I had to stop. The two plots are so dissimilar, they can't really be compared.
The book features a spunky heroine who can more than look after herself, even in the face of a curse that makes her obey any order that's given to her. I enjoyed reading about her adventures and her blossoming friendship with Prince Char. Since this story is loosely based on Cinderella, of course we all know that Ella will live happily ever after. But how she gets there is in turns entertaining, frustrating, romantic, and clever. And yes, there are glass slippers in this version of the story.
My only real complaint was with the climax and the way Ella finally broke the curse. It seemed a little overly convenient to me, and I didn't really understand why she hadn't done it sooner. In that respect, the movie version of this event made more sense to me.
So, even though the way Ella broke the curse wasn't my cup of tea, I quite liked the rest of the book. The climax may have fallen a little flat... but getting there was more than half the fun.
My Favorite Cinderella story of all time! November 24, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
All I want to say is that if you like fairy tales and hot princes read this book. I have read this book at least 8 times starting from the time I was in middle school and I'm 22 now. If you ever need to get away from life or just need a quick fairytale break then this is for you. I laughed out loud and cried tears of anger and tears of joy. Read it you won't regret it!
Ps. If you have seen the movie don't judge this story by that, because it isn't anything like the book. The book is 1000 times better in fact the movie doesn't give the book any justice.
Loved the Movie, LOVE the Book more! November 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This story is so well writen I simply couldn't put it down! I love Ella Enchanted and Recomend it to any one who loves to let their imagination soar to new lands and fantastic People and places!
Nothing but praise November 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Since there's already thousands of reviews on Ella Enchanted, there's no need to go into detail. I'll just say that this book is fabulous and has everything I could want in a book. It's wonderfully written with action, adventure, humor, wit, and a beautiful love story that isn't too mushy. I like re-reading this book so much that this is the second time I've bought it; my first copy was misplaced. This one is definitely Gail Carson Levine's best.
A wonderful book November 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's getting harder to find what I feel is appropriate reading material for my 12yr old daughter. She's not interested in the fantasy and mythology type books, she's a little too old for the kid's fairytales and not yet ready for the high school romance and more grown up subject matter. Ella Enchanted was a great find. A modern day twist on the old Cinderella classic with much better and more detailed character development then I expect for this age of audience.
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