Monday, January 18, 2016

Charmed by Jen Calonita - ADVISABLE

Calonita, Jen Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School #2), 288 pages.  Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, MARCH 2016.  $16.  Content: G. 

Gilly Cobbler may have saved the Princesses and her school from takeover by the Evil Queen, but that doesn’t mean that all is well at the Fairy Tale Reform School.  The pirate Blackbeard has joined the faculty and on his first day the Evil Queen is sprung from the school’s jail.  Gilly suspects that Jocelyn, her personal rival and the Evil Queen’s sister, is the traitor,  but she will have to go undercover as part of Princess Briar Rose’s Royal Ladies in Waiting in order to get to the truth.  If she forgets to trust her friends, however, she may not have any support when she finally realizes who the real threat is.

Calonita has a pretty fun series for twisted fairy tales lovers.  Things are a little complicated with every traditional evil character also having a common, non-evil name.  Gilly doesn’t really come off as evil any more, so I am somewhat confused as to why she is still in reform school, except as a plat device.   But these are the concerns of a long-time reader, and I am betting that neither problem will concern younger readers very much.

EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher

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