Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Fairest
Book Review: Fairest: Snow White in Ayortha
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought Fairest a while ago, but I didn't read it for a long time. Finally, with my friend's encouragement, I picked it up and began to dive into the Snow White re-telling.
This is unlike other fairy tale re-tellings, yet in a good way. It's not totally obvious until you get near the end of the story that this tale was made to resemble Snow White. This leaves a wonderful surprise that has you thinking, "I never saw it coming!" The Snow White puzzle just slowly pieces itself together, and you probably won't realize it until some of the final pieces are played.
Aza was never attractive. She was left behind in a hotel when she was a baby, and the owners graciously took her in despite her appearance. With paper-white skin, blood-red lips, and hair as black as a frying pan, Aza is certainly not the fairest of them all.
Yet...she can sing. Beautifully, as a matter of fact. She's simply spectacular! Aza also soon discovers the gift she has of "illusing" - throwing her voice across rooms so it seems that someone or something else is speaking. Despite her voice, though, Aza does not believe she has a real future ahead of her...that is (spoilers begin here), until the Duchess arrives. The Duchess befriends Aza after meeting her cat (the Duchess loves cats) and when the Duchess's companion fails to accompany her to the King and to-be Queen's wedding, it is Aza she asks to go.
This soon changes Aza's life. After discovering her gift of illusing, Queen Ivi "befriends" Aza and asks her to be her lady-in-waiting. But Aza soon discovers that Ivi wants to take advantage of her gift of illusing. Ivi cannot sing, so she makes Aza illuse to make it appear as if she is the one singing.
This and a developing relationship with the Prince, Ijori, complicates Aza's times in the castle. Still, despite all of what she has, Aza still wishes to be pretty. Soon, she finds her wish granted after her illusing fails during a Sing.
This and Aza's dangerous desire to be pretty fly the story into a suspenseful mode (spoilers end here), though I'm not going to give away any more spoilers. Anybody who likes Snow White should definitely read this book; it is one you won't be able to put down. Other fairy tale re-tellings pale in comparison to the bold story of Aza.
All in all, Fairest truly proves to be the "fairest of them all" in the world of these re-tellings. If you read this book, you won't regret it.
Book Review: Fantastic retelling
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite the professional reviews written above, I think that their association with fairy tales may be a little out of touch. This book is not the classic retelling of Sleeping Beauty but that of Snow White. As any Disney Classic Movie connisseur or for that matter fan of fairy tales will know.
This novel is a beautiful retelling set in the kingdom of Ayortha, one kingdom over from the Kingdom ruled by the well know woman Ella of Frell from Ella Enchanted. This is an amazing novel, written in beautiful prose and described fantastically. It is an excellent follow up to Ella Enchanted, even if that heroine does not herself appear in the novel. I can only hope to enjoy more novels of this caliber from Gail Carson Levine and I must find more novels by this author to read. I could not put this novel down, I stayed up all night to finish it.
I sincerely hope that you take a chance on this novel and enjoy it as immensely as I have.
Book Review: Foreign language
Summary: 3 Stars
This is not a review, it is a question. Didn't anyone try to decode the languages in "Fairest"? I've encountered three so far, gnomish, spellbook, and ogre, all of which are clearly variations of language games. But I've found no obvious clues, and it is driving me crazy!Book Review: Gift for Grand Daughter
Summary: 4 Stars
She loves all of levine's Books so I am sure this was no exceptionBook Review: Give this book to your daughters!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is such a wonderful book for girls! The message about beauty is a timely one, and this book is very important for our society, particularly now. We live in a time when young people are bombarded by images of so-called physical beauty, and what type of standards are "acceptable". It was so refreshing to read this book - a story of a girl who also suffers from the knowledge that she does not neatly fit into the standards of beauty in her society, but gains self acceptance through a series of exciting and unusual circumstances.
Gail Carson Levine is a wonderful writer, and the twists and turns of this novel will hold the imaginations of young readers. This story is a fantasy, complete with ogres, fairies, magic spells, gnomes, an evil queen, etc. I was most impressed with Levine's take on on being "the fairest". Buy this book for the young girls (and boys) in your life!