Fairest by Gail Carson Levine Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Fairest
Book Review: The 'Fairest' 'Snow White' retelling in years
Summary: 5 Stars
Most babies are born crying. Fifteen-year-old Aza, however, wasn't like most babies. Aza was born singing. A beautiful song, in a clear voice; yet still a peculiar way to announce yourself to the world. Perhaps that's why she has no idea whom her true birth parents are. Abandoned at the Featherbed Inn when she was a mere one month old, Aza has thanked her lucky stars each and every day that the Featherbed's proprietors were so welcoming, and took the little bundle of joy into their home, claiming her as their very own. Of course, it's quite obvious that Aza isn't their child by birth. After all, her introduction into the world isn't the only thing strange about her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Aza has skin as white as snow, lips as red as cherries, hair as dark as night, and a build that would frighten even an ogre. While her so-called parents and siblings are all fair and frail. Aza can't stand the rude looks she receives from everyone who stays within the confines of the Featherbed, and does what she can to make herself scarce when guests arrive. However, there are those whom she can't resist, such as a gnome named zhamM, and a Duchess with a flair for fashion, and a soft spot for felines. It is this Duchess who takes Aza away from her home at the Featherbed Inn, and brings her to the Kingdom of Ayortha, where she will see the King marry his new Queen, Ivi. The new Queen at just nineteen-years-old - a mere four years older than Aza herself - is the most lovely, breathtaking individual Aza has ever laid eyes upon. Her skin is beautiful, her hair long and flowing. Aza would give anything to have the face of Ivi. But there is one thing that Aza has, which Ivi wants more than anything...the gift of song. In the Kingdom of Ayortha, singing is the most important thing to do. Some sing full conversations, and one of the activities within Ayortha is writing your own songs, then sharing them with the Kingdom at scheduled Sings, which the royal family attends religiously. Ivi, not having the perfect voice, envies Aza's powerhouse vocals, and proposes a deal. She will make Aza her lady-in-waiting if Aza agrees to illuse - the title that Aza has given her ability to throw her voice. Aza is hesitant to comply with the Queen, but when her family's life and the Featherbed Inn are threatened, she can't refuse. Besides, if she were to leave the Kingdom of Ayortha, she would never have the chance to see the handsome Prince Ijori, and his faithful canine, Oochoo. Aza can't stand tricking the Kingdom day in and day out, but she knows that she must do so to protect her family. But the longer she works by Ivi's side, the more she begins to realize that something is not quite right. Ivi is in possession of an enchanted mirror - a wedding gift from the mixed-up fairy, Lucinda. The enchanted mirror shows a beautiful individual - the one thing Aza has always craved. And, as much as she works to avoid looking into its powerful glass, she can't resist. But as people begin to suspect Ivi's voice as being false, and look to Aza for answers, it becomes clear that if Aza doesn't conceal the one thing that has always made her special, she may fall into a trap that will leave her silent once and for all.
While CINDERELLA retellings have always been enjoyable to delve into, I've always found myself drawn to the - few - SNOW WHITE retellings that have surfaced over the years. So, after reading both Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED and THE TWO PRINCESSES OF BAMARRE - among others - I was utterly thrilled to learn that she was penning a retelling of SNOW WHITE, in the form of FAIREST. Aza is much like the Disney-fied version of SNOW WHITE. Her looks are similar to those conveyed within the animated film. However, there is a strong difference in personalities. Aza is shy, and uncomfortable in her own skin. Her voice makes her stand-out, when she wants nothing more than to blend in, and, perhaps, even disappear within the crowd. She is awkward, and gawky, and quite conscious of the strange looks she receives from passersby, and is fairly unsettled by the treatment she receives from almost everyone she encounters. Through all this, however, Aza manages to find her voice, and do her best to stand up for herself, and show the world that she matters, and that she's an important addition to Ayortha. While she is oft-times mistreated by Queen Ivi - whose demeanor changes like the weather - it seems as if her time shared with the Queen works to give her more of a spine, and make her more confident in her own skin. It is this revelation that illustrates the lesson learned within the pages of FAIREST, that everyone is special, no matter how they look. And it's important to look on the inside, before making hasty judgements. Levine also tries to convey that staying true to yourself, and embracing your quirks and differences is essential. While this message rings loud and clear throughout the pages of FAIREST, it does not overshadow the main story. Levine's replacement of the Seven Dwarves with Gnomes is ingenious, and truly adds a unique spin to the retelling; while the various song lyrics riddled throughout the pages are quite entertaining, and bring not only laughter to the tale, but, at times, sadness, as well. Fans of Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED will be thrilled to see mention of Ella of Frell, and love learning that Aza is actually Areida's sister. The link between tales makes the characters even more appealing, and gives the reader a slight update on what is going on with past retelling characters. The FAIREST SNOW WHITE retelling in years.
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
Book Review: The Best Fractured Fairy Tale I've Ever Read
Summary: 5 Stars
When I read Fairest I had just finished Ella Enchanted but I think it is better than that one! One thing I really liked about it is that it's a twist on Snow White but you have to read a lot of the book before you figure that out. I also really like the way the characters are discribed so that you know a lot about each one. Another thing I really like is how the author comes up with very creative discriptions about what life is like in Ayortha (the country where the story takes place). For example she talks a lot about how the Ayorthians have Sings. If you like fantasy and fairy tales you should definitely read this book!Book Review: The Fairest of them All
Summary: 5 Stars
Fairest HarperCollins, 2006, 336pp., [...]
Gail Carson Levine ISBN 978dsf0734084
Fairest is a magnificent fairytale set in the land of Ella Enchanted, another one of Gail Levine's fantastic books. It is told from the perspective of Ella's friend's older sister, Aza. Aza goes from being an innkeeper's daughter to being the queen's lady-in- waiting. While she is the queen's lady-in-waiting, she's blackmailed, she falls in love with the prince, is accused of being an ogre and then is thrown in the dungeon! Aza is in despair. Will the prince fall for her? Will she ever escape? As you can see this book is chock-full of adventure!
Also, while reading this book, I realized that these two books are going on simultaneously. Throughout the book there are little hints about where Ella is. For instance in Fairest , Aza mentions that her sister was going away to finishing school and in Ella Enchanted that's where Ella meets Arieda, Aza's younger sister. I thought that this was really interesting because I knew where it is in relation to Ella Enchanted and that it's happening all in the same magical world.
This book has a really good moral of not caring about what you look like as well as having a great story of love and adventure. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good fairy tale! PR9
Book Review: The Fairest of them All!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was so excited to see that Gail Levine had written another book. So when I saw it in the book store I snatched it right up. I couldn't wait to get home and start reading. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. It starts out with Aza who isn't very pretty, but she can sing beautifully telling about how she was taken in by the innkeepers who found when her "wench of a mother" abandoned her at the inn...
It has all the elements of a great fairy tale, a handsome prince and an evil queen. It's one of my favorite fairy tale fantasies, right up there with the North Kingdom by Jordan N. Danniels (my number one favorite book). So if you're looking for a good fairy tale to read don't pass this one by!
Book Review: Totally awesome book
Summary: 5 Stars
The book I read was Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. The book is a fantasy novel. This author has written several other books in the same genre including the well- known Ella Enchanted. Ella Enchanted and Fairest are not in a series, but they are set in the same place and the characters intertwine. Also one of her books is a guide to aspiring young authors.
Fifteen year old Aza of Ayortha is very insecure about how "ugly" she is. According to her, the only attractive feature she has is her voice. In a singing town like Ayortha that was very lucky. When the Duchess of Ontio selects her as a lady in waiting her life changes forever. It changes even more when the future-queen Ivi takes her in as a lady in waiting. Ivi takes advantage of Aza's talent to"illuse", or throw her voice, by making her sing for her. If she didn't do that then she would imprison her and take away Aza's family's license to own an inn. It turns out that Ivi is being manipulated by Skulni. Skulni is an evil magic mirror created by Lucinda, who pops up quite often in many of her books.
I personally thought this was a wonderful book. I myself might enjoy it more than others because it happens to be in my favorite genre. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasy and happy ever afters. I would highly recommend this author to just about everyone. Fairest is a quirky, fun, and mixed up fairy-tale that I loved.