LCE 6th grade Electronic Book Review

1. Student Reviewer’s Name: Laura G.
2. Date of review of book: February 25, 2008
3. Complete Book Title: Ella Enchanted
4. Author of Book: Gail Carson Levine
5. Year the book was published: 1997
6. Genre: Fantasy/ Newbery Honor
7. Student rating of the book (1 the highest, 5 the lowest): 1

8. Main conflict in the book: Ella is cursed. She must always be obedient, no matter what her true wishes are. If someone gave Ella a direct order to jump off a cliff, she would have to do it. Ella must overcome this dangerous curse given to her by Lucinda the Fairy. She must break the curse to save the people she loves and herself.

9. Setting of the book: (place and time) Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Frell.

10. Main Characters and part they play in the book:
(1) Ella
(2) Char

11. Are the characters believable and interesting? The characters have faults, complicated feelings, and virtues just as real people do. They are interesting, funny and some are quite mean. This book gives unbelievable characters in Cinderella explanations for the things they do. Char is a charming and practically perfect Prince, the love interest of Ella. Ella, a clever and brave girl, has two evil step-sisters. Hattie is the older of the two. She doesn't really know about the curse, but Hattie still exploits it, giving Ella hateful commands. Olive, a greedy dim-witted girl, is always giving her giving her orders to give her money. Ella's father, too, is greedy, but at least he moderately cares for his daughter. The woman Ella's father married, Dame Olga, is quite as mean as the rest of her family. Lastly, Mandy is the good-natured fairy-cook, always looking out for Ella's best interests.

12. One excellent direct quotation from the book: (include who said it, page number, and use quotation marks!) "If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I'd have to do it. And hopping on one foot wasn't the worst order I could be given. If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I'd have to do it. I was in danger at every moment." p. 5 Ella, also the narrator, said this when explaining her curse.

13. Good reasons to read the book: Ella Enchanted has ogres, gnomes, giants, fairies, and centaurs, creatures with the head of a man and the body of a horse. Also, it has adventure, excitement, and two cruel step-sisters.

14. Any reasons not to read the book? If one doesn't like fantasy I would suggest that that person should not read the book. However, if somebody likes adventure but not love stories, they should only read the first half of the book. Other than that, it is a great book.

15. Did you like this book or not? And why…. I really liked this book because I love fantasy books with excitement and mythical creatures. Ella Enchanted has all this and more. The characters are amusing to read about and it is easy to want to save Ella from her misery and the injustice of her life.

1. Student Reviewer’s Name: Martin Green
2. Date of review of book: Monday, February 25, 2008
3. Complete Book Title: Ella Enchanted
4. Author of Book: Gail Carson Levine
5. Year the book was published: 1997
6. Genre: Fantasy
7. Student rating of the book (1 the highest, 5 the lowest): 2

8. Main conflict in the book:
A young girl named Eleanor, but usually called Ella, was stricken with a "gift" by a fairy named Lucinda that makes her always obedient. If someone told her to kill herself she would have to. Only her mother, who sadly passes on early in the book, and their cook, Mandy, know about the "gift." Mandy is also a fairy but she does not know how to lift the curse. Her mother told her to never tell anyone after she told a friend who then abused the power, so she must obey and never tell anyone, even her dad. So then after her mom dies, her dad sends her off to finishing school to not be so clumsy all the time! When one of the girls figures out about this curse, she makes her do many menial things , then this girl made Ella not stay friends with her only friend. Before she can tell her friend she runs off to a giants farm where a wedding is being held. She went there because usually fairies go to weddings. Of course, Lucinda was there and Ella tried not to say that Lucinda gave her that "gift" but she doesn’t succeed. To find out what happens, read the book.

9. Setting of the book: (place and time)
A traditional fairy tale land with: ogres, giants, gnomes, fairies, and humans.
10. Main Characters and part they play in the book:
(1)Ella
(2)Char, the prince of the land.

1. Are the characters believable and interesting?
Yes, they are. They behave just like any other person with her personality in her position.

12. One excellent direct quotation from the book:
"If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I’d have to do it. And hopping one foot wasn’t the worst order I could be given. If you commanded me to cut off my own head, I’d have to do it." Ella (p.5)

13. Good reasons to read the book:
This book is very believable and you can easily follow along in the story. You may never put it down. Someone I know read it in only 2 days.
14. Any reasons not to read the book?
None

15. Did you like this book or not? And why….
I liked this book because once I got going I rarely stopped. This book has some good adventure, romance, and near death for Ella.