★★★★★ 5
A fairytale classic made even better!
Format: Paperback
Embellishing on the original tale of Cinderella, Gail Levine has written an imaginative and touching story - a classic in its own right. While the traditional fairytale focuses on the magical rags-to-riches transformation of a scullery maid into a princess, Levine's heroine is very real in both her defeats and her triumphs. Ella is a wonderful character whose unwavering sense of humor and refusal to succumb make her an endearing heroine whom the reader eagerly follows through her journeys. The friendship that she shares with Prince Char, her struggles to break the curse placed on her at birth, the pain and the joy that she feels at each turn of events are drawn with a clarity and poignant charm that make this a unique story all its own. There is, of course, glass slippers, a ball, the pumpkin coach - but this story goes far beyond the original to become something more. It is not just about one magical night that makes a servant into a princess; it is about the life of a girl who is more than what she seems and has only to realize it for herself to make her wishes come true.
Ella Enchanted is a wonderful story for readers of all ages, and there is an amazing depth to this tale that cannot help but make you think. Despite the omnipresent existence of magic and the whimsical creatures that include everything from gnomes and elves to giants and ogres, the focus of the story is very real. We are, each of us, a little bit like Ella - struggling to be who we are while everything around us tries to make us otherwise. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves fairytales and children's books - especially to anyone who loves the story of Cinderella.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2000