Rapunzel... Untangled? By: Cindy C. Bennett

      This book was a VERY good read! It definitely will be one that I will have my kids read when they are of age! This book is not like any other Repunzel book you have ever read! I mean, there is facebook, cell phones, and the whole package! It's no "Repunzel let down your hair" This author took the original Repunzel story and made it so modern! It's a book that you won't want to put down until you are finished! Now, boys, just because this book is called Repunzel Untangled, doesn't mean that it is a girl book! This is a must read for everybody! It really isn't gender specific! I promise!!  

      Now, lets get down to the dirty work! Repunzel is a girl that lives in a tower (duh). Her "mother" Gothel kidnapped Repunzel when she was just a little girl. She didn't kidnap her because she had magic hair or anything of the sort. She kidnapped her because of a man named Vedmak. Vedmak is a person that has powers, powers so great that he made Gothel believe that he could make her real daughter come back to life and use Repunsels body to do so. He said that he could "Kill" Repunzel and bring her back to life with the same body but somebody else's soul, who would be Gothel's real daughter that had died in the previous years. So Gothel home-schooled her and NEVER let her leave the tower. Now you have to understand that Repunzel's tower was like the size of a house. She had a bathroom and a bedroom, a sitting room. a kitchen and an exercise room. Gothel had Repunzel fooled that the reason why she had to be locked up was because Repunzel had this disease called SCID's which was a disease that if you EVER got sick which included colds, the flue, a fever, just anything that she would die. So, one day while doing her homework on her laptop, she was looking something up on Google and accidentally came across Facebook. Repunzel had absolutely no idea how to work Facebook. When she was skimming through people, she found an awesome looking dude! His name was Fane and he went to high school and was 17 years old. So she friended him! Well, he would sneak into her castle and so on and so forth. Till, Repunzel started to figure out that her "mother" wasn't really her "mother." Vedmak had used Gothel and told her that she could regain her own daughter when he was really trying to get him more power and gaining her real daughter was impossible.... Will Repunzel be able to get out before she is murdered for selfish reasons? Will she be able to be with Fane for forever and always? Most importantly, will there be a "Happily Ever After?" Read it and find out! 

    This book had a greater meaning to me than I think was actually intended for it to have. This book taught me that there is going to be hardships in life, whether they are big ones or small ones. In a way, you are being locked in a tower in your life right now, waiting for your prince charming to come and whisk you away. But, I think that this tower that you are locked in is full of happiness, wonderful blessings, and learning opportunities. Hopefully, one day all of us Princesses will have learned all that we could, and go be with the prince of our dreams and hopefully he will be everything that we could hope for, so that we can fight the dragons together as one. Likewise with the princes, in hopes that they will find their own princesses. I hope that we can all have our own Happily Ever After. Every girl deserves to feel like a princess! I know I do, thanks to my awesome prince! 

 I will definitely never throw this book away! I loved it so much!! I would gladly give this book an A+ 

A Countess Below Stairs by: Eva Ibbotson

    Eva Ibbotson's A Countess Below Stairs was great! It's a historical fiction book that focuses on humility and kindness. It takes place in England/Russia after the Russian Revolution, so it does talk about war a lot.
    Anna, a young Russian countess, has just had her life changed. The Russian Revolution has left her family in poverty and she has no choice but to go to England. Once in England, Anna becomes a servant in the Westerholme residence. Anna hides her background and loyally serves the Westerholme family with only the knowledge an outdated housekeeping manual has given her. The countess soon finds out how difficult this job can be. Oh, and she is attracted to Rupert, the young engaged Westerholme earl. As Anna tries to faithfully serve Rupert and his horrid fiance, Muriel, she finds herself in situations that make it hard for her to keep her past a secret.
       She tries to keep her family a topic of unimportance. Her cousin is the chauffeur for another wealthy family, so nobody realizes she's a countess. She has another family problem though. Anna's brother doesn't know she's a housemaid. Anna tries her hardest to get over Rupert, because he's engaged. Muriel is a completely different problem. She cares about appearance more than anything and least of all cares about the faithful servants. Anna has to decide between staying for Rupert and leaving because of Muriel.
    This book was entertaining in many different ways. I thought the end was actually pretty funny. There are times through the book when it's more serious or even anticipative because of both Anna and Rupert's problems throughout the book. This book changed my opinion on historical fiction. I'm not going to lie, I saw the sticker on the spine and almost didn't check it out for that reason. I love Eva Ibbotson now, even if most of her books are historical fiction. This book taught me not to judge a book by its genre.
    The first chapter of this book was a little hard to get through, but after that it was just amazing. It had characters that I could connect to and an ending that I never would have predicted. There are a lot of big words, so you may need to keep a dictionary near by. A.

Twice Upon a Marigold

For those who have read "Once Upon a Marigold" will love this book, for several reasons too. First of all there are a lot of questions that are asked and that will be answered when you continue reading this book. For example, I thought she was dead? And, are they going to be together forever?

The kingdom seems to be a lovely place and everyone is getting along beautifully, so it seems. Until ... something happens that no one was expecting, not even the king himself, and when that person or thing comes, it is a shock to everyone.
Ever since that one person or thing came there has been chaos all over the kingdom, including chaos between Marigold and Christian. I bet you never thought that would ever happen.
Not only that, but it has King Swithbert, Ed, and Magnus thrown in the dungeon and put on trail.
You must be wondering how in the world this person or thing could cause so much trouble, I mean it has to be pretty big doesn't it, and well it is very huge, and I bet you weren't even expecting it?
Before I read this book, I wasn't expecting it either, in fact it never crossed my mind until a hint gave it away.
If you must know, the story ends happy and that one thing won't be bothering them.
But if you want to read this book it is best for you to read "Once Upon a Marigold" first. Happy Reading, and don't forget to put this book on your to read list.

Once Upon a Marigold

Once Upon a Marigold is by Jean Ferris and by crickey's she did a good job at writing this book. This book is a great book about love and how two best friends who only knew each other over letters found themselves knowing each other in person.
The book starts out with a troll named Ed in a forest on his way home when he finds a boy named Christian on his own. Christian had ran away from home and doesn't know where his home or parents are. Ed ends up adopting him and well both Ed, Christian and of course Eds two dogs Bub and Cate get along fine.
Anyway, a few years go by and Christian was looking across the river at a princess who was reading a book. He wanted to know what the book was about so, he sent her a p-mail which is basically a letter but a bird sends it to the person you are giving it too. The princess writes back and then they keep sending p-mails to get to know each other more. After a few or maybe even around 20 p-mails they become best friends.
Anyway, Ed wants Christian out of the house so he can get a job and live his own life. So, Christian decides to get a job at the castle as a servant so he can see the princess who is named Marigold, all day.
At first he didn't want Marigold to know that he was her best friend so he didn't tell her but, then he touched her and he also remembered that Marigold has a curse. Marigold's curse is that when she touches someone, she can read their mind. Luckily Christian wasn't thinking about the p-mails he was sending her so, it was still a secret, until she touched him again.
All of a sudden things started getting weird and information was getting to Christian that he did not like. He found out rumors about the Queen and also that Marigold were to marry a prince named Magnus. Then, Christian got put in a dungeon after the Queen saw Marigold and Christian hugging. Ed, Bub and Cate were in the dungoen too.
While all of these things were going on, the king was asleep until he woke up after hearing Marigold running down the hall yelling and someone following her. He got very worried and asked one of the servants where Marigold was. King Swithbert found out that Marigold was also in the dungeon because Queen Olympia had put her there. Without telling the Queen he went down to the dungeon and got Marigold out but not Christian, Ed and the dogs because he had no room to hide all of them. He also found out about the Queens plan and wanted to change that without the Queen knowing.
King Swithbert did just that and well, the ending was a happy ending because Marigold and Christian, wait... I shouldn't be telling you about the ending because it will give it away so, all i will say is that the ending is a happy ending. This book is truly a fantasy and a fairytale and a comedy book all in one.

The Amaranth Enchantment By Julie Berry

Lucinda Chapdelaine has live with her evil Aunt and kind Uncle, by marriage, since she was 5. She was orphaned when her parents left to the ball, and crashed in their carriage. She has had to clean, and be like a servant for her guardians gold smithy shop her whole life.

But one day, a women with very pretty eyes comes into the shop to get a new setting for the biggest jem Lucinda has ever seen. After a rude comment from Aunt about Lucinda, the young lady asks her if she would like to come and live with her. Her Aunt can't say a word, so the Lady, Beryl, leaves apologizing. Later that day, The prince comes to find a jewel for his new bride. Not recognizing him, she makes some rude remarks, and some very witty ones as well. Her Uncle saves her from embarrassment, and the prince leaves. The priest comes to tell the Montescue's shop to inform them that the young lady that was in their shop earlier that day, was actually a witch. Her aunt makes her take it back to the lady. Instead, she kept it with her, and told her Aunt that she indeed had given it back. In the morning she was going to tell her uncle about it to get some extra money. That night, a thieving boy makes his way into Lucinda's room, but not after they fight over him coming through the window.

That morning her Uncle sleeps through breakfast. Telling her Aunt she is going to straighten up, goes and gives the boy, Peter some breakfast. Then she kicks the boy out of her room. Her Aunt makes her do the chores she had already done yesterday. The last chore she has to do is clean the windows in her Aunt and Uncles room. She is not to wake her Uncle, who is sleeping in the bed. She notices that he is not breathing and runs to his side calling for her aunt. Her Aunt blames her for her husbands death and kicks her out saying never to come back again. So she goes to the witches house. She doesn't really believe that she is a witch, and arrives after a very long walk. She knocks on the front door, and the Beryl opens the door and asks if she has her stone. Lucinda reaches into her pocket and removes the stone, holding it out. But it isn't the stone, it is a pebble..."'Peter', I croaked." (page 53)

The rest of the story consist of Lucinda trying to get Beryl's stone, she has to team up with the thief, Peter to get it back. And guess who Peter sold it to? The Prince himself. She gets thrown in jail, and gets bailed out, her Aunt. It turns Beryl knows her Aunt, from when her Aunt was a little girl. And Beryl is from another world. But in the end, they will all live happily ever after... Except for Coxley, if they can catch him.

This was a great read, and the author did a great job on the explanations, it didn't take to long, like some books do. It was fun to read, and try to figure out what was going to happen next. I totally recommend reading this great book! Especially if you liked the book The Goose Girl, the two books are really similar! This was totally is a A+ book!