Review: Spelled by Betsy Schow

Spelled by Betsy Schow
Publisher- Sourcebooks Fire
Released- June 2nd 2015
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

My Thoughts:

I've read my fair share of fairytale retelling but I don't  think I've read anything that came close to making me laugh.out.loud the way this book did. The sheer wit, banter, sarcasm and humor bouncing off these pages was so enjoyable and compelling I just couldn't seem to get enough. But it's not just the laughs that won me over, this book is chalked full of fast paced action and non-stop adventure. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough to see what wickedly strange thing would happen next. So much fun!

My gawd, I'm so in love with Betsy Schow writing! It's smart, cunning and incredible from a line-up of mixed fairytale characters, to the outrageous setting and a wonderful twist on words and objects laced throughout the book, every little thing was so well crafted, rich and vividly detailed making this escape so impressive, absorbing and unique. Even the chapter title names and the little quip-tips at each chapter gave it the perfect little touch to make this such a joy to experience.

I really loved all these characters, they are all so animated and amazing, but it's the three leads that made this book shine.

I really loved Dorthea, she has such a spark in her attitude that I found fierce and infectious. At first she's painted as the spoiled and shallow princess that cares about nothing but her clothes, shoes and jewellery. But really, what else is a girl suppose to do for the last 17 years since she isn't allowed in the real world due to the curse that plagued her family for generations. I think this was a wonderful self discovery story as we see Dorthea grow from spoiled to spectacular. From the moment she wished on the wrong star and every rule in fairy went crazy, Dorthea really owned up to her mistakes and does everything in her power to make it right again. I think she's always been this capable and strong girl inside, she just needed the opportunity to prove it to herself.

Rexi is another great character but she wasn't always easy to love. She's a negative and bitter little thing that tends to be a little to honest from time to time, but I don't think I'd have her any other way. This little klepto has a great personality and I loved her quick wit comebacks.

And as for Kato? I absolutely adored him. Given the two scenes he had as Prince Kato (human) left me infuriated but intrigued, I wasn't sure how to feel when Kato turned into a Chimera (who doesn't talk at first) but my doubts all but vanished within minutes. The way he was written into the story was absolutely brilliant. It was comical and adorable and probably my favorite part.

The romance is rather light in this one, but the moments we did get was very awe-worthy. I'm also thinking sequel which would be amazing since there is still a lot of mess that needs cleaning up and yeah, I wouldn't mind seeing more Dorthea and Kato love.

Bottom line, Spelled really surprised me in the best way possible. The writing is remarkable, the tone and flow of the story was always moving in wonderment and these characters are completely remarkable. Charming, imaginative and crazy fun from the first page till it's gripping conclusion. I can't wait for more!!!! An instant favorite!

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