4.5 fairy-tale-stars

Huh, I did so not expect it, but I loved this book!

It's a very unique twist on Jack and the Beanstalk, one I enjoyed very much. It starts out with a lonely young man, Jack, shunned by his village, treated horrendously by his family, and on top of it all, losing the only real friend he ever had. Which, btw, made me cry and ache like I was right there with him.

With nothing left to loose, Jack decides to climb the beanstalk, find the treasure hidden there and leave his home forever. What he gets though, is not gold and diamonds, but Rion. An euqally lonely, tortured "giant", who lives his life trapped by his own promises and history.

This is an excellent example for an enemies-to-lovers story, full of conflict and guilt, emotional encounters, some soul searching and - surprise - pretty hot smut. It's dirty, it's gritty, it's absolutely wonderful. All of this gets perfected with a little action/suspense-cherry on top.

Absolutely wonderful, and a memorable new fairy tale. Definitely recommended if you like romance, magical stories and raunchy smexy times - what a combination.

I read this a few months ago, actually, so this review's late. But now I'm reading the sequel, and I happen to have some free time, so I'm finally getting around to it. :)

 

I really like this book. It's mostly based off of the frog prince fairytale, but it's got a lot of other fairytales mixed in, which is cool. The writing is awesome because it has a fairytale-like way of saying ridiculous things (like people turning into animals or people climbing giant beanstalks, that kind of thing) that makes it seem perfectly normal. I wish all fairytale style books were written like this one.

 

The main character's a nice, dreamy/creative/absentminded girl that also fits well with the fairytale theme. The other MC, the prince, I also like--which is rare. Oh, and I also love the fact that he doesn't just appear in a flowing cape with his hair already styled perfectly, ready to carry away his princess, when the frog prince turns back into a human.

 

I'd easily recommend Enchanted to any fairytale-loving person, and I'm really glad I read it. It surprised me, which is always--well, a surprise. XD

Learning about healthy eating with Jack and Waldorf the giant.

For my money, the cleverest bit of this twist on Jack and the Beanstalk was the talking jukebox. Clearly addressing the adult reading the book aloud, the jukebox talks almost entirely in classic song lyrics. It's well-done. The illustrations are cute in a cartoonish way. I'll have to try it out on some kids to find out if they will sit still for a story about food. Not my cup of, er, hot sauce, but worth a look.I got this copy free at ALA Midwinter.

I wish Goodreads allowed half stars because I think this book is really a 3.5.Jack the Giant-Killer retells the Jack motif from folklore. de Lint has a good twist by making this Jack, a Jacky. The strange thing it that the more interesting character, for me at least, is her friend Kate "Crackernuts" Hazel. Kate seems to be more of a living character. The story makes wonderful use of fairy motif and allusions (and what de Lint book doesn't). The one weak spot was that romance, in particualr the closing pair, seemed not so much forced, as put in the belief that readers want it. The second book, Drink Down the Moon isn't totally Jacky's story, in fact she feels absent even though she is there. There is a fairy romance, of a sorts, but while it doesn't feel forced, it lacks depth. The saving grace is the character of Kate and her trick with her book. It's a nice book.