Ella Enchanted Paperback – February 17, 2004

I read this as a child and periodically read it again multiple times over the years. I’ve enjoyed it every single time. Emotionally compelling with a great narrative, characterization, dialogue, romance, humor, world building, and more.Rarely are books so good that they stay with you for life, but this is one of them. Definitely recommended.

Why did I wait so very long to read this delightful tale!? If you've ever seen the movie, just pretend you didn't because the two are incomparable.From the scenes to the characters, everything is vastly different. And the book delivers in a big way. It's whimsical and tenderly sweet and will really give you a reason to smile.Ella is lovely and defiant even when she's following orders. Ella possesses this undeniable heart of gold that in the end saves the day. You can't help but adore her and crave the curse's dissolution.This unputdownable book is the perfect gift to give your heart with an everlasting warm glow. It's an enormous hug to hang onto. It's freshly picked flowers from the garden. You simply have to read this.

Overall Review: Ella Enchanted is one of my favorite fairy tale retellings of all time. It's a perfect fantasy: A `damsel in distress', a prince, an indifferent parent, fairies (including a fairy godmother!), man-eating ogres, future-telling gnomes, fun-loving giants, talented elves, an evil step-mother (of course!!), evil and greedy stepsisters... Put all those characters together and add some spur of the moment travels, finishing school, a few balls, and, above all, a curse, and you have a recipe for something unforgettable!The writing for this novel is accessible to any age. From young children to adults, everyone can find something to love. The characters are individuals with such sparkle! Ella's gift with languages is uncanny and so much fun as she converses with the different species she meets along her way to find the fairy Lucinda and, hopefully, break her curse! The stepsisters are not just nasty--they have personality, even if those personalities are cunning and evil...and a bit daft. There are wonderful moments of humor--as Ella tries to find new ways to thwart the commands she is given, but especially when a wig is stolen! The relationship between Ella and Prince Char is so sweet--from her desire to make him laugh, to the exchanging of letters while he is away in Ayortha, to their final encounter, it's enough to make you sigh with pleasure. Ella Enchanted is a timeless Gem! Overall rating is 5 out of 5 stars!Content Review:PROFANITY: NONEVIOLENCE: A few mild instancesSEXUAL CONTENT: NONEMATURE THEMES: MildRECOMMENDED AGE GROUP: 9+There is no profanity or sexual content (there is a strain of romance throughout, and two characters kiss, but it is very sweet). The violence centers around the ogres, mostly. They eat living creatures. A horse is eaten. A character is caught by ogres and they talk about which parts they're going to eat (the character is not eaten). Ogres chase down a carriage so they can eat the people inside (again, they're not eaten). Ogres try to eat a human and a gnome. One character dies because of illness. A character always thinks of the worst things that could happen because of a curse (many of them involve death and sadness). Some characters are very cruel to another character (making them become a servant and forcing them to work extremely hard). A few of the themes are overcoming curses (obstacles/difficulties), loss of loved ones, and dealing with difficult people/life situations. I read this book aloud to my children and they loved every minute! Ella Enchanted is a Squeaky Clean Read for ages 9+!This review was written by EmilyA Squeaky Clean Reads Book ReviewerTo see more fantastic books reviewed with content in mind, visit us at squeakycleanreads.com!

I read this book as a kid and decided to read it again. It was very enjoyable and an easy read. I think I liked it even better as an adult.

I’ve always loved Cinderella stories; ever since I was a little girl. I’d never heard of this book until the movie came out when I was in college. I decided to buy the movie as I had liked Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries. The first time I watched it was with my cousin who was actually teaching the book in her middle school class and was very curious about the movie. At first I really like the movie. My cousin assured me that the book was better but that’s usually the case so I didn’t pay too much attention.Finally I checked the book out of the library. I began to read and was hooked from the beginning. I knew just a few pages in that Ella Enchanted (the book) and I were going to be great friends, in other words, I knew I’d be reading it over and over again. I went out and bought my own copy before I even finished reading the library’s copy. I still have that book now about 17 years later and have read it many times. Because of declining health I’ve had to recently start reading my books on Kindle. I don’t have the strength to hold up an actual book. Today, I bought a Kindle version of Ella Enchanted so I can have my old friend back.After I’d read the book, I realized how much the movie had destroyed the story. I ended trading it in at some store that did trades for the DVD of Spider Man. They added a ruthless m, super-villain in the movie when she already had a stepmother and stepsisters who were willing to order her about. Her father as I recall was simply absent. He’d left instructions for his new wife to treat his daughter as she would her own which she thoroughly ignored, but, in the end it was Ella’s own strength that sets her free, which I think is something very important for young girls to learn to be strong in their own right.I’m looking forward to catching up with an old friend again.

This is the perfect palette cleanser I needed. I love the movie and I think I love the book more. I definitely want to read more books by this author.

I have loved this book ALL my life and I'm thrilled to have a hardback copy of it. Worth every penny!

At 35, this is still my all-time favourite book. Bought for my nearly nine year old and she has fallen in love with it too. Vivid characters, excellent description - awful movie (I definitely do not recommend that)!

As a child I didnt read much because it didn't keep my interest but I read this book twice, I love reading now and suggest this book to my friend especially if they have children. Its so beautiful and well written.

Il libro è veramente bello, ancora meglio di quanto mi aspettassi. Non riuscivo a smettere di leggerlo. E' divertente, avvincente, romantico ed è scritto benissimo. Si tratta di un'edizione in lingua inglese e non in italiano.

É um livro interessante. É um releitura da Cinderela, mais elaborada, com personagens mais inusitados. Excelente conto de fadas para crianças.

Moi qui n'aime pas toujours les romans inspirés de contes traditionnels, j'ai été totalement conquise par cette histoire extrêmement bien équilibrée: elle se déroule à un rythme soutenu, elle est très bien écrite, l'héroïne, affligée d'un sort d'obéissance dont on mesure les effets dévastateurs, est tout sauf la mièvre Cendrillon de Walt Disney. Elle se bat, ne se résigne pas, ne s'aigrit pas non plus. Les personnages secondaires, faibles ou méchants, sont dépeints sans excès. Les gentils sont adorables. Le monde de ce livre est un monde enchanté également où les Ogres côtoient les Gnomes, les Fées ou les Géants. Cela apporte une touche de fantaisie.Les échanges épistolaires sont mignons et seule la deuxième partie du livre nous rappelle que ce livre est inspiré de Cendrillon, la première partie étant très originale.Le personnage du Prince aurait pu être plus développé mais ce livre est vraiment excellent et adorable. Je l'achèterai à l'occasion en version papier pour ma fille, lorsqu'elle saura lire.