Fairest - Hardcover

Levine, Gail Carson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060734086 ISBN 13: 9780060734084

Publisher: HarperColl, 2006

Synopsis

In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has–a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince – and a dangerous new queen. In this masterful novel filled with humour, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.

Ages 8 – 14

About this title

About the Author:

Gail Carsn Levine grew up in New York City and has been writing all her life. Her first novel, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest, a New York Times bestseller, Publishers Weekly Best Book, and School Library Journal Best Book; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Ever, a New York Times bestseller; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; A Tale of Two Castles; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writer to Writer, the poetry book Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems, and the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail and her husband, David, live in New York's Hudson Valley.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. Larger than most humans in Ayortha, 15-year-old Aza feels like "an ugly ox . . . a blemish." But in a kingdom devoted to song, Aza's voice is more beautiful and powerful than most; she can mimic any voice and throw the sound. At the king's wedding, Aza is blackmailed by the new queen, a poor singer, into a Cyrano de Bergerac arrangement: when the queen sings in public, Aza secretly provides the sound. As the queen's treachery deepens, Aza is astonished when the handsome prince initiates a friendship. In subtle details, Levine slowly reveals that the roots of the richly imagined story are cleverly tangled in the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty." The telling, in Aza's voice, is sophisticated, and readers may initially feel like foreign travelers who lack cultural context. But once connections become clear, they'll sink into the fairy-tale romance, the remarkable characters, and the wild, magical adventures. They will also recognize the questions about self-image and moral choices and experience the vicarious, heart-pounding thrill when Aza discovers love and confidence: "I strode away, feeling a thousand feet tall, and glad to be for the first time in my life. Kisses were better than potions." For a slightly older audience than Levine's Ella Enchanted (1997), this book makes a natural partner to Donna Jo Napoli's fractured fairy-tale novels, such as Beast (2000). Gillian Engberg
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0060734086
• ISBN 13: 9780060734084
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336