Fairest

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).

Copyright 2006 Booklist, LLC Used with permission.

In an alluring companion novel that some readers may argue even surpasses Ella Enchanted, Levine gives a visionary rendering of the Snow White tale that challenges conventional ideas of beauty. Fifteen-year-old narrator Aza is anything but pretty. In fact, she is so unsightly that her loving innkeeper parents (who found Aza abandoned as a baby) keep her hidden from most of their guests. However, Aza possesses two special gifts and when, through a series of events, she winds up in the royal court, her talents draw notice. She has a stunning singing voice (something prized among her fellow Ayorthaians), and she has the ability to throw her voice, so that it appears that someone else is singing (a talent that comes in handy when the vocally challenged queen is asked to sing in public). After Aza is made lady-in-waiting, she discovers a magic mirror that has the power to make her the fairest in the land. But becoming a raving beauty brings more heartache than joy and could even cost Aza her life. Readers will instantly fall in love with the heroine, whose heart proves to be as warm as her voice. They will eagerly follow Aza's circuitous journey, one that leads to a tribe of gnomes (who may be distant relatives), lures Aza into a deadly trap and eventually brings her back to court, where she reunites with the man she adores, a prince who recognizes her inner beauty. Ages 8-14. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2006 Publisher's Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A musical maid with a love for gnomes discovers there's more to life than being pretty. Abandoned at the Featherbed Inn in the kingdom of Ayortha, Aza was raised lovingly by the innkeeper and his wife. In Ayortha beauty and singing are prized above everything. Aza's voice is the "finest," but her "htun" hair and large physique mark her as ugly. She longs to be pretty. Fate takes Aza to Ontio Castle, where her voice charms everyone including Prince Ijori. Aza quickly becomes embroiled in castle intrigue when the king is injured and his scheming bride, Ivi, blackmails Aza into "illusing" her voice to make it seem that Ivi can sing. With Ayortha verging on rebellion, Aza realizes Ivi's magical mirror will transform her into the fairest of all, but at a terrible price. Fans of Ella Enchanted (1997) will find Aza a kind-hearted, spirited heroine who uses her wit and voice to rescue the kingdom and who learns the hard way that beauty isn't everything. A song-filled, fast-paced fairy tale. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Copyright 2006 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.