Pre-reading: Oh my gosh, it's a frog-turns-prince type of story! Haven't seen you before! Definitely will be reading thissssss~Post-reading: Uck. 1.5 stars.
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I hate giving books one star reviews. I understand that authors work very hard to write a book, but it takes us only a few days to read it. And in those few days, the time after you close the back cover, you can decide whether to give the book a good rating or a bad rating.
Unfortunately, Enchanted from me got a bad rating.
I've never really disliked a book that much. But with Enchanted--oh, God--I very nearly died of boredom. I didn't hate it, but it was teetering on the verge of it. Which sucks, because I was really looking forward to this novel. Really, really was. So the disappointment was like a punch in the gut.
Sunday Woodcutter is the seventh daughter of Seven and Jack Woodcutter. And as the legend goes--'she is blimey and good and gay ... and doomed to a happy life.'
But apparently "doomed to a happy life" has lots and lots of "turning things into gold" and "practicing magic." But oh God--everything was so poorly executed. Especially since Sunday and so many goddamn siblings and it's very, very hard to keep up with everyone! Put on top of that that the author explains so badly that you can't help but think her sisters are frogs sometimes, and you've got yourself a pot full of crapiness.
But not even that gave this book the score I gave it. It was the ... (wait for it) ... ROMANCE.
Kill me. Kill me and you'll put me at rest.
Because this has probably been one of the worst YA romance novels I've ever read. Oh dear Lord, I kid you not. It has everything you could possibly want for it to count against you--insta-love, check; angst-ridden teenagers, check; you-are-the-person-worth-me-dying-for, check; unbidden romantic thoughts, check; LOVE AFTER DAY ONE, CHECK.
AGAIN, I KID YOU NOT.
Sunday think she's in love with the goddamn frog after she sees him by a well after the first visit..
Grumble (the frog) thinks he's in love with Sunday after she comes to visit him after the first visit..
I understand that this is a fairytale retelling. I got that, but when you retell a fairytale and make it into YA literature, authors should know what the YA community hates about books: and that is insta-love. Fairytale retellings w/ insta-love might work if this was aimed for a middle school audience, but it isn't--it's for the young adult one.
AND I HATE INSTA-LOVE. This book has rekindled my hate of it.
The characters were so annoying. So bland and so plain; they were flat. They were not 3D characters I could feel sympathy with. It just ... the romance completely ruined this book for me. It may not have, if it hadn't played such a huge part in the novel, but it did, and it wholesomely trashed the novel.
Just ... wow. Everything was so poorly written. The writing was good, I admit; but that's probably the only thing. And me being a sucker for happy endings, I gave it the .5 rating ... (though now I'm considering taking it back). But I can tell you this: I positively, absolutely, did not enjoy this book at all. I can't tell you a time where I didn't groan when I had to realize I had to finish it. I can't tell you a time when I didn't sigh with relief when my mother said "Go to bed." I can't tell you a time when I actually smiled while reading this book.
I can tell you this, though: I'm glad I've finished it. Because I'm finally out of hell.
Conclusion: Annoying characters. Annoying plot. Annoying pacing. Annoying, exacerbating, irritating, go-die-in-a-hole insta-love romance. Okayish writing. Okayish happy ending (though absolutely predictable.)
Recommendation: NO. Oh, for the love of God, NO.
I love writing flaming reviews. Now if only it just worked off some calories ....