Todays mood: Content
So let me just start off by telling you how this review thing is gonna go. First I'm going to list the book, the characters in the book, and my up to five star rating of it. Then I'll give you synopsis, then my opinion then the pros and cons of the book and finally wether it's worth buying or not. So umm yeah here goes nothing!
Title: Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Characters: Prilla, Tinker Bell, Rani, Vidia, Mother Dove, Queen Calrion, Terence, Beck, Bess, Moth(Fira), Dulcie, Kyto, Soop, and the Hawk
Rating: Five Stars
Synopsis: Prilla, Fairy Haven's newest fairy is a bit of an oddball. She uses clumsy phrases such as pleased to meet you, sorry, and pardon me, wants to shake hands and curtsie to the Queen, and over all acts more like a clumsy then a never fairy. What's worse she doesn't even know what her talent is! The Never Fairies don't know what to make of her. Then to make matters worse, a hurricane hits Neverland and destroys it very source of magic. Now it's up to three brave fairies to take a dangerous quest to save not just Fairy Haven but all of Neverland itself.
Opinion: Fairy Dust was the offical birth of the Disney Fairy francise and I must say having Gail Carson Levine write this story was one of the smartest things Disney has ever done for itself in years. I've been a fan of GCL since I was a wee thing and read Ella Enchanted. I was all to happy to find out she had written about Tinker Bell, who had been a favorite Disney character of mine for a while. And I wasn't disapointed in this novel. GCL created a fantasy utopia. She took the bits of information JM Barrie provided us with and built on it a grand and facinating world. The Never Fairies though the undoubtable heros of the story, are shown to be, just as Barrie described, a bit snobby and self-interested. They want very little to do with the Clumsy world, or much of any other world for that matter (Other then Rani and her obsession with Mermaids and Pirlla) You could go even further and see that each fairy wanted very little to with another fairies talent. they might have appreciated it, but no one was going to admit that another talent was better then theres, or that they might even have the tiniest smidgen of intrest in another talent. Everyone was completly talent obsessed, and it ran there entire lives. Tink was a great asset to Gail. She kept Tink very much into character from the novel Peter Pan and the movie. She's not nice, but she's not bad either. She's just self obsorbed and talent orintated. In my opinion Tink was never any better then Vidia when you think about it. She didn't exactly welcome Prilla with open arms. I also thing Vidia was a good cahracter, and I give Gail kudos for creating her. again we have someone who is self-centered, mean spirited and michevious, but not a villian. In fact in some parts Vidia is more a hero then any of the others. And her sacrafice with the dust at the end, her staying when Prilla begged, and her getting emotional over Rani's wings prove she's really not bad at heart. I think (As some one put once) "Vidia honestly thinks she's the only logical sensible fairy in a world of idiots" and some times I have to agree with that statement. Prilla was a very good proagonist. Most kids the age that the books were written for, are going through the same internal struggle she is, what am I good at? Where will I fit in society? What difference will I make in the world? These are all things Prilla had to explore and answer and the answers didn't just magically come all at once. No Prilla had to struggle with many things, and not just the quest, she had to deal with rude and nasty people, people trying to force her to do somthing she knew she couldn't do, struggling to find friends, to be appreciated. All things everyone deals with at some point in there life. Maybe not at a young age, but when we get older. That's why I think so many can connect with Prilla. She's just like a lot of us. Looking to find who we are. Terence gave the book a good bit of male spice. To me Terence showed the reality of love. That it's not all rainbow and sunshine. It's a mess of tangled up complex issues. Terence didn't get Tink by being a "nice guy" which is what her is naturally. He didn't get her with a charming smile and a few well placed lines and he doesn't get her because he does somthing heroic. Terence just doesn't get Tink. That happens a lot in real life. People fall in love, but no matter how hard they try or what they do, there love is never requitted. You also have to give Terence his props for keeping at it. That shows true and honest and pure love. When you can be walked all over, ignored and pushed around and still think the sun shines from there butt. (Which Terence obviously does). Terence knows Tink is a nice girl, he knows she isn't interested in him, and he knows she isn't about to change, but he still loves her, and he loves her for all the mentioned reasons. Kudos Terence, you truly have a pair of balls XD As for Rani, I can't say much for her. I didn't like her nor did I like the Queen or the Dove. but there is somthing you don't like in every book and it would be stupid to hate a book just because a few minor things. Rani was tolerable enough that I didn't completly dislike her and there wasn't much of Queen Clarion thankfully. Over all this story was not just fantasy and fun with some well written characters. It's also a good life lesson about coming of age and finding out just who your going to be. I think people of any age could enjoy and connect with this book. I toast GCL for this masterpiece and I recomend this book to anyone! (My mother and grandmother both LOVE this book)
Pros: The story is one, one can easily connect to.
The Characters are all characters we can understand, feel for and learn from.
The story moves fast enough to keep your attention, but slow enough that you can keep up
They way she words things I really feel like I'm there.
It's good for the whole family.
Cons: Queen Clarion and Mother Dove are treated like gods which bothered me
Rani's continoues crying
Worth it: Def worth your money! A book you can read over and over again!
Title: The Trouble with Tink
Author: Kiki Thorpe
Character: Tinker Bell, Terence, Rani, Prilla, Queen Clarion, Vidia, Dulcie, Violet, Peter Pan Rating: Four stars
Synopsis: Tink has always been the best Tinker in Pixie Hollow, no doubt. But when she loses her hammer during a game of tag, things suddenly turn topsy turvy. Everything Tink works on turns out worse then when she started. Tink knows she needs another hammer.But her spare is in Peter Pan's hideout! and she's to scared to go get. Will Tink have to give up Tinkering forever? Or will maybe, with a friend's help, Tink be able to work up the courage to go visit her old friend?
Opinion: the first four books from the series are in my opinion all the best. We didn't have any oocness and amazing original plots. The Trouble with Tink though stands out to me as the best of the best though (Though Lily's Pesky Plant and Vidia and the Fairy Crown come in as a close second) Why you ask? because it had everything! It had the internal struggle with Tink while she tries to figure out what to do about the hammer, it has the outward struggle as she messes up things in the Hollow, and falls out of favor with all but a few fairies. It has a twinge of romance between both Tink and Terence and Tink and Peter. And finally it has just a true feel that this isn't some secluded area in Neverland that has nothing to do with Neverland really, but it has the feel that this is just merely a part of Neverland and they are just as much Neverlanders as Peter Pan or the Pirates or anyone else on the island. It was this story that first drew me to Terence and it is this book that kept me liking him all these years. He in every way reminds me of my best friend (without the having a crush on me thing) He is caring thoughtful and very willing to help. Several scenes I was touched but what he did for Tink even when she was mean to him (Ex: He brought her a muffin and milk even after she snapped at him and told him to leave) the scene when he offered to go with Tink to Peter's remains my favorite moment in the fairy series. Not because of the romantic sense it has but just the whole thing with Tink putting all her trust in Terence by telling him her secret, and then revealing Peter Pan(somthing she never tells the other fairies about). And then Terence getiing the jist that Tink was embaressed over the whole ordeal and not asking questions or needling for more information. Instead just simply offering to go with her, to help her. That to me is what true friendship is about. Understanding and trusting blindly, without any prove or information. Those two are the eptiome of being best friends and it shows immensly in this novel.
Pros: Tink is Tink which is a good thing
More Terence time!
The story isn't some silly book trying to teach some pointless moral, it's just good clean fun.
Peter Pan makes an appearance and we learn about him and Tink's history
Two words: Prilla Vidia
Cons: A bit of a lag in the middle of the story
Vidia is made into a bit of a bad guy
The ending miffed me, it still felt unfinished
Worth it: Yes! This book is worth the five dollers you have to fork out for it
Title: Vidia and the Fairy Crown
Author:
Characters: Vidia, Prilla, Queen Clarion, Tink, Rani, Grace, Rhia, Lisel, Cinda, Adien, Lymphia, Nora, Twire, and Duce
Rating: Four Stars
Synopsis: Vidia is know for her sour additude, and rude remarks, but is she a theif? When one of her comments is turned against her after the Queen's Crown goes missing, Vidia is charged with stealing the crown! She has a day to prove her innocence, or face banishment from the Hollow forever. It's going to take a miralce to pull this off, or a certian redhead fairy.
Opinion: Vidia was always a favorite of mine fairy wise. I've always enjoyed seeing misunderstood characters rise above the prejudice and Vidia always seems to do that. In this book we are shown how mistreated Vidia is among the Never Fairies. She's always the first to be blamed for everything. Did it ever occur to the fairies that the crown might have been misplaced? Or that through the attendents carelessness it ended up in somelse's hands? No. But it sure occured to them that Vidia could have stole it! After all she's done for them and there kingdom and they still treat her like that. but does Vidia let the prejudice get to her? Nope, she just keeps being Vidia. Plain and Simple, and she always shows those silly fairies she's not responsible for every mishap in Pixie Hollow. Here as she fights for her innocence she is joined by another misunderstood fairy. Prilla. The fairy understands that Vidia is Pixie Hollow's scape goat and despite Vidia's sometimes uncessiary nastiness Prilla steps in and offers to help her when no one else will. And though Vidia never says it flat out, she shows Prilla she is thankful for her help. We also met some great fairies here. My favorite being Adien the crown repairing sparrow man. but all were fun to aquaint with, and many made it into future stories.
Pros: Vidia being the hero for the second time
Tink and Rani being made a fool out of! (I love Tink but it's great to see her being put in her place sometimes)
Meeting fairies from different talents
The growing friendship between Prilla and Vidia
Cons: Queen Clarion's random and unfair punishment (I mean banishment? Vidia stole feathers from Mother Dove and got away with less! Isnt feathers from Mother Dove more important then a silly crown?)
This book also ended with a feeling is was unfinished.
Worth it?: YES! Vidia and the Fairy Crown is worth the five dollars.
These were a good batch of books. I enjoyed them all. The next four I'll be doing (As soon as I finish them) are Beck and the Great Berry Battle, Lily's Pesky Plant, Rani and the Mermaid Lagoon and Tinker Bell Takes Charge.
and as a last thought. I will be doing a "chapter book" of my own that I plan on illustrating (I'll put the illustrations up on my Deviantart) on Terence. The book is roughly titled "Terence and the Dust Disaster" of cource Terence will the main character but we will also see a lot of Prilla(since next to Tink she is Terence's best friend) Rani, Myka and Jerome(Dust Talent that appears a few times in the book series and comics) Belive it or not Tink won't be in it much. Lyria, Vidia, Lymphia, Antea, Silver Mist, and Tor are all going to appear too.
(Accomplished)
