Spelled

Title: Spelled

Author: Betsy Schow

Type: Adventure, Fantasy, A little bit of Romance

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

All spell is about to break loose in this madcap fairy tale mash-up
Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks–like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the not-so-charming prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called “Kansas.” Now it’s up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse…before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

I loved this book! I liked the fantasy, the less-than-perfect characters, and the concept of the story. This story is based on Grimm’s Fairytales and The Wizard of Oz, both I which love. I would definitely read more books from this author.

The main character of the book, Dorthea, is a princess of the Emerald kingdom. She is spoiled, haughty, and uncaring towards people who are not interesting enough or have lower status. Initially, I really did not like Dorthea’s personality and the way she treats her parents and other people. Her attitude towards her imprisonment is not something to be admired, and her selfish wishes are entirely self-serving. However, I loved how Dorthea developed into a great character later in the book. Her development throughout the book was amazing, and her transition from a snobby princess to a wise one who knows what the concept of friendship, love, and family really is believable and relatable. Another thing about Dorthea’s character development: she still retains the bad things about being human. Unlike other characters in other books who change from bad to good, Dorthea actually makes mistakes when she takes a turn for the good side. Also, her relationship with her kind-of-friend Rexi (I say this because of the rocky relationship between the two), and her love-interest, Kato, is highly amusing and interesting. Their relationship keeps readers interested on what is going to happen next between the three.  Kato, at first, seems extremely arrogant and above everyone else, but when he turns into a beast and understands his feelings toward Dorthea, he turns into a more reasonable and infinitely more likeable character. I loved how loyal he was to Dorthea even when she made her wish. He’s like a rock for Dorthea, and I love that about him.  Rexi, Dorthea’s friend, is the only character I’m undecided on. She has her nice moments, but I didn’t like how disloyal she was towards her only friend. I also didn’t like her cowardice, but everyone has their moments, right?
Finally, the storyline. I loved it, even though it went off course for a few chapters. It took a while for me to realize that the book was also based on the Wizard of Oz, but when I finally understood the reference, I enjoyed the book even more. What I really liked about the storyline was that even though it was based on Grimm’s Fairytales and the Wizard of Oz, there was still originality to it. I liked the idea of the Makers and the antagonists, which added flavor to the story.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and would read more books by the author. My rating: five out of five stars.