Ogre Enchanted
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Girl becomes ogre in imaginative "Ella Enchanted" spin-off.
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What's the Story?
Fifteen-year-old Evie is happily pursuing her studies as a healer when Wormy, her lifelong friend and most faithful patient, upsets everything by proposing marriage. Evie sensibly points out that they're a little young and she has other things on her mind right now, and this probably would be OK with Wormy -- but not for meddlesome fairy Lucinda, last seen wreaking havoc in Ella Enchanted. Lucinda just can't stand romance gone wrong, so she puts a curse on Evie, turning the girl into a huge, ugly, stinking ogre. Evie will remain an OGRE ENCHANTED if she can't get someone to fall in love with her and propose marriage. In 62 days. People (and ogres) aren't always what they seem in this tale, but the eyes of true love can see through the illusion to what's really there.
Is It Any Good?
This imaginative tale explores the eternal quest for true love, the peril of deceptive appearances, and having to make the best of your mistakes. In Ogre Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine returns to the world of Ella Enchanted with a new tale involving troublesome fairy Lucinda -- this time turning a young teen who doesn't want to get married into a monster. As protagonist Evie struggles with her new physical reality, which she may not be able to escape, readers will find her inner conflicts (such as simultaneously really loving people and really wanting to devour them) both intriguing and oddly relatable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of people who get enchanted into completely different forms, as in Ogre Enchanted. Do you have any favorite stories where this happens? What do you like about them?
If you suddenly didn't look a bit like yourself, how do you think your friends and family would react? Would it freak them out, or would they know it was you and just accept you?
Evie recognizes that her plight has a lot in common with the Beauty and the Beast story -- and also has problems with how that story turns out. Do her thoughts make you see that story differently?
Book Details
- Author: Gail Carson Levine
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date: October 16, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 2, 2021
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