Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Adventure, sweetness, peril, some loss in fairy tale sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 18 kid reviews
Kids say this book offers a blend of excitement and some intense scenes, making it more suitable for older children. However, it receives mixed reviews regarding its appropriateness for younger readers due to occasional language and mature themes, prompting varying recommendations on age suitability.
- mixed opinions
- intense scenes
- age suitability
- language concerns
- character development
- plot twists
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Since they got home from the Land of Stories following the adventures in The Wishing Spell, Conner and Alex Bailey, now 13, have often missed their fairy-tale-character companions and longed to return. When their mother suddenly disappears, they soon learn that she's been abducted to the fairytale world by an enchantress who seems bent on destroying everything in her path. Defying their grandmother, who's trying to keep them safe, they figure out a way to get back to the Land of Stories, where they quickly reunite with Froggy, Goldilocks, Jack, Red, et al in a quest to save the twins' mother, a kidnapped baby, and the world.
Is It Any Good?
Author Chris Colfer's narrative balance of wisdom and wisecracks frequently strikes an odd note in THE ENCHANTRESS RETURNS, but many kids will find that part of the charm. His breezy, engaging style sometimes doesn't quite work with the emotional and ethical issues that drive many characters; squabbling queen-zillas, beloved people dying or in mortal danger, happy reunions and dramatic reversals follow one another with video-game-like pacing and keep the pages turning, though sometimes at the expense of character development beyond the cartoon stage.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why new stories about familiar characters are so popular. How do you feel about the fairy tale characters who appear here compared with the versions of them in other stories?
Traditionally, fairy tales were used to teach lessons. Do you think there are any lessons being taught here? If so, what do you think they are?
Why do you think the Enchantress and Alex turned out so differently when they seem to have a lot in common?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fairy Tale
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : August 6, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 528
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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