"The Long Way Home" by Ann M. Martin

I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Long Way Home compared to Better to Wish. This book focuses on Dana, the daughter of Abby and Zander. She is an aspiring artist who looks up to her father more than anyone. Though she loves her mother, brother and twin sister, she just isn't as close to them. Their lives are happy, until tragedy strikes (isn't that always the way in the literary world?) and soon Dana will have to make some tough decisions in order to live the life she dreams of.

I thought that Martin did a great job with Dana's story. Though I liked Abby's, I felt that her development fell a little flat and her story didn't work as well with the way the book was written. However, it worked well for Dana. In this series, we see glimpses of the girls' lives set over the course of multiple years. Because of this, there is sometimes a little bit too much text devoted to filling the reader in on what they missed from one period to the next, but it seems that Martin had a better handle on this with The Long Way Home.  I was apprehensive to read this book, since I didn't feel that the first was the strongest of Martin's writing. But since the sequel is a much stronger book, I now look forward to completing the series. Tweens looking for a little bit of history mixed in with an interesting style of showing a girl growing up will like these books.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Sink or Swim (Whatever After #3)" by Sarah Mlynowski

This is nit-picky, but where is Abby's watch?

Abby and Jonah are back and this time they are visiting the world of The Little Mermaid in Sink or Swim. This time, Abby really wants to mess up the fairy tale because she knows that if the mermaid doesn't marry the prince, then the mermaid will be no longer. Things would be a little easier if she wasn't afraid to swim. Things start off a mess because Abby and Jonah accidentally scare the mermaid off, but soon they are able to talk to her (turns out her name is Lana). Abby does her best to convince Lana not to go to the sea witch, but before she knows it Lana has traded her fins for legs and it's up to Abby to once again create a happily ever after.

The Little Mermaid is my all time favorite Disney movie. I have loved it longer than I can remember. So you can imagine my horror when I found out the ending of the original story. I am really glad that Mlynowski acknowledges that the Disney versions of many of these fairy tales are cleaned up so you don't have to worry about them giving your kids nightmares (though as a child, Ursula getting electrocuted always freaked me out a lot). I really felt for Abby in this book. The weight on her shoulders this time around is enormous. Before, if she failed the princess would just miss out on the prince. But if she messes up this time, then there won't be anything left of the princess.

Like the rest of the series, this book is mostly made of lighthearted moments with plenty of humor. Jonah acts like a real little brother with most of his focus on having fun rather than saving the day or finding a way home (though I like his logic that they can't go home until the adventure is over). Abby worries a little too much and takes on a little more than she can handle, but always comes out learning about herself and becoming a better person for it. This series is one that I think that all young girls should read. They focus so much on being true to yourself and not changing who you are for someone else and the characters are some of the best role models I have ever encountered in the literary world. If you haven't yet, check them out!



Happy Reading!
-Melly

"If the Shoe Fits" by Sarah Mlynowski

I am really loving this series!  Shorty after returning from Snow White's fairy tale, Abby and her brother go back through the mirror in If the Shoe Fits.  Abby's mission is to get her lime green pajamas back.  Unfortunately, instead of visiting Snow they end up in Floom and are smack in the middle of CInderella's tale.  Determined to not mess anything up this time, the two begin to look for a mirror so that they can get back home.  But in the process they manage to mess things up big time for Cinderella.  Now they have to help her become self-sufficient so that she is worthy of marrying the prince.  I'm not going to tell you how it ends- but know that a lot of baking is involved (I really wanted chocolate after reading this book).

Fairy Tales are all the rage right now (and they have been for quite some time).  It seems that a good chunk of stories coming out at the moment (not just books, but movies too) are either some sort of retelling or a modernization of someone else's story.  Sometimes I am okay with that.  Sometimes I wish the author had just left the source material alone.  And sometimes someone like Mlynowksi comes along and writes a book that I just can't put down and keeps me laughing until the end.  Though, let's be fair, everything that I have read by Mlynowski (and that's quite a bit) has kept me laughing.  Awhile back the Top Ten Tuesday theme was authors you automatically buy just because their name is on the cover.  I didn't realize at the time (and no, I didn't participate that week), but Mlynowski would be on that list.  I just love everything she has written!

If you like (good) retellings of fairy tales, like funny stories, or know a little girl who's into either, then this is the series for you!



Happy Reading!
-Melly