Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Lexie

Levine's books are always a treat for me to read. Ella Enchanted, her most famous work and The Two Princesses of Bamarre (my personal favorite) both proved that a heroine doesn't have to be perfect in ways that were easy to identify with. Fairest
is no exception. Aza is very easy to identify with--not just because
she is ugly, but also because the trials she goes through are trials
everyone deals with.

I liked Aza, she was a honest open
character who did her best to do what she says she will do. She cares
about others more often then herself and has been able to rise above
the pettiness of the inn's guests to feel that she was greatly gifted
by her family. I didn't begrudge her the fact that she often brought up
the subject of her looks, the other characters rarely let her forget
how she looked after all.

Ivi, as is to be expected I guess, was
a horror. Even before Aza realized, finally, what was going on with her
I could have guessed it. I would accuse her of being bipolar, but
honestly even when she was being 'generous' with Aza the fact was that
you could hear what she wasn't saying out loud. 'I will give you this
Aza, but mine is still better' or 'You look great in that Aza, but I
still look better' seemed to be the theme of their relationship.
Attention, of any kind, always had to be on her. Good, bad or even
hateful it had to be directed at her. She was a vain birdbrain given to
selfish tantrums (I honestly wonder what she was like before she
married Oscaro. I can't imagine that as a peasant girl in Kyrria she
could have gotten away with even a smidgen of what she pulled in the
Ontio Castle).

Ijori...I really really liked him at first. He
seemed like such a wonderful guy. But I don't believe he ever really
got over his intial distrust of Aza--despite what he said. Too quickly
did he decamp from her when it looked like things were stacking against
her. Too harshly did he decry his feelings for her when favor turned
against her. I wouldn't have faulted Aza for socking him.

In the
end this book left me with more feelings of unease then Ella or Bamarre
did. The moral of the story (any good fairy tale has one after all)
seemed too forcibly hoisted on the reader. Forgive Others! Accept
yourself! Be Confident in Yourself! I might have liked this better if
Aza didn't accept herself after Ijori said he thought her looks were
fine and he liked them better then ordinary beauty.

(Reprinted with permission from the author)