Book choices from a 12 year old...

My daughter, the avid reader that she is, usually goes through several books a week.  Here, I share with you her best and worst picks for this week.

*Best

A Kiss in Time

 $8.99

Buy at Amazon

From Publishers Weekly

In the same vein as Flinn's Beastly, this clever and humorous retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" follows an aimless American boy who awakens a princess who has been slumbering for 300 years. Jack is on a European tour mandated by his parents ("What they don't tell you about Europe is how completely lame it is") when he breaks an ancient curse by kissing the slumbering Princess Talia. Instead of rejoicing, she and other awakened members of their magical kingdom are confused and perturbed to find themselves in the 21st century. In order to escape the wrath of her father, who blames her for causing the curse, Talia flees with Jack to his home in Florida. While acclimating to the modern world-cell phones, television, Jell-o shots-the princess manages to charm everyone she meets and help Jack sort out his life. Alternating between the teenagers' distinctive points of view, Flinn skillfully delineates how their upbringings set them apart while drawing parallels between their family conflicts. Fans of happily-ever-after endings will delight in the upbeat resolution, which confirms the notion that "love conquers all." Ages 12-up.

My daughter's thoughts:

Rating: 4 ½ stars out of five

This thrilling modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty will entrance you from the moment you read. From the author of Beastly comes this amazing story of true love intertwined with a hint of fairy tale that will send you running to Disney to buy Sleeping Beauty if you haven’t already. Recommended for people who enjoy good writing and haven’t yet found that book you stay up with at night with a flashlight.

*Worst

 

Rating: 1 star out of five

Children do not like history. And when a whole family tries to write a novel about the 1800’s repeating itself four hundred years later, stuffing history facts down your throat every five pages, it can’t turn out well. This novel was slow and pointless, but it would have been a good idea if the writing and history hadn’t ruined it.