Yes, this is a young adult novel and yes, again, it was on my list, but only for a short time, three months to be exact. I found the book on goodreads.com, but then again, I find nearly all of my books there. I suppose you are wondering why I have chosen a young adult book? Well, let me explain. My eldest granddaughter and I would read and discuss the same books when she was younger, it was our own private little book club. Now, I am trying to locate books that I feel would be appropriate for my two youngest granddaughters, something they would understand and enjoy, and something I would also enjoy. This task has not been easy, and this is not exactly such a book; but I enjoyed reading it!

This book was a lot of fun to read! I didn't really like Dorthea at first, she was pretty selfish and oblivious to everybody but herself. But as she goes on this journey, she learns more about herself and becomes a better person, which is really great!

This world of stories coming to life, in another world that is affected by storymakers from our world, yeah, it's been done a time or two before, like Once Upon a Time, but it's not something that I read before, and the puns and the story-fied versions of things we have, it's just so hilarious!

Dorthea was something of a brat in the beginning, There were times where I wanted to non-violently knock some sense into her. But as she goes on this unwanted adventure, the situations that she got into gave her that.

That ending was pretty awesome. It took a lot of what she'd learned with everything that happened to them, but they worked it out. Unfortunately there was the whole thing with the water that is going to bite them in the butt in the future! I can't wait to read it!

Really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more of this series!

With allusions to fairy tales and the Wizard of Oz, this book is fun and silly. ARC from NetGalley.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I loved it. I loved the way the main character develops over the course of the story; she starts off selfish and vain and slowly grows into a decisive, courageous young woman. She was faced with betrayal and tragedy and gradually grew to approach them well. I can actually go so far as to say that I disliked her at the beginning but loved her in the end. But what really made this book great were the supporting characters: a serious, duty-bound prince and a snarky, angry sidekick. Perhaps that is the flaw in the story. The beginning is painfully high school, and I hated the main character so about a quarter of the novel - and I almost gave up. I'm so glad I didn't. So I hope you give this book a try.

Very fun and exciting read. Love the fairytale aspect. I can’t wait to see more from this obviously talented author.

With a story structured in the classic style of L. Frank Baum, Spelled is a creative reimagining of the Oz world in conjunction with a few other fairy tale kingdoms. The structuring of the story is, by far, my favorite aspect of the novel. We follow Dot from her Emerald Palace and into the outside world where we meet magical and mythical creatures as well as reimagined Oz villains. It reminded me so much of the way Baum structured his adventures through Oz!

Because of the structure, Spelled is a very entertaining and all-around fun read. However, it lacked in character development for me and because of that it felt very young-YA. The crux of the story was the traveling and problem solving when evil creatures got in the way. As this book ends on a cliffhanger, I would suspect a series but it looks unconfirmed as yet. My hope would be, since we have teenaged characters, we learn more about their background when the stories progress. Especially Rexi — it’s hinted at several times that she doesn’t come from a luxurious background and maybe her actions at the end of Spelled could be explained by the way her family members treat(ed) her.

I would highly recommend this book to any lover of fairy tales (especially anyone who was let down by Dorothy Must Die) and fantasy lovers who would like a light read!

I've tried several times to read this, and I just can't seem to get past the first few chapters. May try again someday.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

All spell is about to break loose in this madcap fairy tale mash-up

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks--like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the not-so-charming prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called “Kansas.” Now it’s up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse…before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Fairy tale mash-ups can truly be hit-or-miss...and while this isn't technically one of those, it still fits in the genre of mashup. And it really worked for me!

Want to know the best thing about this book? It is Dorothea - she is one of the finest characters I have read recently. She is absolutely spoiled and full of herself, yet she is still hilarious and makes you want to follow her all the way. Her running one-liners are a joy and I do feel sorry for pretty much anyone who crosses her path.

A special mention for Rexi and Kato - perfect foils for Dorothea and made the experience all the more enjoyable. Rexi wouldn't let Dorothea feel bad or brood on things, while Kato was kinda that guy...

I am going to go back and read this again as I am sure there were some references to The Wizard of Oz (and other fairy tales) that I missed as I was having far too much fun reading this the first time!


Paul
ARH

The story is filled with hilarious comebacks, changes, and gives a better appreciation for the original material. It contains easter eggs you have to pay extra close attention to unless you’d miss them. Do I recommend this? Yes, but I do not suggest you place it next to your other fairy tale retellings. I believe books like this deserve a category all of their own.

One childish wish, that is all it took to throw the entire balance of Dorthea’s world upside down…and not in a good way. Her wish has given evil the upper hand and even worse… Dorthea is cursed with the doom of her world.

This is a very unusual but entertaining take on a twisted fairy tale. Schow brings highly atypical fairy tale characters, Dorthea being case and point. She is the princess, but she is also cursed and has the pension for evil. Fighting her conflicting urges toward evil, Dorthea must decide what is most important, make choices that will create irreparable changes and face her new dawning reality. You might say it’s a book with bite.

Written for the younger reader or young at heart reader it’s not all "the moral to this story". Spelled also provides a good dose of wit, snark and humor.

I found Spelled Enchantingly Entertaining!

ARC-Netgalley