Monday, July 13, 2009

REVIEW: "Fairy Tale"


Title: Fairy Tale (used to be Fairy Lust)
Author: Cyn Balog
Genre: Teen FantasyPublisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub. Date: June 2009
ISBN-13:
9780385737067
Pages:
256
Summary (B&N):

A captivating and witty dark fantasy that will have girls lusting after it.

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.



My Thoughts:


I'll be honest-- when I first saw the cover for this book earlier this year, I fell in love with it-- or lust, since the original title (which was soon changed, why, I have no clue!) was Fairy Lust. The cover art caught my eye, and the summary finished drawing me in. Fairies, forbidden love, a possible love triangle... really, what about that doesn't sound interesting?


I don't even know where to start-- over all, this book was great, truly an interesting (and unique) story. Did it have it's flaws? Sure, but what book doesn't. But there were only a few things about the book that bothered me (mainly the way that the characters acted/spoke during a few parts of the books, they seemed more like whiny teenagers than strong characters I prefer in my books, but in the end, they managed to straighten up a bit), and none of these flaws were enough to make me dislike the book in any way. Instead, I've been captivated by Balog's writing, and I'm anxious to see more from this promising new author. Really, if this debut is this good, can you imagine what future books will be like? Wow!


Back to the book-- the plot was good, and it really made me stop and think: what would you do if the love of your life suddenly told you he was a fairy? And what if he was going to leave for the other side to be King of the fairies in only a handful of days? What would you do, how would you react? And to make it even more complicated, what if the guy who's suppose to take his spot back on Earth starts attracting your attention-- is it okay to fall for the man replacing your boyfriend, even if there's no other way for it to work out? Morgan's life is thrown into instant turmoil, and I can't say I envy her having to deal with it all!


Despite all these troubles, Morgan must continue her everyday life like nothing is wrong-- after all, she can't exactly ask her parents or friends for help, can you imagine trying to explain that your boyfriend, the All-American boy for the town, football star and all around tough-guy, is now a fairy, wasting away before your eyes, while no one else can see the fairy changes going on? She'd be locked up in the mental hospital quicker than she can say 'Tinker Bell'! Add to this the fact that she can see visions of people's futures, except for Cam's, which is explained when she finds out his secret, of course.


As far as the characters go, at the beginning, I was all for Cam-- he seemed like a sweet guy, yet masculine enough to satisfy the 'Alpha Male' role that I so love in my romances. The connection between Morgan and Cam was there, and it was one of those 'aw' kind of moments, since they've been together from a very young age, from elementary crush to high school sweethearts. But as soon as Pip, the human baby stolen 16 years ago and taken to Fairy, comes into the story, and we learn more about him and watch as he tries to figure out this bizarre world and fit in, I found myself leaning more towards Pip instead of Cam....And so does Morgan!


I'm not surprised that Morgan had such a hard time deciding, I know I would have. Which would you choose, the one you've known and loved all your life or the new boy who's making you blush and laugh over the simplest things? It's a hard choice, and she has to remember that as much as she loves Cam, there's no way to get around the fact that after October 15th (their 16th birthday), he'll be transported to Fairy, and she'll never see him again, while good old Pip will be staying here. What's a girl to do?


4.5 STARS! Fairy Tale is a wonderful debut, beautiful and witty, with characters that will seem almost real at times, ready to reach through the pages and touch you. A spectacular novel that will have you alternating between laughing, sighing, and daydreaming, and always asking: what next? This is the perfect fantasy romance for anyone, teenagers or older, who loves all things magical-- you'll find yourself drawn right into the story, so prepare to lock the door and get comfortable, you won't want to put the book down until it's over!



Until Next Time,
The Book Queen

1 comment :

Michelle Greathouse said...

Oooh, I love the cover too. :) This sounds like one for my must have list. Thanks for the review.

M