A wicked fairy casting a horrid spell on my firstborn child was almost more than I could bear. We can’t let it happen again, Queen Karolina said, dabbing at the tears that glistened in her deep blue eyes. I think I'll probably read it again, in a few years when I've forgotten more of it.

Several villains of various sorts and degrees, sneaky plots changing things in the background.Fun story. I rather like Andreas, too - I hope he gets a good princess eventually. And the fairies are funny - even the human-sized ones are flutterheads (in varying degrees). The story is a whole mishmash of fairy tales - Sleeping Beauty as the frame, of course, but everything from Snow White and Rose Red to Hansel and Gretel to a kelpie attack.yeah.

I like Liam, too, though he should have admitted the truth earlier. But Annie's protection against magic does help with that (and quite a few other things), a lot. This one doesn't, quite - there's still the fairy story 'nothing will happen because I'm the hero/princess' thing, where they go wandering blithely into what should be serious danger and then come wandering out. I enjoy retellings of fairy tales, especially when they get more realistic. But overall, a fun, quick read! Read moreįun. But when Annie sets out on a quest to round up a bunch of princes to kiss her sister awake, her ability to resist spells and to see through magic facades proves to be her best asset.Baker's story draws in and parodies lots of other recognizable fairy tales and tropes, so this is a fun read for grownups as well.In places, the writing is a little stilted, and the ending seems very rushed to me. At home, this makes for a lonely existence, since no one in her family wants her anywhere near them lest they start to look old or plain. But because she has no such 'gifts,' Annie is not only ordinary in every way, her very presence disenchants those around her.

Apparently, fairy-tale characters are only perpetually lovely and charming and talented because they've been enchanted. Baker fleshes out nicely in this middle-grades book. Why? Because her overcautious parents, freaked out by the curse put on their firstborn, asked another fairy to ensure that their younger child would be resistant to magic.This is a great premise, which E. “A good example of a quest for girls who are seeking something light and fun.A very clever retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the POV of her younger sister, who doesn't fall asleep after her older sibling pricks her finger on the spindle. “Readers will delight in the twists the author makes to the familiar tales, seamlessly weaving them into the plot.” - Kirkus Reviews on Unlocking the Spell This fractured fairy tale will be enjoyed by readers who like adventure with a touch of romance.” - School Library Journal on The Wide-Awake Princess “Annie is an enjoyable, independent, and undaunted character, who uses wits and skills rather than spells in her endeavors.” - Booklist on The Wide-Awake Princess

A tale of the wide awake princess