Recent Reads: Charmed by Jen Calonita

Source: From the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Charmed by Jen Calonita
Series: Fairy Tale Reform School #2
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Publication Date:  March 1, 2016

 

Format:  Hardback

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Charmed is the exciting sequel to the wildly popular Flunked -- second in the brand new Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains. "Charming fairy-tale fun." -Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series.

It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.

Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her. As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.

Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

 Review: 
Charmed is the second book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series and is a wonderful middle grade read. It is a follow up to Flucked, where Gilly gets thrown into reform school for stealing and ends up becoming a hero. In this book, we again follow Gilly and her friends as they try to defend their school from Alva - the wicked one that cursed Sleeping Beauty and in doing so learn more about reforming themselves and the power of teamwork and trust.

What I really love about this book and the one before it, is the clever way Calonita takes fairy tales and has mashed them all together for this story. The characters and world building are wonderfully done and the book is funny and really keeps a read on their toes. 

I hope this middle grade series has more books, the are very enjoyable reads and I think younger readers will enjoy them and even parents will too.