Jen Calonita

When Sleeping Beauty's nemesis breaks the Evil Queen out of the dungeon, Gilly and her friends at Fairy Tale Reform School must figure out how to stop Alva from terrorizing the village of Enchantasia--before she comes after the ones Gilly loves the most.

Charmed

Jessica Nottingham

Another wonderful entry in the Fairy Tale Reform School series! Look, it's no secret that I have a soft spot for these kinds of stories. I'm a Middle Grade reader, trapped in an adult's body. I love magic, mischief, and stories about great friendships. It's no wonder, then, that I also love Jen Calonita's writing. I enjoyed the first book, Flunked, immensely. So I couldn't wait to get my hands on Charmed and see what Gilly was up to now.
 
The first thing I noticed about this sequel was that Gilly has grown up. Oh, sure, she's still a rascal. She and her friends get up to all sorts of silliness. At the heart of it though, Gilly knows what true evil looks like now. She understands that people can get hurt, and that the choices we make affect others. I loved how Calonita didn't just let Gilly sit at this new point in her life though. Instead, she grows even more throughout the course of this book. Middle Grade readers need good role models and, as feisty as Gilly is, she definitely fits that bill.
 
Plus, there were so many more fairy tale references to fall in love with! I can't deny that I'm a sucker for a fairy tale pun. Those abound here, and if I'm finding myself giggling I have no doubt that young readers will too. I also appreciated the addition of new, and interesting characters. Most notably, Blackbeard makes his debut here. The idea that a new reader might want to discover the history of that dreaded pirate? Well, it makes me all giddy. He also adds a nice lightness to everything, what with his pirate manners and all. Pirates aren't exactly known for their manners.
 
I'm being completely honest when I say that I hope there's more of these stories to come. The ending had me a bit teary eyed, and truly hoping that this isn't the last I'll see of Gilly and her friends. If you have a young reader at home, especially one who enjoys a good fairy tale, this is a series you should get them started on. Jen Calonita's writing is wonderful.

Charlot van Dijk

Het was heerlijk om mij nog even te kunnen bevinden op de Fairy Tale Reform School. Gilly heeft het erg moeilijk en lijkt zichzelf te verliezen, ik verloor mijzelf op dat moment ook even. Ik was sneller afgeleid dan normaal en dat vond ik lastig. Het verhaal zelf is een mooie opvolger op deel 1 en ik heb deel 3 ook in de bestelling staan. Het blijft een heerlijke serie om tussendoor even te lezen en je gedachten uit te zetten. Het boek zelf is kinderlijk geschreven, maar dat maakt het verhaal niet minder leuk!

Charmed

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