I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. on March 6th, 2018
Source: Netgalley
Genres: Action & Adventure, Adaptations, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Friendship, General, Social Themes, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Reform or relapse?
Things at Fairy Tale Reform School are great. Rumpelstiltskin has been ousted, and everyone is buzzing about the fact that Beauty and Prince Sebastian (aka the Beast) have joined the teaching staff. Everyone, that is, except Gilly, who can't seem to focus on anything but Anna. How is it that her beloved sister somehow went bad and joined up with Rump? And why doesn't anyone seem to care? Sure, the Royal Court says they're working on it, but they've got exactly nothing to show for it.
But when new-kid Jack joins FTRS with tales of his own family being snatched by Rump, Gilly knows she's in good company. Jack wants answers, just like Gilly. And if the Royal Court can't get the job done, then maybe it's time to break some rules...
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: No Caution: there’s no profanity, violence, bedroom scenes, or other content that could otherwise be considered disturbing. (Note: there’s some “violence” but it is so mild I do not feel it deserves a warning.
Switched is book #4 in the Fairy Tale Reform School series by Jen Calonita. Other books in the series include Flunked (#1), Charmed (#2), and Tricked (#3).
Typically I won’t pick up a book in the middle of a series. For some reason, I didn’t realize this was #4 so here I am. Anyway, I wasn’t really lost on the characters or the jest of the story. However, I did have issues with the number of acronyms this author used for everything. Here’s a small sampling:
FTRS: Fairy Tale Reform School
RA: Royal Academy
MMC: From Mischief-Maker to Model Citizen
HEAS: Happily Ever After Scrolls
RLW: Royal Ladies-in-Waiting
Honestly, I’m probably forgetting a few. It confused me, I’ll just be honest. Maybe I’m old but I can’t remember all of these acronyms.
This book also had a few instances of onomatopoeia (sound effects) but it wasn’t so excessive that I wanted to throw the book down in frustration.
Overall, the premise of this story is a really cute one. It’s like a mix up of Once Upon a Time and Equestria Girls. In other words, fairy tale characters in a school setting. I could see kids really liking this story.
Truth be told, I’d be interested in going back and reading books 1-3 so while this isn’t the best YA book that I’ve ever read, it does have promise.
About Jen Calonita
It’s no secret how Jen Calonita knows the inside scoop on Hollywood. A former entertainment editor at a teen magazine, Jen started out her career chronicling backstage life at concerts with Justin Timberlake and interviewing Zac Efron on film sets. It was her work in the entertainment world that inspired her first series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life. The six-book series about a teen starlet named Kaitlin Burke who grew weary of the fame game, but loved being an actress was published in nine countries. Jen’s other young adult novels include Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind (since she was a camp counselor as a teen), Reality Check and Belles, which is about two polar opposite girls who share one life-altering secret. Her latest young adult book, Turn It Up, is about a girls’ high school acapella group.
In her first middle grade series, Fairy Tale Reform School, readers explore a school run by Cinderella’s formerly wicked stepmother. The series (Flunked, Charmed, Tricked, and Switched, which will be released March 2018) are told from spunky young former thief, Gillian Cobbler. In Jen’s other middle grade series, VIP readers get a diary-eye look at life on the road with the world’s biggest boy band as told by their number one fan, Mackenzie Lowell. (If you’re wondering where Jen got that idea, go back and reread the first paragraph of this bio!)
Sounds like a cool concept. I teach 9th English. Do you think 14 year olds would like the series? Or is it geared toward the tweens?
I think 14-year-olds would like it but my 12-year-old would like it more. I still enjoyed it. The acronyms just bugged me :D
Thank you!
You’re welcome! :-)