Bewitching

Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Release Date ~ 2/16/12
Format ~ Hardcover
Publisher ~ Harper Teen
Source ~ Gifted
Purchase: The Book Depository

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .
Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.
I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

    I recently read Beastly, which I loved, and Kenda was a character I always wanted to learn more about. Bewitching was an excellent look into her life.

   Bewitching wasn't one story, it was a combination of stories set in different time periods that were all based on different faerie tales, but revamped and much more interesting.

    The first story was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, the only one of the stories where Kendra was the main character. I really enjoyed that one because it gave you the most insight into how Kendra became a witch, and her pre-witch life.

   The second, and the main story was a retelling of Cinderella that took place in modern time Miami. This story was told from the perspective of Emma, a lonely teen who just had her life tossed up when her seemingly perfect stepsister comes to town.

The other two stories, one a retelling of Princess and the Pea taking place in 19th century France, the other a retelling of The Little Mermaid, taking place in 1912 and set on the Titanic, were both entwined with the Cinderella story to show examples of why Kendra should/shouldn't do something.

   I felt like these stories were all really entertaining and really enriched the Beastly story. Plus Kendra was a great main character, even though she was in the background mostly.

   Another good part of this novel was the setting. I usually don't talk a lot about the settings in my reviews, but the world created by Flinn was so rich it was impossible to ignore it. Every detail painted a clear picture in my mind.

    A fun, quick read. Nothing special, but a great book to save for a rainy day. It will keep the pages turning!

Cover Comments: I really love the waves crashing in the background and her dress is gorgeous!

This book counts in the following reading challenges:
Paranormal Reading Challenge: 7
Witch and Witchcraft Reading Challenge: 3
1st in a Series Reading Challenge: 12