Fairest by Gail Carson Levine


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Remember Ella Enchanted? Do you like fairytale-like stories? Here is one for you.
In a world where beauty, and singing ability are revered, Aza is awkward, and homely. Her only attribute is her glorious voice and has a gift of throwing her voice, that she calls "illusing." A duchess invites Aza to act as her companion and accompany her to the palace to attend the king's wedding. The new Queen Ivi she sees a way of protecting her reputation and disguising her own lack of singing talent by threatening Aza's family. Aza deceives the court into believing that Queen Ivi is a gifted singer. When the ruse is discovered, Aza is forced to flee the castle in order to save her life. Aza discovers her own strength of character, learns about herself, and decides that her physical appearance is not worthy of the stress and worry she has wasted on it. The plot is fast-paced, and you don’t even have to read it – the book comes on CD so you can enjoy the story and the singing. What’s not to like?

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