Official Review: Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions

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Amagine
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Official Review: Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions

Post by Amagine »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions" by Jennifer Morse.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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Most people probably know the story of Cinderella. It’s the story about the poor, orphan girl who is abused by her step-mothers and sisters. She meets a fairy godmother, meets a prince, loses a slipper and then marries the prince…the end. Well Jennifer Morse’s Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions, tells a slightly different version.

In this version, Cinderella’s real name is Charlotte and her step-mother is a serial killer who knows blood magic. The prince is no ordinary prince, he has a few magic tricks up his sleeves too. There isn’t just one fairy godmother, there are four. They are known as the fairy godmothers of the four directions; north, south, east and west. What part do they play in the fairy tale, you ask? Their job is to help Charlotte overcome her tragic past with her step-mother and find inner strength so she can marry the prince and help rule the kingdom. When an evil chimera threatens the safety of the kingdom, Charlotte must hurry and separate herself from her past so she can gain the power to protect her future.

The language of the book was the first thing that caught my attention. The story has a sophisticated tone to it as the author is very descriptive and poetic in her language. That kind of writing style would have been received well in an adult novel. This novel is categorized as a YA and I feel the language will alienate a teen audience. In every line, the author uses many metaphors and personifications. Readers will get so lost in the words that they will find it hard to focus on the plot. The author had a habit of straying from the story and giving out long explanations on the meaning of fairy tales or other things that weren’t important to the plot. There was a lot of unnecessary information.

Even though I struggled to follow the plot because of reasons already given, I was impressed with the originality and overall message of the story. The fairy godmothers were a great addition to the tale. The West Fairy helps Charlotte to conquer unresolved feelings. The North Fairy tasks Charlotte with gaining strength and wisdom so that she will always know right from wrong. The East Fairy gives Charlotte a fresh start. Lastly, the South Fairy helped her to nurture her spirit.

I enjoyed the development of Charlotte. She started off being weak and pitiful, but through her trainings with the fairies, she became a character you would want to root for. Readers can also gain a lot of understanding through her time with the fairies. Each fairy had valuable advice and great words of encouragement that I believe readers can benefit from.

I rate this story 2 out of 4 stars. I give it two stars because of its originality, development of Charlotte and the lessons that were imparted. I can’t award it anymore because it was hard to focus on the plot at times. The fact that the author had a habit of interrupting scenes to write irrelevant speeches, didn’t help much. The book is categorized for teenagers, but I think adults may have an easier time understanding it. If I had to recommend it, I would recommend the book to an adult audience who may want to hear an encouraging fairy tale. If it had been for adults, I would have given it 3 stars.

******
Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions
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Post by kandscreeley »

It sounds interesting. Cinderella's step-mother is a serial killer? That's definitely unique. It's too bad that the author uses wordage that would be over the heads of young adults. Maybe the author will make some edits to this story as it does sound intriguing.
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Post by Amagine »

kandscreeley wrote:It sounds interesting. Cinderella's step-mother is a serial killer? That's definitely unique. It's too bad that the author uses wordage that would be over the heads of young adults. Maybe the auth
or will make some edits to this story as it does sound intriguing.
I agree. The book wasn't bad, it just doesn't fit well in the YA category. Also, the author needs to make a lot of cuts in the book.

Thanks for reading! :D
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Post by Gingerbo0ks »

An interesting take on a fairy tale, I'm kind of intrigued! However it does sound like it might be more ideal for an older audience or for people that don't mind a story that tends to go off on a tangent.
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Post by Amagine »

Gingerbo0ks wrote:An interesting take on a fairy tale, I'm kind of intrigued! However it does sound like it might be more ideal for an older audience or for people that don't mind a story that tends to go off on a tangent.
Yes it is. I loved the concept of the four fairy godmothers but when the author went off on tangents, the story became harder to understand.

Thanks for reading! :D
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Post by Shreyoshi Sen »

Thanks for your honest review. One small doubt, is the book good for children? Then I would be gifting one to my small cousin.
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Post by Amagine »

Shreyoshi Sen wrote:Thanks for your honest review. One small doubt, is the book good for children? Then I would be gifting one to my small cousin.
This book would be easier for you to read than a child. Unless the child is really advanced, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't even think teenagers would care for the book too much. I definitely recommend it for adults though.

Thanks for reading! ?
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Post by Shreyoshi Sen »

Amagine wrote:
Shreyoshi Sen wrote:Thanks for your honest review. One small doubt, is the book good for children? Then I would be gifting one to my small cousin.
This book would be easier for you to read than a child. Unless the child is really advanced, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't even think teenagers would care for the book too much. I definitely recommend it for adults though.

Thanks for reading! ?
Thank you so much.
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Post by Amagine »

Shreyoshi Sen wrote:
Amagine wrote:
Shreyoshi Sen wrote:Thanks for your honest review. One small doubt, is the book good for children? Then I would be gifting one to my small cousin.
This book would be easier for you to read than a child. Unless the child is really advanced, I wouldn't recommend it. I don't even think teenagers would care for the book too much. I definitely recommend it for adults though.

Thanks for reading! ?
Thank you so much.
You're welcome!
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

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Post by Meggie Lou »

It is a shame that the novel didn't get a higher rating but I completely understand why. Not only do you have to tell a compelling story as a writer, but you have to write for your intended audience. Thank you for the review, it definitely helps me decide on whether or not to read the book.

:)
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Post by Amagine »

Meggie Lou wrote:It is a shame that the novel didn't get a higher rating but I completely understand why. Not only do you have to tell a compelling story as a writer, but you have to write for your intended audience. Thank you for the review, it definitely helps me decide on whether or not to read the book.

:)

Yes, it was hard to discern what audience the author was writing go. It's unfortunate because it had some potential.

Thanks for reading! :D
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"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
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Post by godreaujea »

This book sounds like it has a cool, original plot on an almost beaten-to-death storyline. However, the rambling speeches you mention does make the book sound not as good and hard to follow. You saved me from reading it, so thank you!

-- 29 Apr 2017, 20:16 --

This book sounds like it has a cool, original plot on an almost beaten-to-death storyline. However, the rambling speeches you mention does make the book sound not as good and hard to follow. You saved me from reading it, so thank you!
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Post by Amagine »

godreaujea wrote:This book sounds like it has a cool, original plot on an almost beaten-to-death storyline. However, the rambling speeches you mention does make the book sound not as good and hard to follow. You saved me from reading it, so thank you!

-- 29 Apr 2017, 20:16 --

This book sounds like it has a cool, original plot on an almost beaten-to-death storyline. However, the rambling speeches you mention does make the book sound not as good and hard to follow. You saved me from reading it, so thank you!
Yes, the rants were very tedious. It's unfortunate because it had some potential.

Thanks for reading! :D
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
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Post by csimmons032 »

While adding the four fairy god mothers instead of one is an interesting twist, the whole serial killer step mom thing sounds a little harsh. Because of that, I don't know if it's my type of book. You did a great job on the review though and it was very informative.
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Post by Amagine »

csimmons032 wrote:While adding the four fairy god mothers instead of one is an interesting twist, the whole serial killer step mom thing sounds a little harsh. Because of that, I don't know if it's my type of book. You did a great job on the review though and it was very informative.
Thank you for reading! :D
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
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