Unlocking the Spell

Gr 4–7—Only a week has passed since Annie found the prince to break the curse affecting her sister, Gwendolyn (aka Sleeping Beauty,) in The Wide-Awake Princess (Bloomsbury, 2010). Unfortunately, said prince is himself enchanted and remains stuck in the form of a bear, and Gwennie desperately wants her sister's help changing her true love back to a human. Annie agrees, setting off with the bear prince and Liam, her princely companion from her first quest, to find the dwarf who cast the curse. Gwendolyn sneaks away and joins them, much to Annie's annoyance, and the four travel through the neighboring kingdoms in pursuit of the errant dwarf. As with the first title, readers will enjoy spotting the familiar fairy-tale characters Annie and company meet along the way. More self-assured after her success in breaking her sister's curse, she continues to be a take-charge princess who uses her wits and magic-neutralizing abilities to solve problems. Her character and the way various fairy tales are woven into the narrative are the strengths of the novel, though it's not without its flaws. There are missed opportunities to develop the relationship between Annie and Gwendolyn, and Annie and Liam's romance fizzles disappointingly. However, this will likely satisfy fans of the first book and appeal to readers who enjoy lighthearted retellings of fairy tales.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL