MMGM: MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE by Anna Staniszewski with a giveaway!

First of all, the winner of the signed hardcover of WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME is:

Akoss!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Kimberley also sent me some beautiful bookmarks, so if you didn’t win but would like one of those, let me know. And on to today’s MMGM.

I’ve had MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE by Anna Staniszewski on my TBR list forever and finally got around to it thanks to Deb Marshall’s giveaway a few weeks ago. And since I won this book, I’m going to pass it along to one of you. Two giveaways in a row! Yay! Details are at the bottom of this post.

Before I give the blurb, I want to say that this book skewed younger than I expected from the cover. The girl looks like she’s fifteen or so, but she’s actually twelve.

You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They’re lies. All lies.

I’ve spent my life as an official adventurer. I travel across enchanted kingdoms saving magical creatures and fighting horrible beasts that most of you think are only myths and legends. I’ve never had a social life. My friends have all forgotten me. And let’s not even talk about trying to do my homework. So–I’m done!! I’m tired and I want to go back to being a normal girl. But then along comes “Prince Charming” asking for help, and, well, what’s a tired girl like me supposed to do?

And here are the five things I loved most:

1. It turns the usual plot around – As you can see from the description, this book is nothing like the usual tale of “girl discovers fairy tale creatures are real and she is one/is chosen to help them.” Instead, this story starts after she’s already been involved with fairy tale creatures for years and she wants out. Plus, she’s one of many adventurers who help out magical worlds. Sure, she has some skills that make her stand out, but she’s a pretty normal girl aside from her adventures.

2. It’s a quick read – Maybe it’s because I’d just read a rather long adult novel before this one, but I loved how quickly I went through it. The pacing is fantastic. I wanted to keep reading at the end of each chapter, and I felt like the story was constantly moving. There’s no fluff in this book–well, except on the sheep :).

3. The villain – I’ve never really gotten the whole fear of clowns thing–possibly because I haven’t read whatever Stephen King novel they’re in–but Klarr is one scary clown. And the way Jenny defeats him at the end is just perfect.

4. It doesn’t take itself too seriously – This book is the perfect light read for middle graders. I love Jenny’s cliche sayings and how they’re so meaningful to the fairy tale creatures. I also enjoyed the middle school interactions. There’s a taste of reality in the midst of the fantastical that’s true without bringing you down.

5. The possibility for more – I was surprised at how open-ended this book was. Usually first books have to wrap up more loose ends, so I can only assume the publisher had already bought more than one book. That’s not to say it’s a cliffhanger, but there were a number of questions at the end–the kind that make you think, “I want to find out what happens with x, but I can wait until the next book.” And I’ll definitely go pick up the next one. Fortunately it’s already out!

To enter the giveaway for a paperback copy of MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE, leave a comment by noon on Sunday, June 16. North America only, please. I’ll announce the winner on next week’s MMGM post. Good luck!

Note: This giveaway has ended.