The Princess Test (Princess Tales)

by Gail Carson Levine

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Levine’s story is delightfully fun, and as close to a “real” fairytale as retellings are likely to get. All the stories in The Princess Tales story are short (able to be read in half an hour) and function on the same bases as the originals. There is love at first sight, the good characters are generally pretty if not stunningly gorgeous, and it is perfectly obvious how everything will end. In short, they are wonderful.

The Princess Test is a witty retelling of “The Princess and the Pea.” King Humphrey is very fond of synonyms and enjoys stringing them together. Lorelei embroiders her family’s clothing with footstools instead of flowers. And there is not just the pea test for the princesses to pass, but a series of similar ones that are equally absurd. How many princesses will find a single stitch missing from a tapestry and from how far away?

In the end, Lorelei does demonstrate that she has compassion and will be a loving, not just a finicky queen. This is a nice touch that helps the reader cheer for Lorelei for more than the simple reason that Nicholas wants her to win, and it is a good lesson for children that a good character is one of the most important qualities a ruler should have.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.