Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

"At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor."

Fantasy novels aren't my type, but in this one particular book, it just took my thoughts beyond the realistic world that I enjoyed more than I expected I would've.  I actually read this novel a couple of years back, yet I still remember how it brought me to believe that the world is actually magical. I'm not superstitious, though this book made me think that more could happen in the universe than I probably could imagine. I thought that Ella's life was actually super adventurous and like a mystical dream that I craved to live in when I was younger. :P Ahh, this book was really cute and amusing to read; I would most likely recommend it to fantasy readers out there. Rating: 9/10