Book Review: A Beautiful Curse by Kenley Davidson | A Mean Frog Finds Love with a Nice Prince
When a bumbling fairy godfather gifts a humble woodcutter’s fourth child with extraordinary beauty, she spends the next eighteen years trying to hide it—behind a book. Now, Elisette is ready to follow her dreams and become a scholar, but her admirers keep getting in the way of her ambitions. Ellie knows better than to rely on her fairy godfather, but she’s desperate enough to risk asking him for help. The trouble is, Mortimer isn’t feeling very helpful. In fact, he’s downright irritated… After a bit of vengeful fairy magic, Ellie discovers that webbed feet and green skin are even harder to manage than beauty. No one cares what happens to a frog, except maybe quiet, unassuming Prince Cambren, who has enough troubles of his own.
Will Ellie find a way to break her curse and live happily ever after? Or will she spend the rest of her life eating flies and living in a pond at the back of the palace garden?
Discussion:
"Her fascination with words and books and learning simply didn't make sense to her parents, or anyone else she knew. They expected girls to like dresses and balls and talk of marriage, or to chat endlessly with other girls about what sounded to Elisette like a whole lot of nothing."
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Anyway, I was excited but a bit wary in choosing to read Davidson's story in 2018, especially as fairy tale retellings frequently tend to be a bit predictable. However, just like any of Davidson's books, she brings an exciting spin to a familiar tale. And, who doesn't remember the classic tale of "The Princess and the Frog" by Disney or The Frog Prince by the Grimm brothers? Having a slimy frog ask for a kiss from a princess has, for some reason, been implemented into my brain.
But, the tables turn in this story as Elisette/Ellie, a young and mean-spirited girl, is transformed into a frog. Promised to have the curse reversed if she could receive a kiss from a friendly male, I initially was in disbelief if Ellie could attract anyone with her self-righteous attitude; yet, everyone has their type, I guess.
In the end, this mystical story Davidson creates is an enjoyable (and too short) vacation. Davidson should receive infinite applause for her immaculate attention to detail and her worldbuilding. Her small details wonderfully create such a stunning picture of Ellie's daily adventures in my tiny, nonexistent brain. Pair that with Davidson's engaging writing style, and the story feels so personal, as if Davidson wrote the story for me.
Now, there are several problematic elements hidden within the good stuff of this fantastical and short novella. Ellie is annoying and extremely rude. She is quick to judge anyone who talks to her about anything. After a while, I assume one can become annoyed with several people questioning your knowledge, but Ellie also turns into a frog...so, her character in the beginning is most likely not the best role model to follow. Also, because someone is questioning you, I advise not to consider harmful language or actions towards this person, particularly as someone may like to learn or be the the kindest person in the book/world.
*Received a free copy from the author in exchange for a honest review
Love,
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What is your favorite fairy tale as a child or as an adult? If your partner is turned into a reptile, would you kiss him/her to return your partner as a human? What are your thoughts on fairytale retellings? Chat with me in the comments below or via any of my social medias.
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