Cloaked

By Alex Flinn

I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Release date: Feb 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780062069610

Alex Flinn

Alex Flinn loves fairy tales and is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Beastly, a spin on Beauty and the Beast that was named a VOYA Editor’s Choice and an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Beastly is now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens. Alex also wrote A Kiss in Time, a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty; Cloaked, a humorous fairy-tale mash-up; Bewitching, a reimagining of fairy-tale favorites, including Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, The Princess and the Pea, and The Little Mermaid, all told by Kendra, the witch from Beastly; Towering, a darkly romantic take on Rapunzel; and Mirrored, a fresh spin on Snow White. Her other books for teens include Breathing Underwater, Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, and Diva. She lives in Miami with her family. Visit her online at www.alexflinn.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

There once was a shoemaker who worked very hard, but was still very poor. . . .

—The Elves and the Shoemaker

I’ve never seen a princess before. And it looks like I won’t be seeing one today either.

Let me back up: I come from a long line of shoe people. My grandfather called us cobblers, but that sounds more like a dessert than a person. My family’s run the shoe repair at the Coral Reef Grand, a posh hotel on South Beach, since before I was born—first my grandparents, then my parents, now my mother and me. So I’ve met the famous and infamous, the rich and the . . . poor (okay, that would be me), wearers of Bruno Magli, Manolo Blahnik, and Converse (again, me). I know the beautiful people. Or, at least, I know their feet.

But, so far, I haven’t met a single princess.

She should be here any minute. Ryan, one of the college guys who works as a lifeguard, interrupts me as I rip the sole off a pair of Johnston Murphys a customer needs by eight. My friends texted me that her motorcade’s down Collins Avenue.

And this affects me how? I do want to go see her, but I have to stay at my post. Can’t afford to miss a customer.

It affects you, Johnny, because anyone, any normal seventeen-year-old guy, would rip themselves away from the shoe counter if a hot-looking princess was in the lobby.

Some of us have to work. I have customers—

Yeah, shoes are important.

Money is.

Ryan doesn’t usually talk to me. Like most guys my age who work here, he’s only earning money to gas the convertible he got for graduation or maybe to buy clothes. I notice he has on a new Hollister polo that’s tight in the arms, probably to show off the muscles he’s always flexing.

Me, I work here to support my family, and the only workout I get involves running penny loafers through a Landis McKay stitcher. Even though I’ll be a senior in the fall, I won’t be off to college next year. No money. I’ll probably be repairing shoes until the day I croak.

"Don’t you want to see her?" Ryan looks at me like I’ve admitted I’m wearing Pull-Ups or have gills. He flexes again.

Of course, I want to see her. I’ve been drooling over pictures of her on the covers of the Miami Herald, Miami New Times, Sun Sentinel, and USA Today newspapers that face out in the hotel coffee bar across the way. One tabloid claims she’s mated with an alien, but most of them show a hard partier who frequently disgraces her family and her country. She’s in Miami for some important, top-secret business, which probably involves consumption of many drinks with tini at the end of them.

Oh yeah, and I know she’s beautiful.

And I, who have the most boring life of anyone, should at least get to see her, so that when I die of an aneurysm, trying to rip out a tough stitch, at least I’ll be able to say I once saw a princess.

Mr. Farnesworth doesn’t want us out there, gawking at her. Besides, what if someone shows up and I’m not here?

Some kind of shoe emergency? Ryan laughs.

Yeah. It’s always an emergency when you can’t wear your shoes. I can’t do it. I try to say it with finality, the way Mom used to say, We can’t afford it, when I was little, and I knew there’d be no more arguing.

What’s up? My friend Meg sidles up toward me.

I’m glad to see Meg, who works the coffee counter next to our repair shop, but I know she’s going to be angry because her brothers, who worked last night, didn’t clean up at all. Like me, Meg works for her parents, helping out even during the school year. She’s my best friend, and usually the only friend I have time for. In middle school, I had a sort of crush on her. I even took her to our eighth grade dance. She wanted to make some other guy jealous, but for a moment on the dance floor, I thought there could be something there. But that was a long time ago.

Anyway, Meg will understand why I can’t go with Ryan.

Ryan flexes and looks Meg up and down, like he does every girl. I was trying to talk Johnny here into taking five minutes off from the fast-paced world of shoe repair to go see Princess Vicky’s motorcade. This guy never wants to have any fun.

Meg makes a face and lays her hand on my arm. And why, exactly, would John want to see Eurotrash?

Hello? Ryan says. Because he’s a seventeen-year-old guy with normal male urges, and she’s got— He holds both hands out from his chest.

Really pretty eyes, I complete his sentence.

Meg rolls her own brown eyes. And the IQ of a single-celled creature.

Anyway, he’s not going. Ryan just has to keep putting the boot in. The boy is in love with shoes.

‘The shoe that fits one person pinches another.’ This I say with a wink to Meg. She and I collect quotes about shoes. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to use that one. Carl Jung said that.

Carl who? Ryan asks.

A Swiss psychiatrist, I say. Ever hear of Jungian—

Whatever, Ryan says. So you’re really not coming?

Meg glances at me. I can tell your customers you’ll be right back, if you want to go. But I’m sure—

Can you? Thanks. I know Meg expected me to turn her down, but I really do want to go. Not that I’ll ever get closer to Victoriana than watching her check in from behind a potted palm. But still, it’s a brush with adventure, and adventure is something I get none of.

Gotta go! Ryan holds up his phone. Pete at the door just texted that her limo’s in view.

You’ve got connections, Meg says to Ryan.

It’s the name of the game. Ryan moves closer to her. Maybe you and I could make a connection sometime—like, say, Friday night?

I’m sure Meg will say yes. Most girls turn into puddles of drool around him. But she doesn’t even smile. No, thanks. You’re not my type.

Ryan looks as surprised as I feel. What’s your type? Other girls?

Meg shrugs, glances at me, then shrugs again. Why don’t you go ogle your princess now?

You’re sure you don’t mind covering for me? I know she does.

Just go before I change my mind.

Ryan glances back at Meg as we walk away. She’s hot for you.

Yeah, right.

She is. You should go for it. She may not be that good-looking, but you can’t be too picky.

She turned you down flat. I glance back at Meg, who’s still watching both of us. She flips her chin-length brown hair back from her eyes, and for a second, I remember that night in eighth grade. But when she sees me looking at her, she holds up her hands like, What are you looking at? Nope, she and I are just friends.

Still, I wave to her before I make the turn toward the lobby.

Chapter 2

The lobby is bustling like the Calle Ocho street carnival, but without the salsa music. A housekeeper leads six swans on their morning waddle around the hotel fountain. Another removes a cover from a parrot cage. The Miami sun streams through the thirty-foot-high windows at the front of the room, hitting the marble floors so they look like pure gold. It also makes it hard to see because the manager, Mr. Farnesworth, glances right in my direction. I think he’s going to come over, but then, his head snaps back, and I see why. Every bellhop in the place is entering, each carrying two Louis Vuitton suitcases. I skitter sideways, as quick as a crab, and stand as I’d planned, behind a potted palm, imagining what must be in those suitcases. The shoes. Prada, Stuart Weitzman, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, and Alexander McQueen!

Ryan’s right. I’m not normal. No one else would think of shoes at a time like this.

Among the suitcases, I notice a dog carrier. Now, needless to say, the Coral Reef doesn’t allow dogs, but I guess you don’t tell princesses that. It’s a large carrier, and I peer through the bars, expecting a standard poodle or an Afghan. But, instead, I see a bloodhound’s black-and-brown face and sad eyes staring back at me.

Hey, boy, I say.

The dog growls.

Nice going. Ryan has also taken up residence behind the palm. He sees us.

He means Farnesworth, who’s taken his eyes off the door long enough to march over to our palm. You! Where are you supposed to be?

We’re on break, Ryan says.

Be on break elsewhere. I don’t want you bothering the princess.

"Excusez-moi? a voice interrupts. You are ze hotel manager?"

Farnesworth turns and takes a step back, then a second, onto my foot. I try to jump back. It’s her!

Farnesworth, still on my foot, stutters, unable to form words. I wonder if they’ll send a chambermaid to clean up after him when he pees his pants.

Uh . . . , he manages.

I bow, pushing Ryan down with me. I’m really trying not to stare at her shoes, but from this angle, they’re the only thing I can see. Roberto Cavalli. Italian black-and-white V-strap platforms with a woven leather upper and an architectural heel.

’Allo? She’s still trying to make contact with Farnesworth, who’s panting like he just jogged down the beach. Sweating too. She leans toward me and gestures that I can stand. That’s when I get my first good look at her.

I’ve seen lots of pictures, but none of them prepare me for the real thing. Her beauty shocks me, which is saying a lot, considering I live in South Beach, where hot is the new average. She has long white-blond hair that curls down to her perfectly proportioned hips. Even though she emphasizes her body with fitted clothes and a short skirt, her huge eyes, which are bluer than the ocean outside, make her look all innocent, like a Disney princess.

Nice dog, I manage.

Oh, I am such an idiot.

She nods and opens the cage. The dog scampers out, looking for something to sniff, but at a signal from the princess, he comes right back and sits behind her. She strokes its head, then turns to me.

Is he—she nods at Farnesworth—not right?

He’s okay, usually.

Farnesworth’s mouth tries to move. You . . . you’re . . .

I am Victoriana.

People are like shoes. Some are like sneakers or flip-flops, while others are like high-heeled pumps. Princess Victoriana is like the shoes she wears—not very practical, but beautiful.

Farnesworth finds his voice. I didn’t expect you to . . . I mean, I thought I’d be dealing with your lady-in-waiting or . . . something.

She is back zere. She gestures behind her at a woman with short hair, a plain skirt, and what looks like the Alorian version of Aerosoles. Slow. She looks at Ryan and me. And zese . . . zese are some of your employees?

Mr. Farnesworth recovers with a look of complete contempt. Oh, them. Don’t worry. I won’t let them bother you. He flicks his hand at Ryan. Surely your break is over. And you . . . He glances at me.

"Non, non. Zere is no need to leave. I will be here, maybe some time, and I would like to know zose who offer zeir services. She looks at Ryan particularly. It’s news that she’s staying a long time. Actors sometimes stay awhile if they’re filming a movie, but visiting dignitaries are usually here only a day or two. She looks again at Ryan. What is your name?"

He grins, used to attention but still flattered. I’m Ryan. I work at the pool. Maybe if you’re there sometime, I can rub lotion on your back.

Maybe, maybe not. The princess maintains eye contact an instant longer than required, and I can tell she’s sizing Ryan up. I fantasize she doesn’t like what she sees. She turns to me. And you? Who are you, and what do you do?

Words fail me. Why does she want to know about me?

Say something! Farnesworth hisses, thumping me on the back. Like he was so eloquent!

I say, I’m Johnny. I . . . And the second before I say it, I’m ashamed of it. I repair shoes. My family runs the shoe repair here. I gesture toward the hotel shops.

Shoes! She claps her hands like it’s the most wonderful news she’s ever heard. I love ze shoes! I have a suitcase of zem!

I laugh. Of course she does. She’s a princess.

You laugh at me? You think my love of shoes is—’ow you say—shallow?

I didn’t—

"Maybe I am. But I believe zat ze shoes, zey are magical, like in ‘Cendrillon’—‘Cinderella’ to you—or Ze Red Shoes. I believe in magic. Do you?"

I gape at her. Uh, I guess so. One of the swans from the fountain walks by, and the bloodhound starts to bark, not a mean bark, but a soft, steady bark, like he’s talking to it. Victoriana places her small hand in front of the dog, and he stops.

Where I come from in Aloria, Victoriana says, zere is magic. Sometimes good, sometimes not so . . . She stops and shakes her head, obviously realizing she sounds nuts and should change the subject. You must never be ashamed of shoes, and to work for your family is honorable. I, too, am in ze family business. It is not always easy.

I nod, thinking it seems pretty easy to me, traveling around and going to parties. But maybe it isn’t. Staring into Victoriana’s eyes, she doesn’t seem to be the girl from the newspapers and the tabloids, the party girl who cares only about clothes and drinking. Instead, her eyes are sort of sad, like she feels trapped in her life, just as I am in mine.

Farnesworth must decide that’s enough from me, because he offers her his arm. Your check-in has already been taken care of. I can show you to your room.

The princess looks at me an instant longer before saying, Very well. She ignores Farnesworth’s arm and starts toward the elevator. Farnesworth trots behind her.

Ryan and I head in the opposite direction. When we reach the hallway that goes to the pool, I turn to Ryan. God, I think I’m in love.

Yeah, whoudda thought? A princess who’s obsessed with shoes. Shame you’re not better-looking. And shame you don’t work at the pool like me. I’ll probably get to see her every day in a bikini.

Yeah. I’ll never see her again. Princesses don’t get their shoes repaired. They send the servants out for new ones.

He starts to whistle, then stops, maybe seeing how seriously depressed I am. They’re looking for a new lifeguard. You should apply.

I shake my head. Can’t.

Can’t swim?

Nah. I’m a great swimmer. But my mom needs me to work in the shoe repair. It’s just the two of us.

Cut the cord. You’re what, seventeen? Time to make your own decisions. He shrugs. Suit yourself.

I glance at the elevators. Victoriana’s boarding the one that goes all the way to the penthouse. She’s scratching the dog’s ears. I picture myself with them, flying all the way to the sky.

Chapter 3

A buyer came in, and liked the shoes so well that he paid more for them than usual. With the money, the shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes.

—The Elves and the Shoemaker

Hey, this place looks a lot better than when I left. I pass the coffee shop on my way back to the Johnston Murphy shoe emergency. It’s crowded with conventioneers, but last night’s ketchup stains have been wiped from the tables, the straw wrappers and napkins that littered the floor are gone, and the floor itself sparkles like the beach sand outside. Meg and another employee are pouring coffee and plating croissants. How’d you get it clean so quick?

It was like this when I got here, she says. So you saw Her Royal Highness then?

I nod, eyes still scanning the shop. She seemed nice.

Nice looking, you mean, Meg says. Not like you actually spoke to her.

I did, actually. I still don’t believe it myself. She has a dog, and she said that repairing shoes was . . . honorable.

Meg makes a noise halfway between a laugh and a snort.

I glance around. Even the honey squirter is wiped clean, and the sugar shaker actually glitters. "It was not like this last night. Sean and Brendan left it a total mess. I figured you’d flip when you saw."

You were here last night when they closed? Meg asks. When I nod, she says, And you’re back again by seven?

Six. It’s not a big deal.

It is a big deal. You can’t work sixteen-hour days.

We need the money.

Meg nods. She gets it. Summers are tough. During the winter, we usually hire an extra employee, but in the summer, when not as many people stay at the hotel, the bills pile up. It’s summer now, but I’m not going to the beach or sleeping in. What Meg doesn’t know is that my mother took another job, so I’m all alone.

‘Our incomes are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us, but if too large, they cause us to stumble and to trip,’ Meg says. John Locke said that.

I think I could handle a too-large income right about now. I look down. There was a puddle of milk under that table.

Mopped it.

Before, you said it was clean when you came in.

I was lying. I didn’t want you to know that I’m a cleaning genius. If it gets around, they might want to hire me as a chambermaid, and I’d miss the glamorous world of coffee. Now, can we drop it?

If we can drop talking about how I shouldn’t work double shifts.

Meg frowns and puts her hand on my shoulder. I’m sorry. I just . . . wish I could help.

I shake off her hand. You could give me an espresso.

Got it. She gets out a cup.

I head for my counter and start working on the sole of the shoe I left. It’s not that I don’t agree with Meg. But I need to work here. We can’t afford what someone else with my skills would cost, so I have to. Losing our family business would be too much of a blow for my mother to take.

At least I did most of the repairs last night. Maybe after this one, I can work on what’s in my secret box, the one I keep under the past-due bills.

I take it out for a second, just to look. Inside is a prototype for a ladies’ high-heel kelly green sandal, skeletal structure, hidden platform for comfort as well as style. I made it.

Most of our customers are businessmen in town for meetings. They travel so much they don’t notice that their seven-hundred-dollar Esquivel loafer is wearing thin until the day of a big meeting. Since they’re desperate, we can charge fifty and up for a rush job. They can afford it.

I hardly ever get ladies’ shoes. The kind of women who stay here throw out shoes if a strap breaks, even if they’ve only been worn once. But sometimes, a maid or au pair will bring in one of her employer’s trashed Giuseppe Zanottis or Donald Pliners, hoping to make it over for herself. That’s how I learned that those strappy sandals can sell for hundreds of dollars.

And the thing is, it would be fun to make them. They come in every color and texture and style. The really good ones are like art. I know shoes, and if I had the materials, I could make shoes just as good as those expensive ones. Better.

So that’s my dream, to become an internationally known shoe designer, instead of just a shoe boy in a hotel. I may repair soles right now, but in my soul, I know I can do more.

It would be nice if I could go to college to learn to market what I design. But, for now, we need to keep the rent mostly paid.

That’s hot. Meg comes up behind me with the coffee. Where’d you get it? Some rich lady?

I slam the box shut. It’s nothing.

It’s not nothing. It’s gorgeous. You made it, didn’t you? She inches her hand over to the box. Come on. I’ve seen you drawing shoes and stuff when you think no one’s looking. I, of all people, won’t make fun of you.

I relent. She’s right. I know all her secrets, like this one time when we were twelve and she had a crush

Reviews for Cloaked

[diavoletto-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

has a real sweet ending

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The funnest part of this novel is recognizing the fairy tale references. The story is a bit simplistic (much like fairy tales themselves) but fun too.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is a retaling of The Frog Prince with a twist. I really like the whole concept of the story and how Ms. Flinn modernized it. She did a great job of capturing all of the classic story while mixing in some great new drama. Johnny works lots of hours just to help support him and his mom, but when a princess comes into town with a crazy story asking him for help he is not sure what to do. She throws money at him and the promise of marriage if he helps. Knowing that the money and marriage would help his mother and their situation, he agrees to it, seeking out a prince who has turned into a frog. She gives him magically devices to help him on his journey. But what he finds on this journey is what he least expected.I love classic tales. So when I received this book I knew I loved it. And loved it I did. Johnny was a hard working man who was desperate for money. Being so young and working so many hours just to help with bills really made me admire him. He didn't like it when his mother worried and was very mature for his age.The classic tale of the frog prince was a good re-tailing. I enjoyed Johnny;'s adventure in seeking the prince. He ran into all crazy animals that spoke, giants, and bad witches. Accompanying on this journey was his best friend Meg, who wasn't all what she seemed. She too also has secrets up her sleeve and only one that really mattered to Johnny.The love interest in the book was one I found myself disappointed with. While I was glad that Johnny finally realized who he loved, I was upset at the way that she acted. I felt like she was selfish and shouldn't had thrown it at his face like that. But in the end it all work out, so I was happy with that.

[adaynasmile-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a very interesting book with a mixture of a variety of different fairy tales including ones that I had never heard of, despite being a huge fan of fairy tales. I really like Ms. Flinn's imagination and her way with words.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Flinn's Beastly so when I was offered an advanced reading copy for Cloaked through the Amazon Vine program I snapped it up. This was an entertaining and fun fairy tale retelling. It mixes aspects from a number of fairy tales but pulls mainly from the Elves and the Shoemaker and The Princess and the Frog. It is fun, fluffy, and an easy read.Johnny repairs shoes at his family's shoe shop; his mom and him are pretty strapped for cash and his dad is missing. Then a visiting princess (known for her public displays of drunkenness) asks him for a favor. She wants him to find her brother who has been turned into a frog. Johnny thinks she's a bit batty but when she shows him a magic cloak, a lot of money, and offers to marry him. Well, he can't turn her down. Now he is off on a quest to find a frog somewhere in Key West Florida. Along the way he will learn that much of the world is not what it seems and that maybe there is more to this love thing than a hot princess with wads of cash.This book is written in a very lighthearted way and is full of slang and silliness. I loved that it was a fairy tale retelling, and I enjoyed the silliness for the most part. Overall a quick read that was a nice break from the serious epic fantasy I had just finished before it. This would be a great book for a light summer read on the beach.Parts of the book get a bit over the top, but in general all of the characters are likable (if a bit over-stereotyped). You can't help but root for Johnny throughout the book, although you will occasional want to smack him for his blindness in matters of love. This book is more of an adventure than anything with some magic and romance added throughout. It was paced well and hard to put down.I personally like my fairy tales retold with more beautiful description and irony than this book had. But this book was still a fun read and should be appropriate for middle grade readers and up. Overall I had to say I enjoyed this book. It was a fun and light-hearted retelling of some more obscure fairy tales. It did a good job of incorporating a lot of fairy tale elements. Definitely not a work of fine literature but fun and sweet if that is what you are in the mood for; much less serious in tone than Beastly was. I will probably pick up Flinn's future works when I am in the mood for something lighter.

[renkellym · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Johnny has worked at his mother’s hotel shoe repair shop for as long as he can remember, and he’ll probably continue working there for the rest of his life. Johnny’s mediocre adolescence is spiced up when a gorgeous foreign princess comes to stay at the hotel and offers him a way out of the rut he’s stuck in. That is, if he’ll find her brother—a prince who happens to have been turned into a frog. Armed with a magical transporting cloak, Johnny and his best friend Meg embark on a crazy adventure that changes their lives forever. My thoughts: I’d like to start off by giving Alex Flynn mad props for writing a paranormal book with a male narrator. You don’t see that very often! Johnny’s voice was well written and believable, and though he might have been a bit dense when it came to romance, it was very fun to read the story through his perspective. Though the premise of Cloaked sounds cheesy, the book was actually quite good. Alex Flynn effortlessly blended classic fairy tales with the modern world, and I enjoyed picking out the parallels to tales such as “The Frog Prince” and “The Six Swans”. The whole story had a fantastical, magical feel to it, and it was easy to suspend disbelief for the sake of joining Johnny on his journey. Cloaked was quite a wild ride—there were so many different parts of the story to keep track of, but everything was tied up nicely in the end. Each part of Johnny’s adventure had its own humor and purpose. I suppose to sum up my feelings of Cloaked, I’ll throw down a few adjectives: exciting, fun, imaginative, and hilarious. Definitely check this modern fairy tale out! It’s got everything—a princess, a frog prince, talking animals and an evil witch (if only there had been some moments of spontaneous song)!

[annbwes-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3Q,4P. Cloaked by Alex Flinn takes seven fairy tales, some well-known and some not, and weaves them into a present day tale that begins in an upscale Miami hotel when a princess enlists the help of a teenage cobbler. Even though the book is supposed to be a mystery adventure (of sorts), it is a fairly obvious read and it is easy to get irritated when the main character, Johnny, doesn’t pick up on the clues. That being said, Cloaked has merit; it is a quick read, enjoyable, and casually flips gender expectations. I think teenage readers would enjoy the story, even if it doesn’t leave them biting their nails.

[bookratmisty · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being the fan of fairy tales that I am, I had heard of Alex Flinn, of course. But for whatever reason, I had never read anything by her, so Cloaked is my first. And I have to start by saying: SHE USED THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER!!!Let me set the scene for you:Misty, as a small child, had 3 books she was obsessed with. One was The Velveteen Rabbit, which we don't need to discuss here, other than to say she still has it, of course. The other 2 were fairy tales: somebody's beautiful version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses (?), and 2 copies of The Elves and the Shoemaker (one was a Little Golden Book, the other was part of a fairy tale series).Misty read The Elves and the Shoemaker constantly, and always hoped to catch little cobbler elves doing something -- anything -- to her shoes.Misty dreamed about the day she'd see them, and even though it would make her sad to see them go, she wanted to make tiny clothes for them.(If you don't know what Misty is talking about, go read the story)[I'm now done speaking in creepy 3rd person; you can relax.]So, years later, I've often said "I wish someone would do something with The Elves and the Shoemaker. But I'm afraid they'd make it creepy, and I liked my Elves."Well, among other tales (this is a mash-up), Flinn uses The Elves and the Shoemaker, and she didn't make them creepy! It's incorporated in such a sweet, cute way. I just had to start with that, because it made me endlessly happy to see the tale even included. And I think it was a good indicator of the story over all. It makes use of some lesser known tales right alongside the more obvious ones, and it uses them all in a way that I can't help but describe as cute. It's sweet, it's wholesome, it's completely kid-friendly -- but this isn't to say that it's saccharine or boring. One of the things I discovered reading my first Flinn is that she is genuinely funny. Like really lol funny. Her writing has an air of playfulness and silliness that's enjoyable to read, and makes for a nice balance to the darker, more depressing tones many fairy tale retellings take. It's fun and refreshing and thoroughly modern, and I think will appeal to a variety of readers because of that. In a strange way, it reminds me of The Sea of Monsters, the 2nd book in the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. That's partly due to the location and the quest aspect of it, and some of the character interactions. But it's also got the same silly/funny style that works for lots of age groups and style preferences.There are a few things I want to point out quickly: Alex Flinn writes in accents. If you watch my video, you'll see what I mean -- I'm reading it as written (albeit a little over the top and ridiculously...) There are characters with French and German (?) accents in the book, and things are spelled/pronounced accordingly. I found it amusing, and think it adds to the charm and silliness, but it bears keeping in mind because I know things like this can irritate or frustrate some readers. I would suggest popping online somewhere, like Amazon, where you can look inside, and see if this bothers you before you decide to buy it.Also, I think some people may find Johnny irritating. I liked him, but he can be completely bumbling and clueless. I found this to be in keeping with fairy tales in generally, actually (men in fairy tales seem to be either riding up on white horses to save the day, or doing incredibly stupid things), but some readers may wish for him to wake up a bit and use the brain we know he has. But the great thing about him being kind of clueless is Meg -- Meg is a great foil for Johnny, and she's intriguing and strong and really interesting. It's fun to watch them work through things together, and to know what's really going on when Johnny is completely lost.

[pocketmermaid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was totally fun. "Cloaked" is a mash-up of several lesser-known fairy tales. I knew about half of them, had heard of a few, and had NEVER heard of the rest (including the one that gives the book its title, the cloak is from a fairy tale called "The Salad" - also called "Donkey Cabbages." I had assumed the cloak in the title might have to do with the cloak in "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," but nope.) The story is about Johnny, a seventeen-year old boy who runs a shoe repair shop with his mom in South Beach, and struggling to make ends meet. His life gets turned upside down when he meets a princess in which she strikes a deal with him - Johnny must track down her missing brother, and Johnny can marry the princess as a reward. Reluctantly, Johnny embarks on this journey. Adventures of fairy tale proportions ensue. This book has got a bit of everything. It combines an irresistible premise for fairy retelling enthusiasts, adventure and magic, a sweet love story, sprinkles of humor and suspense, talking animals, an underwater hotel, a charming and modest hero, as well as a wonderfully strong female protagonist. Really, what more can you ask for when it comes to light-hearted young adult fantasy? I hope Alex Flinn keeps writing these fairy tale retellings forever.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not bad at all. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, because even though I liked Beastly, it wasn't super awesome. But Cloaked was pretty cool. I really liked how Alex Flinn wove so many fairy tales into one story.Johnny is a pretty cool hero too, so that was a plus. Meg was, well, stereotypical. But okay otherwise. Mostly I just enjoyed how Johnny kept having to go in different directions doing fifteen thousand different tasks just to get a frog.And like I said, I love all the different fairy tales. I'm a sucker for fairy tales.

[lizard_698959 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cute, Funny, and Entertaining read. It was a retelling of several fairy tales rolled into one short book. Again Alex writes of people transformed into animals by an evil witch. Jhonny who is who fixes shoes in a big Florida hotel is given a quest by a Princess who is staying at the hotel. Her brother has been turned into a frog and now no one can find him.So with a cloak that will take him anywhere he wants he sets out to find the frog prince only he's not the only one looking for him.

[yabookiemonster · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So, Cloaked was my first time ever reading anythings by Alex Flinn and to be honest, I was a little disappointed, I expected more. Cloaked was a fun read, but I, for the most part, like to read more serious books, and Cloaked was a bit to much on the playful and silly side for my taste. But if you are a fan of more light-hearted romances, then this might just be the book for you. Cloaked is the story of Johnny, whose family, which consists of him and his mother, is struggling to make ends meet with their tiny shoe repair business. When the gorgous princess shows up and asks him to save her brother, she promises that in return, Johnny may have her hand in marriage and all the money that he could ever need. Hesitiant at first to agree to help the princess, Johnny eventually agrees, enticed by the princess' beauty and money. He then goes off on a journey to save the princess' brother in order to fufil her request and claim his reward.Johnny's character just kind of starts of as your normal, average boy, that is until everything changes once he meets the princess. Nothing really stuck out to me about Johnny, to be honest, and I didn't really find that he had a whole lot a depth, which was made even more clear to me when all Johnny could think about when he met the princess was "she's so hot". Although this was my least favourite quality about Johnny, it was also the one that made his character seem more realistic to me. Johnny's 17 year old boy who has a stunningly beautiful and rich princess offering to marry him and give him all the money that he could ever want. I'm pretty sure that that would be a dream come true for most teenaged boys and that they wouldn't care whether or not they loved the princess or not, they would just want her for her beauty and her money, just like Johnny. Although this didn't impress me about Johnny, it was probably an accurate response for a teenaged boy in Johnny's situation.As the book went on, I did find that Johnny started to loose some of his shollowness as he started to realize that just a pretty face and some money might not make him really happy, but this wasn't really enough to change his mind about anything, which kind of unimpressed me. Luckily, Johnny somewhat redeemed himself when he finally realized (beware, tiny spoiler ahead) that he was in love with his best friend Meg, who had always been there for him. After this realization, Johnny knew that he couldn't marry the princess because he could never truely be happy with someone other then Meg, and so he decided that he couldn't marry the princess even if it meant giving up the money. Meg was Johnny's best friend. They had been best friends for quite a while and Meg was always there for Johnny, supporting his dream of one day becoming a world renowned shoe designer, and anything else that he did. From the very beginning, it was plainly obvious that Meg was in love with Johnny, but Johnny, being a somewhat thick-headed teenaged boy, never realized it. Meg gives Johnny so many hints towards her feelings throughout the book, but Johnny is so distracted trying to find the princess' brother, that he doesn't notice her hints. I quite liked Meg's character, so I was happy that she got her happy ending when Johnny finally realized on his own that it was Meg that he loved and wanted to be with and not the princess.The way that Alex Flinn mashes up numerous different fairy tales all into one book is quite interesting and cool. All of the different bits and pieces of faity tales mixed together made for quite an interesting journey for Johnny and Meg. They came across many talking animals, such as swans, rats, foxes and frogs. They even had to fight giants. Because of this, I was never really able to predict what was going to happen next and that is always a quality that I enjoy in a book. Trying to identify all of the fairy tales that were incorperated into Cloaked as well was really fun and brought me back to my childhood as I was reminded of some of my favourites!As a whole, Cloaked was a pretty good book, but a little too on the silly and playful side for me to really enjoy it. As I mentioned before, I'm into more serious books and Cloaked was missing this. If you enjoy books that are very light-hearted and not so serious, then I would definitley recommend picking up Cloaked! Or, if you are like me and like something more serious for the most part, I wouldn't cross this one off your list, but just save it for a day when you want something light and cute to read.

[alana_leigh_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once upon a time in Miami, there lived a boy who dreamed of making shoes...Aside from the whole Miami bit, it sounds like it could be straight out of Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm, right? Well, Alex Flinn is leading the charge (or at least she's up there in the front lines, holding a really big heraldic banner or something) in transforming fairy tales for the modern age, mashing them up to create fun new stories. With their origins in older fairy tales, books written by Alex Flinn always feel like you've read them before, back when you fell into her targeted demographic (or maybe it's just that she makes anyone with an appreciation for whimsy believe that they are, once again, in her targeted demographic), and that makes them feel cozy. Cloaked is her latest and it's quite charming.Johnny and his mother run the shoe repair shop in a posh South Beach hotel, across from his best friend Meg and her family's coffee counter. Dad disappeared years ago and with financial difficulties aplenty, Johnny and his mom work night and day to keep themselves afloat. His dream is to become a famous shoe designer and he spends his free time (or what little there is of it between repair jobs) sketching masterpieces on heels. He's no flighty kid, though; Johnny knows that there's no such thing as magic and it's hard work that will get him someplace... hard work and maybe a lucky break. Enter the much-photographed partying Princess Victoriana. If she got photographed wearing his shoes, he could launch his career and she's scheduled to check in to his hotel, but how to get her the shoes? As the hotel prepares to cater to the princess's every whim, nothing could prepare Johnny for the Princess singling him out to ask for his help. She invites him up to her room and tells him a secret: her brother, the crown prince, has been turned into a frog by a witch. If the princess agrees to marry the evil son of a rival monarchy, the witch will change the prince back -- otherwise, the prince is doomed to be a frog until he's kissed by a girl with love in her heart. The princess insists that she can't even trust her personal bodyguards, as she fears that one of them is spying on her, and so she needs the help of one who is hard-working and loyal. Johnny is about ready to declare her totally insane when he accidentally makes use of a magic cloak given to him by the princess which transports him to any location he wishes. Suddenly, the world is full of magic and used-to-be-humans turned animals -- and Johnny will need a great deal of help from six swans, a rat, a fox, and his best friend Meg if he hopes to save the prince and achieve happily ever after... but is "happily ever after" even close to what he might expect?For Cloaked, Flinn draws upon a number of classic fairy tales, many of which have fallen out of popular knowledge: "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Frog Prince," "The Six Swans," "The Golden Bird," "The Salad," and "The Fisherman and His Wife." It's unfortunate that the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog came out before this book, but so it goes. Little girls already knew the whole princess-kissing-a-frog outline and this simply returns to the roots of the tale. The other stories are threaded in for a delightful mix of flight and fancy, with the ultimate moral being that it really is hard-work and a good heart that will triumph over all. Meg is a wonderfully competent girl while Victoriana proves to have a great deal more substance than the paparazzi would have folks believe. Johnny is a winning hero, even if he isn't the stereotypical male lead that one tends to find in YA novels. (He isn't a brooding paranormal creature, for one.) Johnny is a young man who means well and works hard... just the kind of guy that those of us older than the intended teen readers would encourage our younger selves to sigh over, as he's sweet and caring even if he (like most boys) can be a little clueless. He's the stereotypical male best friend who too often doesn't get the girl... cute and sweet with a heart of gold and his only real stumbling comes from (a) trying to do the right thing or (b) having issues expressing his real feelings. Ah if only they were all so easy in real life... and all liked shoes to this degree.Overall, the best description for Cloaked really is "charming," and I hope young adult/older-than-young-adult readers agree. This book is perfectly fine for even the younger teens, as there isn't really any objectionable content. Flinn's got a knack for updating classics (just check out Beastly, her previous book which is being made into a movie that hit theaters this past weekend) and I'm already looking forward to her next creation.Please note that this isn't an entirely impartial review, as this book factors in to my professional world, but this is still a truthful review written in my personal space, so weight my opinion as you will.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great take on several different lesser known fairy tales. I loved how Flinn patched together several different stories to create this very unique and entertaining story.

[mlake_22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fairy tales. The perfect weekend book.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The author has combined a selection of fairy tales to create a story about a boy who repairs shoes, witches, elves, and people turned into animals, including a prince turned into a frog.

[bookwormygirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Johnny spends countless hours from sun-up to sun-down working as a shoe cobbler in the hopes of making enough money to support himself and his mother. When he encounters a young princess in need of help who promises marriage and the wealth he needs - he'll find himself searching for an arrogant prince magically turned into a frog. Along with his BFF Meg, he'll find himself on a journey full of extraordinary creatures, magic, evil witches, and... love? I love modern day fairytale remakes. I was actually quite intrigued when I heard this was not only a remake but also a mash-up of several other fairytales. Oh yes, fans of Grimm's fairy tales will see bits and pieces of "The Elves and the Shoemaker," "The Frog Prince," "The Six Swans," "The Golden Bird," and "The Brave Little Tailor."Johnny was such a cute boy. He was nice, sweet and had an open heart. All the adventures he finds himself in are all selfless. He's always trying to do things for other people no matter what sort of magical mayhem ensues. I did expect more of a dramatic storyline, but I was happily surprised to see that Ms. Flinn took more of a comedic route. I loved all the talking animals, furry sidekicks and magical powers. This was very light-hearted, fast-paced and action-packed. It is not one to be taken too seriously but rather it is one to just sit back and enjoy. I also found it very PG, so it can easily be read to listeners of all ages.

[pacey1927 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After reading and enjoying "Beastly" immensely, I couldn't ignore the chance to read Alex Flinn's newest novel, "Cloaked". The story is about a teenager named Johnny who lives with his mother. His father has long been missing and they live every day wondering what happened to him. Now Johnny is putting in 16 hours a day in his family's shoe repair shop which is located in fancy hotel. His life changes forever when a foreign teenage party princess comes for an extended stay at his luxury hotel. Johnny just wants a chance to peek at the famous beauty but for some reason the princess takes Victoriana takes an interest in him. Then she starts speaking crazy...she wants Johnny to search for her missing brother, who by the way, was recently turned into a frog. Oh, and she will pay him $10,000 in advance for his efforts. And if he finds the frog prince? Then she will wed Johnny. She then provides him with a magic cloak that will take him wherever he wants to go and sends him on his way. Thus begins Johnny's amazing and magical journey. Besides evading people who want to kill him, he sightsees with his friend Meg, battles some giants, and steals a bird for a talking fox. The book was entertaining from page to page. There were no slow parts or downtime. I do think several of the twists were forseeable, but that didnt' diminish the impact of this tale at all. The author notes tell us a little bit about the many lesser known fairy tales Flinn drew upon when writing "Cloaked". Some I had heard of but several were new to me as well. This world of ours seems more scary and uncertain all the time, and I can't say how much I appreciate being able to escape into a quality fairy tale from time to time. "Cloaked" certainly fits that bill.

[sgcastellini · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a cute, pleasant read. Johnnie's inner monalogue is hilarious! Glad I picked it up

[mirandalg14 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fun mixture of a bunch of lesser-known fairy tales. I enjoyed the mix and the growing relationship of the main characters.

[annakay21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This doesn't get five stars because it was sort of predictable and sometimes Johnny was annoyingly dense! That said, it was still worth reading and the blending of so many separate stories into such a cohesive and enjoyable plot was pretty ingenious. But then again, Alex Flinn has already proven he's pretty awesome at that!

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Alexander Cendense. Johnny Marco and his mother struggle to pay the bills as they run a shoe repair shop in a Miami hotel. Johnny is pretty much resigned to a life of long hours behind the store counter until the gorgeous Princess Victoriana enlists his help in rescuing her brother Phillippe…who has been turned into a frog by a witch. Johnny embarks on a crazy adventure involving animals that used to be humans, an enchanted cloak and plenty of fairy tale magic.Some of the accents he uses have the feeling of bad caricatures but in a way it’s appropriate for a cartoonish fairy tale. There is fun to be had listening to this once you accept it as a contemporary fairy tale.

[karenball_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fairy tale mashup at its best! Johnny works long hours at his mother's show repair shop in a very upscale South Beach hotel in Miami, FL. His best friend Meg works at her family's coffee shop beside the shoe repair shop, and both of them know how much their families depend upon their work. Johnny dreams of designing shoes instead of fixing them, and he thinks his chance might have arrived when European Princess Victoriana arrives at the hotel. She sees Johnny as a possible savior -- the one who might find her missing brother, Prince Philippe, who has been turned into a frog and frognapped in order to blackmail the princess into agreeing to marry a man she hates. There are magical items (a bluetooth headset that lets him understand and talk to animals who were once human), talking swans and a fox, and a couple of extremely destructive and dimwitted giants. Action, humor, and romance! Lots of fun for 6th grade and up.

[yearningtoread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pages: 341Release Date: February 8th, 2011Date Read: 2011, March 24th - 26thReceived: OwnRating: 4.5/5 starsRecommended to: 14+(This is an old review I wrote for Fairy Tale Fortnight in April, so the layout isn't updated...but rest assured, my feelings are the same!)Summary -Johnny is a pretty normal guy. He lives in Florida and fixes shoes for a living. Or really, he fixes shoes not just as a living but to pay rent, phone bills, electricity bills, for food, etc. You know, all the every day things your father usually manages to pay for. Johnny's father would pay for theses things - but he disappeared when Johnny was a toddler. Ever since, Johnny's been the man of the house, working to feed and care for his sweet mother who in turn works hard to provide for him. Johnny would love to become a shoe designer, make millions of dollars, and give his mother the life of ease. But, how likely is that to happen? Unless you meet the princess of Aloria, who is filthy rich, thinks you're a good boy, and consequently wants you to find the Prince of Aloria who has been turned into a frog by an evil witch...in return for her hand in marriage and millions of dollars and a life of ease.Yah...that can be a hard one to pass up.___________________________________________My thoughts -Once again, Alex Flinn knocks us all out with a fantastical fairytale that makes you feel like you've never read a fairytale before in your life.Talk about original. I mean, this book was so original it was almost strange. It was neat, though! From the ear-piece that lets you talk to animals, to the cloak that transports you to wherever you want to go; from the princess who (apparently) wants to marry the boy from South Beach, to the witch who has a grudge and a slightly evil but really predictable plan. It was awesome, on all levels.For a while I thought the Cloak would be like the one from 12 Dancing Princesses, one that makes you invisible. But no, it was totally different. And the ear piece was a neat idea and added a "technological" magic twist to the story. There were a few other fairytales thrown in there that only added, built, and made the story more enjoyable. The animals that Johnny meets give him quests to test his loyalty and to make sure he's really going to save the prince, which made everything feel a bit more "old fashioned". This all played in to create an atmosphere that was highly original and definitely Alex Flinn. I was hooked from the first pages.Favorite character (character thoughts) -Meg is such a great character that I just have to say that she's my favorite. She was strong, honest, and just lovely. She was deserving and totally inspired me. She and Johnny's relationship was hilarious at times and sweet at others. Everything about her made the story all the more lovable.And while she's my favorite, I can't move on without pointing out my honorable mention, Johnny. He was quite a character as well. He compliments Meg perfectly. He's a klutz (hilarious!), a doubter, and he doesn't follow instructions well. I found that these things, on top of the fact that he's honest, reliable, and loving, made him a great character. I loved that he couldn't always see what was right in front of him. I love a good, teasing love story where you just want to yell at the guy - "SHE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, STUPID!"Also, raise your glass to Alex Flinn herself for creating a character like Johnny who is, specifically, a completely different person than his competitors, Kyle from Beastly and Jack from A Kiss in Time. I found this extremely refreshing, as I'm sure you will.Pretty much the only downer in this book for me: I found that I didn't really, at all, like Victoriana, the Alorian princess. She was funny in parts, but I thought she was ubelievable. I couldn't picture her as clearly as the other characters, even her brother Philippe, and I couldn't hear the accent in the way that Alex Flinn typed it up. It just didn't click for me...but maybe that's just me.Favorite aspects/scenes -There are too many aspects of this story to choose from, so I will name as many as I can without spoiling anything for you. The love story was soooo amazing and much more passionate than that of A Kiss in Time. It was believable and well-developed and gave me strong, gutsy butterflies so many times I lost count. The tests Johnny has to go through to gain information are also a favorite part. The lessons Johnny learns...the twist that involves the animals...the amazing shoe quotes that easily become a lovable part of the story. And the perfect ending to a great story.Some favorite scenes: The sunset scenes with Johnny and Meg........ And I was totally taken by the perfectly smooth scene in the beginning during which Johnny realizes that the Cloak and the ear-piece are really magic. It was amazingly well-told and Johnny's reaction to the magic was normal and hilarious and pretty much perfect. Bravo to Alex Flinn!One phrase to sum up this book (final thoughts) -Wonderfully original are the words that come to mind when I think of Cloaked. I could not help but fall in love with this book - and I hope you will, too! I recommend this book highly!For the parents: A few kisses, with little or no description. A handful of underhand jokes directed toward girls, and a couple of direct comments. None are explicit. A pretty darn clean book. Definitely can be read by a younger audience than Alex Flinn's previous fairytales. I'd say 14 years old is a good age to start. :)

[rivkabelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review originally published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.comWhen you pick up an Alex Flinn fairy tale, you know it's going to be fun and fast reading. Cloaked is no different, though nailing down that one particular fairy tale its retelling is a little impossible. You see, this is a combination of fairy tales, in one big, glorious, modern mix-up! The main theme is "The Frog Prince," but "The Elves and the Shoemaker" is also a key player, as are "The Twelve Swans." There are also sprinklings of so many other fairy tales too, I loved it!It all starts when Johnny happens to meet the Princess of Aloria - Victoriana - somewhat by accident. (He's a humble teenager, repairing shoes for the wealthy patrons of a swanky hotel in Florida, not exactly the type of guy management wants hobnobbing with royalty). The Princess sees something she likes, and enlists Johnny's help in finding her brother - who has been turned into a frog by a wicked witch. After a bit of convincing, involving promises of marriage and wealth, not to mention experimenting with the magic traveling cloak, Johnny finds himself on an impossible quest. Wandering around the Keys, talking to animals-who-were-once-humans and passing (or failing) test after test, Johnny soon discovers that there is so much more to the world than what meets the scientific eye. And once his best friend Meg (who has plenty of secrets of her own) joins the quest, Johnny begins to take a closer look at all aspects of life - trying to see what lies beneath the surface.As with any good fairy tale, there is a happy ending. Or several happy endings, since there are multiple fairy tales taking place simultaneously. The course of true love never did run smooth, and what's a good story without some unexpected twists and turns and "oh my gosh!"-moments right at the end? This was a fun, lighter read than Beastly, but I enjoyed the mish-mash of fairy tale goodness.

[laneliterati · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5/5 for the actual story. 4/5 because of the audiobook. A delightful listen that is a cute twisted fairy tale and a bit more lighthearted after all some deep reads.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Johnny works repairing shoes in his mother's shop at a fancy South Beach hotel. He doesn't want to repair shoes forever, at some point he would actually like to make his own fancy high class shoes, but Johnny and his mother are barely getting by so he has no idea how to make it happen. One day a rich, gorgeous princess Victoriana comes to the hotel and approaches Johnny about finding her brother, who has been turned into a frog. She gives him a fistful of cash, a magical cloak and earbuds that allow him to talk to animals that used to be humans. He sets out on his quest alone but eventually his best friend since forever, Meg who works at the coffee shop next door joins him and the two of them have the adventure of a life time.

Alex Flynn takes bits and pieces from The Frog Prince, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Seven Swans, Seven at One Blow and several other lesser known fairy tales and makes an amazing story. I couldn't wait to see what fairy tale we were going to visit next! I absolutely loved the swans. In the long run I believe that they were my favorite of the fairy tale characters visited in this book and I kind of loved the ending they got. The book was especially funny when it broke fairy tale tropes, particularly at the end. I don't want to go into detail because I'm trying to avoid spoiler land.

Now while I absolutely loved this book I admit that it was not perfect. I didn't feel like there was a bunch of character development on anyone's part but i think that was okay due to the quick pace of the book. I also felt like certain parts of it were maybe a tiny bit predictable and not in the "I know this fairy tale so I know what's going to happen" type of way. Particularly where romances were involved. I also have a huge question about a comment the frog made about Victoriana that was just never really addressed. While I guess I can sort of explain it away it just seems kind of left field and like the book could have done without it.

Over all this was a funny, action packed read but it was definitely a little bit fluffy and best for those that love fairy tales and/or are looking for something light.

[t1bnotown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice combination of several fairy tales (which are discussed at the end) including Frog Prince, Seven Swan Brothers, Shoemaker and the Elves, and the Magic Fish, but also a nice fantasy story. The main character is a boy who figures out how to put all of these together and actually achieve his dreams (and figures out what his dreams are), with the help of his best friend, a girl, who does quite a bit to save him and deserves more than half the credit. She, in fact, is really the one who makes his dreams come true as much as himself or the quest.