Goose Chase

By Patrice Kindl

Her name is Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, and she is as lovely as the dawn. But that is only one of her problems. There’s also the matter of those three magical gifts of treasure bestowed on her by a mysterious old woman. And King Claudio the Cruel wants to marry her for her beauty and her wealth, and so does his rival, Prince Edmund of Dorloo. Those are two more problems. And, worst of all, she is locked in a tower, with a grille of iron bars and several hundred tons of stone between her and freedom. Some days Alexandria wishes she looked like a pickled onion. Clearly the only thing to do is escape—and, with the aid of her twelve darling goose companions, that’s precisely what Alexandria does.

So begins the adventure of Patrice Kindl’s beguiling heroine. Her flight will take her to strange lands and lead her into perilous situations, all of which the plucky Alexandria views with a wry and witty spirit. Here is a sprightly tale of magic and romance, in which those geese play a most surprising role.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 24, 2010
• ISBN: 9780547349367

Patrice Kindl

Patrice Kindl's first novel, Owl in Love, was an ALA Notable Book for Children, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and an SCBWI Golden Kite Award Honor Book.

Reviews for Goose Chase

[librolindsay · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The overall concept really wasn't my thing, plus there were a lot of inconsistencies and the language drove me bonkers. BUT, having chosen it at the request of my faithful kids book club members to read a fairy tale/kings and queens book, I think they'll love it and I think we'll have a good time talking about it.

[aubri-45 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this first back in elementary school probably. I love fairytales and fantasy and all that. I still read this book every so often when I feel out of it or just because. It's become a one night read for me. I just sink into the comfy cushions of this story and cheer our heroine on as she fights for her own destiny.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick, fun read. There's a lot of irreverence about the standard fairy tale conceits, but it's more having fun with them than making fun of them (if that makes sense). It made me smiley.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alexandria Aurora Fortunato is a plain, orphaned goose girl until the day an old hag asks her for a meal. Alexandria's generosity and good manners prove to be her downfall when the old woman blesses her with beauty and wealth. Soon, Alexandria is as lovely as the dawn, shedding gold dust from her hair, and weeping tears of diamonds -- and imprisoned in a tower, forced to marry either the bumbling Prince Edmund, or King Claudio the Cruel. With help from her geese, Alexandria escapes the tower and runs away. On her journey to safety, she encounters hungry ogresses, vile dungeons, and a greedy baroness. In the end, Alexandria discovers that she and her geese share an extraordinary destiny.This light, fairy-tale inspired read was a lot of fun. It reminded me of books by E.D. Baker and Gail Carson Levine. While the characterization is not very deep, the plot moves quickly and there's plenty of humor (plus the lightest touch of romance). I'd recommend it to fans of the middle-grade fairy tale retelling, with the understanding that there's not a lot of substance in this otherwise enjoyable book.

[smg4cfindlay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a beautiful book about friendship and about staying together through everything no matter what. It was breathtaking and I found myself not wanting to go out but wanting to just sit at home and read.

[bookish59 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fun, silly and quick read; a fairytale and love story. Very cute.

[hippielunatic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Even as a fan of all things fairy-tale, I could not come to embrace this story. The characters were flat or more flawed than i could forgive, and if I cannot love a character, I cannot attach myself to their story.

[smg626 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Goose Girl" begins with "The King killed my canary today" instead of the standard fairytale, "Once upon a time...". This sets the tone for the humor of this story. The language is also spoken in old English which adds to the feel for the period. I enjoyed Goose Girls' independence and feel young woman might be inspired by her continued wit and cleverness.

[selkie_girl · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be tiresome and a pain to get through. Neither the goose girl nor the prince seem to have sort of intellegence nor common sense. The books ending had a rather sour taste to it. It is just a bit of fluff but still not very good at all.