Author: Penny Blubaugh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year of Publication: 2009
Reader's Rating: 3
In a Nutshell: Mama Inez knows that magic is everywhere and, somehow, connected to everything. She invites ten people to the Serendipity Market to tell their stories, every one of them unique and--from a distance--very different from one another. But look closely, and you'll find a common ground in each story--magic.
The Good Stuff: One of the main things I liked in this book was the vocabulary. Works by people with a wide vocabulary just blow me away, and this was one of them. I loved the way the author wrote; it was brilliant. Also, I loved how some of the stories are classic fairy tales but with a twist. They may be told from a different character's point of view, for example, like the lizard-turned-coachman from Cinderella.
The Not-So-Good Stuff: I hope you've taken it into your head by now that this book is about magic and fairies and the like. I'm a Christian and I don't really approve of magic and folklore (faeries, elves, giants, etc.). It made me feel a little uncomfortable reading about them, especially Maisie's story about the elf queen. It made the book a little dark. And one little thing that I didn't like: the Princess and the Pea retold version, where the prince is gay. I have nothing against gays but I really liked the original story better.
Reader's Say: This was an okay book. The topic was fine except that there was an overuse of magic. The vocabulary was beautiful. I liked it half-half. I would recommend it for the construction (vocabulary, grammar, etc.) but not for the content.
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