The Girl in the Tower

December 14, 2015
Ten-year-old Violet has been holed up in a dark tower with her mother since infancy, but her courage and hope light up the pages of this sweetly quaint fairy tale from Schroeder (My Secret Guide to Paris). The trouble began when a witch, Bogdana, cast a spell crowning herself queen. She longed for beauty, and only a hummingbird feather and a strand of dark hair from an 11-year-old girl with lavender eyes will activate the necessary spell. When Bogdana discovered a baby that met these requirements—who would grow up to be Violet—she hid her in the tower and had hummingbirds imported into the realm. Violet and her mother imagine beautiful places and create fantastic stories to keep them company in the tower, but everything changes when Bogdana decides to make Violet a princess. Bogdana’s nefariousness contrasts nicely with the kind, brave friends and devoted birds who help Violet. Kids will find it easy to root for determined Violet as she sets out to secure her family’s freedom. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger.

December 15, 2015
Will a beautiful young girl locked up in a tower be an ingredient in the spell to fulfill a wicked queen's wish for beauty, or will she be the queen's undoing? Queen Bogdana longs for nothing more than to be beautiful, and she will stop at nothing to achieve her heart's desire. Queen Bogdana, who is really an evil witch, has almost everything else. The magic spell that will make her beautiful requires two ingredients Bogdana does not have: "a feather from a living hummingbird and a strand of hair the color of darkness plucked from the head of a girl with eyes the color of lavender who had lived at least eleven years but no more than twelve." As luck would have it, a newborn baby girl, Violet, fits the requirement, and the queen has Violet and her mother incarcerated in a tower until the appropriate time comes to obtain the strand of hair. The plot is set for the perfect fairy tale: an evil witch, greed, an innocent young girl, a devoted parent, and loyal friends. Ultimately, though, the undoing of this story lies in the bland, one-dimensional quality of its characters. Time passes easily reading the book, but it's not enough to lift it above others in its well-populated genre. Lacks the nuance of such exemplars as Astrid Lindgren's Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (1983) or Sharon Creech's The Castle Corona (2007). (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-Ten-year-old Violet is locked away in a castle tower with her mother, where she's been held since birth. She keeps sane by enjoying a vivid imaginary life, where she pretends to be a pirate and an artist. She is heartily encouraged by her mother to always remain positive. When one day the castle's wicked queen takes an unusual interest in Violet, she is unknowingly thrust into an evil plot. Forced to decide between her true destiny and the luxurious life of a princess, Violet makes tough decisions based on character and courage rather than fantasy and greed. Lines like "If I can survive all these years in this tower, I believe I can do anything!" make Violet appealing as a fairy tale heroine. The setting, though nonspecific, is typical of traditional fairy tales in period and design. The writing style and vocabulary are accessible and the story is well paced. It could also serve as a nice read-aloud for younger listeners not quite ready for the fractured fairy tale retellings of Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale. VERDICT Recommended for fans of fairy tales and modern Disney princesses.-Pilar Okeson, Washington D.C. Public Library

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

ccswishingstar - All her whole life, all Violet could remember, she and her mother have been locked away in a tower by evil Queen Bogdana (or is she NOT a queen?). She even has the whole kingdom under her spell! The so-called queen has everything she wants, except one thing she desperately wants, beauty. Violet possesses the beauty she wants. When Violet is summoned by Queen Bogdana to start training to become a real princess, it seemes like her life might become better, but hope quickly fades when Violet's mother is banished from the castle, and she and Violet are forbidden to see each other again. Now it is up to Violet to reunite her family and give them a happy ending, but first she must break the evil fake queen's spell. I love this book! It is one of my favorite books all time! I love how the story has an interesting plot that is similar to the fairy tale of Rapunzel, but with a different twist. I definitly would recommend this book for anyone who likes fairy tales or the Whatever After series.