Bibliography
George, J. D. (2009). Princess of the midnight ball. New York: Bloomsbury.
276 pages
Plot
Galen a young soldier has returned from war back to his aunt and uncle’s house. There, he is able to get a job in the king’s rose garden as a gardener. At first Galen is content with his job, gardening and its physical labor allows him to forget the terrors of war. However, once he sees Rose, the king’s eldest daughter, Galen begins to want more than his station allows. Rose, though has her own problems. Every night the king is confused with his twelve daughters. He has to replace their gowns and dancing shoes every three days, but no one seems to know where the princesses go. At first the king offers the princes throughout the kingdom the chance to find out what is happening, but when no one is able to figure it out can Galen discover the truth?
Review
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a retelling of the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” fairy tale. The novel takes place in an alternative Europe during the 19th century. The author uses the fairy tale as a base plot and further adds her own interpretation of the story. The added elements have more of a fantasy aspect, but still add meaning to the original story, helping the reader better understand some of the less defined plot lines. The author does a great job creating likeable characters, however much of them appear to be somewhat stereotypical. The two antagonists are one-dimensional, while the protagonist has no flaws. Nevertheless, despite the lack of originality, the book is a fun easy read.
Genre
Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level
Princess of the Midnight Ball should appeal to tween girls in grades 5 – 7.
Similar Content
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Author Blog/Webpage
http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/default.aspx
George, J. D. (2009). Princess of the midnight ball. New York: Bloomsbury.
276 pages
Plot
Galen a young soldier has returned from war back to his aunt and uncle’s house. There, he is able to get a job in the king’s rose garden as a gardener. At first Galen is content with his job, gardening and its physical labor allows him to forget the terrors of war. However, once he sees Rose, the king’s eldest daughter, Galen begins to want more than his station allows. Rose, though has her own problems. Every night the king is confused with his twelve daughters. He has to replace their gowns and dancing shoes every three days, but no one seems to know where the princesses go. At first the king offers the princes throughout the kingdom the chance to find out what is happening, but when no one is able to figure it out can Galen discover the truth?
Review
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a retelling of the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” fairy tale. The novel takes place in an alternative Europe during the 19th century. The author uses the fairy tale as a base plot and further adds her own interpretation of the story. The added elements have more of a fantasy aspect, but still add meaning to the original story, helping the reader better understand some of the less defined plot lines. The author does a great job creating likeable characters, however much of them appear to be somewhat stereotypical. The two antagonists are one-dimensional, while the protagonist has no flaws. Nevertheless, despite the lack of originality, the book is a fun easy read.
Genre
Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level
Princess of the Midnight Ball should appeal to tween girls in grades 5 – 7.
Similar Content
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Author Blog/Webpage
http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/default.aspx
Personal thoughts
Princess of the Midnight Ball is a lighthearted fantasy and fairy tale retelling that should appeal to tweens who like fantasy.
Subjects/themes
Family Relationships
Fairy Tale Retelling
True Love
Awards
No known awards.
Series information
Jessica Day George has also written Princess of Glass as a sequel to this novel.
Character names/descriptions
Galen: A young soldier who returns from war to become a gardener for the king’s Rose garden.
Princess Rose: The eldest daughter of the king, and takes over as the mother-figure for the rest of daughters.
Annotation
Each night the king’s twelve daughters leave the palace and return with slippers worn threadbare. Galen, the king’s gardener vows to find out what is actually happening.
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