No need to read Just Ella, but choose Ella Enchanted

Don't read

 I wanted something flighty and fast and that's what this is. Plus it reminded me distantly of the Newberry Honor book by Gail Carson Levine Ella Enchanted, which was my favorite book in middle school before the movie absolutely destroyed it.

I guess that's what Haddix was counting on. Riding on the misplaced associatons with another book. But the coattails of Ella Enchanted would not be ridden.

Decent female narrator voice. But, under-developed plot, overly predictable characters, and only a cute-ish romance that tries too hard to be... real.

I'd recommend it only to 13 year old girls. Maybe. But I think even they will get a much more rewarding reading experience from Ella Enchanted. Now there's a cute, chick-flicky book with some sass and just enough depth.

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