Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson
2014; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 68; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2014.0869
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Global Socioeconomic and Political Dynamics
ResumoReviewed by: Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson Alaine Martaus Larson, M. A. Pennyroyal Academy. Putnam, 2014 [320p] ISBN 978-0-399-16324-1 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-8 After facing the perils of the enchanted forest and barely escaping the clutches of a witch, a young girl with no name begins to think that running away from home was a bad idea. She’s on a mission, though, to find Pennyroyal Academy, the premier training school for future princes and princesses, which is accepting lowborn girls for the first time. Once there, the girl, now called Evie, manages to make friends with the school’s other outsiders, and together they help one another succeed. Outside the gates, the war against the witches is growing closer, while inside, Evie and her friends are plagued by their snobby classmate Malora, who seems intent on ridding the school of the lowborn. Evie meanwhile is keeping dangerous secrets, and as layers of curses are lifted, surprising revelations about both Malora’s past and her own come to light. When the war with the witches makes it way to their door, Evie and her outsider friends may just be the best chance the school has at survival. This imaginative fantasy adventure offers a compelling narrative with just the right mixture of scares and laughs, victories and failures, friendships and light romance. Building self-consciously on familiar fairy-tale tropes, from orphaned princesses and evil stepmothers to fairies, knights, and dragons, it still manages to present them in fresh, playful ways. Evie and her friends are an appealing group, each with his or her own strengths and foibles, and readers will immediately wish to join their ranks to battle the forces of evil. The novel sends some mixed messages on the nature of royalty, but readers who wouldn’t mind a little mud on their shiny princess dress will find a lot to love here. The first in an expected series, this novel is a perfect fit for fans of Hale’s Princess Academy (BCCB 9/05) and the novels of Gail Carson Levine. [End Page 162] Copyright © 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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