Half Upon a Time (1)

While all the other teens his age are looking for a quest to get them out of town, Jack is quite content to stay a farmer in the village of Giant's Hand. This is especially true since his father's adventure with a giant turned into a disaster that left Jack's dad missing.

But his world changes in an instant when there is a flash of light and a princess falls at his feet. May is from another dimension, a world with strange things like the internet and cell phones. Just before she appeared, her grandmother was kidnapped by the Huntsmen and some trolls. It doesn't take Jack long to figure out that May's grandmother is the famous Snow White who has been missing since she defeated the Wicked Queen who was trying to take over the entire land.

And so Jack finds himself pulled into a quest to rescue Snow White whether he wants to or not. Will he and May prevail?

I can't resist a fracture take on fairytales, or in this case a reworking of them, so as soon as I heard about this book, it was on my to be read list. It got bumped up when the author sent me a complimentary copy, no strings attached. And I'm very glad I did because I enjoyed the book very much.

The action starts almost from page one and it very rarely lets up. I had a hard time putting the book down because I always wanted to find out what happens next. And the chapters are fairly short, so it was easy to justify reading just a little bit more. One thing that happened didn't quite make sense to me, but it was a minor issue (and maybe it will be explained in the next book.)

Jack and May are great characters, too. I liked them from the moment I met them, and as their adventure continued, I felt they were real. A few of the others are real as well, although most don't spend enough time on the page to fully develop.

This was a great read that left me anxious to see what the next book in the series brings. If you want a different take on the characters we already know, pick up this book.

This was recommended to me by a close acquaintance, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I wasn't really exactly sure what to expect, but after finishing the book in 3 days, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Half Upon a Time.

The story begins with the seemingly anti-hero Jack living in a fairy tale-based wold of knights, sorcerers, and magical creatures. The author provides a foundation of familiar themes such as traditional fairy tales and Disney-based characters while adding an entirely fresh twist and storyline to the mix. While this could have some potential for silly cliches and lack of originality, Riley blends all of the elements together flawlessly and creates a compelling tale within a world that is truly his own.

This book manages to cover fantasy, humor, action, and suspense without losing momentum throughout. The witty dialogue between characters is great and transitions from light-hearted banter to tense confrontations while keeping you interested and genuinely caring about the main players and how they grow and interact. The descriptive language really pushes your imagination and the scale of the worlds and creatures is wonderful. Some of the showdowns and battles were truly epic, yet not too violent for the younger readers and still entertaining for the older crowd.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a humorous, yet well-rounded fantasy tale. For his first novel, Riley really set a high standard as a skilled wordsmith and has created a world that I can't wait to revisit. 5 stars.

"Life's no fairy tale for Jack. After all, his father's been missing ever since that incident with the beanstalk and the giant, and his grandfather keeps pushing him to get out and find a princess to rescue. Who'd want to rescue a snobby, entitled princess anyway? Especially one who falls out of the sky wearing a shirt that says PUNK PRINCESS and still denies she's royalty. In fact, May doesn't even believe in magic. Yeah, what's that about?" (from the book jacket)

In the beginning of this story, we find Jack playing the hero in a training exercise. He is supposed to rescue the princess, but Jack does things his own way and it doesn't go so well. Luckily it was only training. On the way home, Jack's grandfather is explaining to him how important it is for him to learn to be a hero and rescue & marry a princess. Jack says something like there aren't any unmarried princesses around here and it's not like one is going to fall out of the sky... When that's exactly what happens. A girl (May), who appears to be a princess (according to her shirt anyway), falls out of the sky right in their path. She seems to be from our "normal" world and she has somehow fallen through a portal of sorts to Jack's world of magic, giants, fairies, etc. In other words, the world of Fairy Tales. A Huntsman is chasing May and her grandmother is missing. And it seems as if, somehow, May is related to Snow White (who has been missing for some time). Jack ends up on an adventure after all, trying to help May and rescue her grandmother.

My Opinion:
Okay, first I must admit that I have a thing for these kinds of stories. I've seen quite a few written for younger readers in our school library. For instance, Goldie Socks & the Three Libearians, The Three Little Pigs & the Somewhat Bad Wolf and Three Silly Billies. Not to mention some of my recent favorites for young adults such as the Cinder series and Rump. I love the new twist put on an old story.

The story of Jack, May and Prince Phillip pulled me in right away. The characters are flawed and likable. And the situations range from funny to edge of the seat adventurous. This story brings in characters from many different stories, including Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Snow White, the Evil Queen, the Huntsman and many more.

The book is cleverly written and fast paced. I am quite excited to read the next two, Twice Upon a Time and Once Upon the End. The end of this book left many questions that must be answered...

Recommended to:
This would be a great book for kids in grades 4-8 (depending on reading level). I also think it's a great book to read aloud and share with your kids. Any kids who enjoy adventure stories or princess or hero stories should enjoy this book. Quite a few of the 4th & 5th graders at our school are reading this.

Similar Books:
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Let's enter the world of oxymorons, because this is destined to become an instant classic. Hilarious, touching, witty and dry -- the sense of humor appeals to adults and *sigh* I suppose kids, too, although I think the delight of the snark might be lost on them. Riley takes the fairytale world and brings it into the realm of modern-day despair; it seems like he's viewing a magical realm through post-recession goggles, where they're fresh out of princesses and all the magical creatures have been sold on the black market. The characters are fresh, and the ending is one you don't see coming until maybe the page before. Absolute best thing: The dialogue, which is snappy and keeps the plot going forward, but deserves attention in its own right as well.

Visit Greatest Books for Kids (greatestbooksforkids.com) for more great book recommendations.

Read aloud: age 8 and older.
Read yourself: age 10 - 11 and older.

Jack has been in training to become a hero, but it wasn't going well until a princess fell out of the sky. Suddenly, Jack and his princess, May (who declares she is not a princess), are embroiled in a race to save May's kidnapped grandmother. Pursued by some that will stop at nothing to capture Jack and May, and others that are their helpers, it's hard to know who to trust. After all, it's not every day that the likes of Snow White, the Wicked Queen and her Mirror, Rumpelstiltskin, Rapunzel, and other vivid fairy tale characters come to life and are operating side-by-side, vying for control of the world with Jack and May smack in the center.
Brimming with nonstop action, adventure, betrayal, helpers, loads of humor and wisdom, this masterful, whirlwind story captures the essence of a great journey.

There is just no way Jack is ever going to pass his princess rescue test. Pair that fact with his dad's shady reputation (stealing a certain golden egg laying goose from a giant),and things don't look good for Jack ever finding a princess and living happily ever after. Not that he wants that. Who needs royalty, right? All that changes when May, The Princess of Punk, falls on him from out of the sky. From that very moment Jack is off on a quest full of adventure and peril, and peopled with a wide variety of folks easily recognizable from some of our favorite fairy tales.

The pacing is rapid fire, right along with the dialogue. May and Jack are perfect foils for each others' biting wit and sarcasm. They make an excellent duo for questing, and the addition of Phillip, an actual prince, only serves to increase the tension between them. All the characters are very well done, but Jack especially shines as the rogue hero, bent on rescuing everyone even when it's against his own best interests.

This book is action, action, and more action that kids age 8 and up will eagerly eat up as fast as they can. The story has a very cinematic feel to it, with most of the violence taking place off camera. This is a fabulous fairy tale that manages to include a bit of everything; princesses, dragons, knights, swords, and wicked witches. It's told with a hefty dollop of humor, but never loses the sense of danger and suspense that will keep young readers glued to the page. What more could you ask for? If you are searching for a great summer read for your young fairy tale fan, do not pass this one by. Fair warning - there will be a sequel! I am eager to find out what happens to these kids next. Recommended.

I loved every second of this book. It's an endearing, funny, and charming story about a boy named Jack and his adventures in helping May, the "Punk Princess" find her Grandmother. It's full of misadventures with Giants, Fairies, Genies and just about anything else you can think of. It's a fun and exciting read. I couldn't put it down! Very entertaining!!