UnEnchanted: An Unfortunate Fairy Tale (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, 1)

This is only a 214 page book and the first in a series, so it's a really quick read with a inarguably interesting plot but I did have some pretty major problems with it. It offers a fast paced plot, original ideas, and a cute romance, which was all fun to read in this short novel but almost every element was very tropy and typical. Chanda Hahn didn't stretch too far outside your typical YA here so we get a lot of the same stuff we get in so many novels before it but even still, the plot was original enough for me to keep interested through most of it.

Pros:
- original plot
- easy read
- good ending
- interesting (though typical) characters

Cons:
- a little rushed from scene to scene
- not fully developed characters
- amiture writing
- typical tropes (like couples having a fall out because of an easily solved miscommunication)

Really, by biggest problem with the novel is the writing. Of course, as a new writer myself, I'm a bit of a stickler for the technique because it's something I study. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not the most technically proficient writer out there either, but there were some pretty major writing flaws that were hard for me to over look.

- a lot of tell vs show
- almost every sentence named the emotion they were feeling ("Mina's jaw dropped with shock" rather than something happening, the author constantly has to let us know why it happened. "With shock")

Here's a paragraph that I pulled from Unenchanted that gives you an idea of what kind of writing you'll get through the novel:

"Mina knew it was coming but was still startled by the feel of his lips on her mouth. It was glorious, sweet, and beautiful. She went lightheaded with joy. When he pulled away from their gentle kiss, she felt saddened by his parting, until he placed another quick kiss on her lips."

Basically, if you're not a stickler for writing technique, don't worry about it. But if you are, this may not be the book for you.

All in all, it was a nice, light read, but not something that it'd say was AMAZING or even something that I'd probably continue on with the series for. But it was a nice buffer book; a quick read when you just need something light. I'd recommend it for that purpose.

I loved this book. The fairy tale aspect is stellar, and it's reimagined in such unique way, it's hard not to love.

Mina is a loser who keeps her head down and her nose out of everything. Until she saves the life of the most popular boy in school. But that single, heroic act does more than attract the attention of her school, it attracts the attention of an old family curse. Because Mina isn't a Grime, she's a Grimm, and the stories they wrote need to be completed if she's ever to live a normal life. She just has to survive them all, first.

This story was enchanting. The high school drama with a twisted fairy tale, and a heroine who is equal parts reluctant and determined, keeps you reading until the last page. Only complaint is that Mina is a little too much back and forth at times. But otherwise, a solid read for teens looking for a bit of fairy tale fantasy in a contemporary setting.

Well, I knew that this story revolved around the Grimm fairy tales, and since I am crazy about the Grimm fairy tales, I had hoped that this would be amazing. The story line was well thought out and the fairy tales was translated to modern times.

The pace was a bit slow at times, and this distracted from the story a lot. Also, the curse was not as central off a theme for this book, than what I would have liked. As there is mention that Mina needs to get through over 200 stories, it is doubtful that she can when she only finishes 2 stories in the first book. The emphasis of Mina’s insecurity and her best friend Nan’s Twitter and iPhone is sometimes too much, and highly unnecessary.

Mina did grow a bit, and the romance in this book did not distract much, but rather added a bit to the story. I was rooting for Mina to fall for Jared, because he challenges her, whereas Brody only wants to protect her and then gets in the way of her destiny.

There were some grammatical errors in this book, however, this did not distract much from the story. The characters were a bit one-dimensional, but the plot made up for that a bit. Also, the most well-known ideas were incorporated into the story, like the sort-of love triangle.

I will want to read the rest of the books since the idea really appealed to my love of fairy tales. Will keep you posted…

I purchased this book because it sounded interesting for my daughter. I had no idea that it was a self published book, which I am not against but had I known that I might have been less likely to purchase it. The book is filled with typos and the actual writing is pathetic. My daughter read one chapter and said it wasn't worth continuing. She has literally never done that with any book. I would suggest saving your money and purchase something worthwhile. Amazon should do a better job of screening some of these self published books and make sure it is highlighted to caution customers. Not happy at all.

This book is about a girl who is being haunted by Grimm fairy tales. She is dragged into the stories and she has to complete the story without getting killed until she has completed every last story she will have to keep doing them. Her classmates and friends are all turned into characters from the stories. Because of her part in the story, her crush begins to like her but once the story is finished everyone forgets everthing that had happened and returns to normal until the new story starts up

The plot idea is interesting, but it is very poorly developed. There are lots of holes and things that are just explained away as being part of the Story, which doesn't make much sense in itself, anyway. I didn't really like Mina, either. She was fickle and did a lot of stupid stuff. And the story didn't end; it just sort of stopped in the middle.

Content: no language or sex. Some mild violence, not graphic.

Anyone who says this is a disappointing book must not have good taste, because this book ranks in my top 4! I read this book years ago on my kindle and absolutely loved it! I read it over again every year even! There are many grammatical errors, but once you get past that, its award winning material. If you are considering reading it, go for it! I promise you wont be disappointed! I have read Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments series, Sarah J Maas books, and other popular fandom books, and this ranks with them!

It was a hard book for me to get into at first but i definetly got hooked and once i did..., i did not want to stop reading the book it was a good book and i have already started reading the next called jareds quest which im sure will also be a good book and i cant wait to read the whole series!!(:

When I first read this book, I was expecting a good getaway from the mundane. However, I got caught up in Mina's life from beginning to end. The novel has bittersweet moments and awakenings for a reclusive teenager. She learns her new strengths and discovers the true power of a Story by its influences. The tale swept me away into this fascinating world with its fast paced moments and on the edge excitement.

I've just ordered two tales to find out what happens to the Grimm curse and Mina's life. So far, I'm going to keep expecting the unexpected with this clever tale. Thanks for writing it, Chanda Hahn! Hope you have much success with other ventures too.!

You know how your English teacher always told you to "show, don't tell"? I think the author of this book played hooky that day.

I really wanted to like UnEnchanted, because I thought it was a really creative spin on fairy tales, but ultimately the writing was just too juvenile. For instance:

- I couldn't get attached to any of the characters, who were one-dimensional (mom, brother, best friend), annoying (super whiny main girl, whose name I've already forgotten) or cliché (love triangle dudes).
- Issues with punctuation. Proofreading is a thing.
- Pacing. This was one of my biggest issues. Hahn tends to vomit background information on you, rather than making it a part of the story. This makes certain things feel like they're being skipped over or rushed. It feels like reading a background check instead of a novel.

The story gets five stars. Its presentation gets one.