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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Blog Tour: The Trouble With Toads by Danyelle Leafty

trouble with toads tour

trouble with toadsTitle: The Trouble With Toads

Author: Danyelle Leafty

Publisher: Curious Leaf Press

Published: May 2013

ASIN: B00CVLI2X8

FTC FYI: Received an eCopy via the tour host in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon


Book Description:

Once upon a time a young girl wanted revenge. But first, she wanted to be beautiful.

Twelve-year-old Bettony has read enough stories that begin with ‘Once upon a time’ to know what happens to the ugly stepsisters at the end, and she’s determined to escape that fate by any means necessary—even by magic.

Unfortunately, when it comes to magic, there is no place for regret, refunds, or exchanges. Even if you accidentally turn your older sister into a toad.

If Bettony wants her Happily Ever After to end well, she’s going to have to find a way to turn her sister back into a person before their mother finds out she’s been dabbling with magic and grounds her for life.

Tracking down the family magic turns out to be surprisingly easy. Now, if only it came with directions . . .

THE TROUBLE WITH TOADS (45,000 words) is the first book in a new upper MG series The Secret Stepsister Society. The second book will be released Summer 2013.


Review:

In general, I don't seek out Middle Grade books, but when I read the description for The Trouble With Toads and saw the cute cover art, I thought my third grader would really enjoy it.

The Trouble With Toads is clean and has likable characters. Plus, this Cinderella-ish spin-off told from the point of view of one of the ugly stepsisters is fun. Some of the vocabulary might be over a third grader's head, but the "big words" aren't in excess, so I don't think kids would be lost.

The pace of the story is put on hold at the beginning of about half the chapters where the author takes several paragraphs to write about witches, problems, types of people, etc. The topics aren't irrelevant, but may frustrate those anxious to find out if Bettony can fix her error.

I would definitely let my daughter read The Trouble With Toads, but I would probably wait until the sequel comes out. It's no secret that this is part of a series, but other than a potential familial bond, it lack resolution. Bettony's adventure is entertaining, and she goes through a lot, but I prefer at least some closure (thinking of other first books in a series, Voldemort is still on the loose, but at least Harry found the sorcerer's stone). 


About the Author:
danyelle Danyelle Leafty writes upper MG and YA fantasy, and is the author of THE FAIRY GODMOTHER DILEMMA series. Danyelle has always loved fairy tales, and prefers stories where someone gets eaten, or at the very least, transmogrified. Much of her inspiration has come from fairy tales, because as G.K. Chesterton so aptly states, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." In her spare time, she collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers. She also collects books, and one day hopes to make a house out of them. She enjoys learning languages, fiddling with her harp, and perfecting the fine art of mothering. (It's a lot like trying to herd chickens during a lightning storm while a goat stampede is going on.) One of her heroes is Albert Einstein, particularly for the following quote: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing is not to stop questioning."


Blog Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/28/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $25 US.  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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