Ella Enchanted
by Gail Carson Levine
I read this book because I (embarassing confession) quite liked the movie. The movie bears only the most cursory resemblance to the book, which I also really enjoyed. It meets all my criteria for good YA fiction: good characters, good writing, and themes worth writing about. Most people are likely familiar with the plot, but it is a Cinderella spinoff. Ella is a girl who is unable to disobey thanks to a fairy's blessing/curse. This leads to all sorts of interesting situations and problems, especially once she winds up in the care of her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. The book is an interesting look at freedom and agency (something likely at the top of every preteen's list of concerns) and well worth reading for anyone in that age group, though probably not a fabulous enough book to merit a place on an adult's list of must-reads.
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