On... Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

I approached this book with great enthusiasm. Something about the cover definitely appealed to me and I had had a decent exposure to Levine the first time around with Ella Enchanted even though I do like the movie better than the book.

Thankfully, even though this is placed in the same world as Ella Enchanted the book does not have a movie to compete with. I would have liked to see the "ugly" version of the main character, Aza, because the cover image does not portray what Levine's words describe.

Fairest is yet another book written for young girls about beauty being internal, not external. As much as this topic has been trumpeted and touted Levine creates a story that does not seem trite or cliche. The topic is important, so finding another new way to tell the story is an admirable goal.

I recommend the book, good reading.