Customer Reviews

Fairy Tale

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was very excited about this book. I even pre-ordered it just based on the product description. But honestly I was just a little disappointed. The back bone of this story is the two main characters Cam and Morgan are deeply in love and made for each other. Unfortunately, that premis felt forced. I was told a million times in the book that they were in love instead of shown. I felt that Cam's actions constantly seemed the opposite of this statement. Cam spent very little time with Morgan and it seemed that he was just fine without her. I felt like screaming to Morgan in the middle of the book to drop this clown already...LOL.
On a positive note the story is a quick read and if you love a happy ending you wont be disappointed. I would recommend reading this book to anyone who loves this fanatsy romance genre like me but I would suggest grabbing it a library instead of purchasing it because honestly you will probably never read it a second time.

Morgan Sparks has a perfect boyfriend, and a pretty-near perfect life. She and her boyfriend Cameron Browne share a birthday, and their upcoming sixteenth birthday party is the most talked of event in school. But just a week before the big day, a strange guy named Pip shows up, claiming to be the Brownes' real son. He declares that Cam is really fairy royalty, and next in line for the crown--and that it's time for him to return to the fairy world and for Pip to take his place in the human one. But Morgan won't let go of Cam easily; she's bound and determined to make sure that he stays with her for the rest of their lives...but what if that isn't his destiny?

Fairy Tale is unexpected in many aspects--from Morgan's ability to see into the future to Cyn Balog's surprise ending. Morgan herself is a strong narrator who packs in plenty of wit and sass. Her confidence is refreshing, and her reaction to the many magical events occurring around her is humorous and entertaining. Her psychic abilities aren't dwelled upon for very long, which seems a little curious, but isn't distracting from the novel as a whole.

The idea that the male lead--not the female one--is a fairy is a different one, and the new approach is definitely welcome. Fairy Tale deals a lot with the emotions and fears that accompany change as both Cam and Morgan face the possibility of losing each other forever and grapple with fears of the unknown, which is an issue that many teens will be able to draw connections with in their own lives. At the center of the story is a sweet romance that is touching without being cliché, and realistically complicated and gut-wrenching. Balog's debut is a dazzling one, full of fun dialogue, true-to-life emotions, and a suspenseful climax that will have readers coming back to this lovely novel again and again.

I loved Fairy Tale. It felt like my own personalized blend of fantasy and reality. Sometimes I'm a bit leery that fantasy books will be so much fantasy that I will be lost, I need fantasy that is extremely grounded in our own reality and I found that with Fairy Tale. It made it all the more exciting for me when fantastical elements were introduced. I just loved the way the author crafted her story.

I loved the three main characters. I just got Morgan and her sense of humor. And Cam and Pip, can you say a sandwich of cute/sweet boys!!!! I loved the push and pull between the three of them, and the relationships that grow and change throughout the book.

I also found the book to be really touching, what a dilemma these characters face, no matter what happens if Cam stays or goes someone is going to be losing. I had an inkling as to what would happen in the end and it did make the most sense but I wasn't really sure which way I wanted it to go, I kind of liked both possibilities. The book hooked me in and I basically had to know what was going to happen RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT! Ultimately I really liked the ending the author gave us.

I think that Fairy Tale would be a great book for someone to start with if they were interested in the Fantasy genre but were a little unsure. I loved it! Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

I seriously had no doubt that I would love this book with all my heart. Though, even with knowing that, I was still surprised at how much I adored this book at the end.

Morgan was a character that was easy to like. She was nice, funny, and thoughtful. Plus, it was fun to see the different problems her psychic abilities brought her. Cam was the same way. I loved his relationship with Morgan and how he would risk being a toadish looking fairy to stay with her till the end. Though, my most favorite was Pip, no doubt about it. I just loved how naive he was about different things to how he had risked his life to protect the people who he was close to.

The plot was actually not that predictable. Throughout, I thought I had it all figured out, but I was pleasantly surprised at the end to see my predictions were off. Since, it brought this whole "wow" reaction to the bittersweet ending that totally worked with the feeling of the book.

Overall, Cyn Balog is one amazing writer that I hope that every teen girl ( and boy, possibly) will have the chance to read her books some day. I look forward to reading her next novel, Sleepless, which will be out in 2010.

Grade: A+

I enjoyed this book as a quick fun read. The plot was easy to get into, as the story started almost immediately and wasn't weighed down with a lot of premise at the beginning. I enjoyed the ride, but I do feel that this book could have been taken up to the next level. I would recommend this book, but not as something that will change your life or become a favorite. Unfortunately the characters in this book don't live up to the plot line.

The female lead, Morgan, is self centered, needy, sometimes bitchy, and overall very difficult to truly like. When she is upset that Cam her 'true love' is going to leave this world she is mostly upset because SHE can't survive without him. She doesn't know who SHE would be or what HER future would be like. She spends very little time actually figuring out what Cam needs, wants, or fears. When Pip shows up (a strange nerdy boy from the Otherworld who doesn't fit in) Morgan seems to be so full of herself and proud when she's kind enough to lower herself and spend time with him. She feels so above everyone, and never really has a positive or nice thought about anyone she interacts with besides Cam. I really wanted the main character to show some more vulnerability and kindness, but I just never saw it.

Cam is also difficult to like. He doesn't actually show up in the book all that often. He is more present in Morgan's thoughts and memories than the action of the book. He also comes across as being very passive and weak, without showing any desire to truly take charge of his life. He half heartedly tries to protect Morgan when things become dangerous but he doesn't seem to be invested in his own life.

Pip is the one and only character that I could really get in to. His innocence and oddness when dealing with the human world make him charming, and his selflessness and concern for others make him an easy character to love. Pip's character often had me laughing and he is the character that makes this book worth reading.

Another reviewer said to read this book, but not to buy it. I think that is an excellent recommendation for this book.

Morgan Sparks and her boyfriend, Cam, have been together forever, basically. She knows they are perfect for each other, and nothing can break them apart. Then Pip, Cam's "cousin," comes to stay with him, and Cam is suddenly different.

When Cam finally fesses up, he reveals to Morgan that he is a fairy. He and Pip were switched at birth, and Cam's biological brother died. Now Cam is the rightful heir as Fairy King.

Morgan wants nothing more than to be with Cam forever. But he is physically changing, and Morgan can't help but think maybe he should leave.

This debut novel was absolutely stunning. I wasn't sure what to expect, seeing how it is about a male fairy, which is kind of strange. But I fell in love with it. I loved everything about it. I didn't want it to end, though.

I loved Morgan's character, but she did bug me sometimes. I couldn't decide who I liked better between Cam and Pip, but I think I choose Pip, because of the way he spoke.

I recommend FAIRY TALE to everyone. It is amazing.

Reviewed by: Ashley B

It was a good read! just finished it. It made me kinda sad the ending!

Whether you read fantasy or not, you'll want to read this book-- FAIRY TALE is about a girl who thinks her boyfriend is turning into a fairy.

Seriously. A Fairy.

But it's not so funny when Morgan realizes that her soul-mate, Cam, is going to leave her forever in order to return to the fairy world. How can she get him to stay? How far will she go for true love?

This one will keep you glued to the pages and guessing until the very end. Well-written, funny, and touching--a can't miss!

Morgan Sparks and Cameron Browne are destined for each other. Born on the same day, next door neighbors and best friends all their lives, Morgan and Cam have been a couple - have been in love - since most of their friends still thought the opposite sex had cooties. Sometimes though, even after all this time, Morgan can't believe that Cam wants to be with her, He's practically a god: king of their high school, football star, ultra-hot, sweet, funny ... well, you get the idea. Morgan, on the other hand, is a little odd, a little spooky. She's a psychic and her visions have never been wrong. Which means everyone (except Cam) wants her to tell their future, but not everyone is happy with what they hear. If it weren't for Cam, the A-listers probably wouldn't even notice Morgan's existence.

Two weeks before their joint sixteenth birthday party, things start to change radically for Morgan and Cam. A mysterious, completely clueless 'cousin' arrives and tells Cam that he's a changeling - a fairy child exchanged for a human on the day of his birth. More to the point, Cam is the son of Massif, King of the Seelie Court. Now that the king's eldest son has died unexpectedly, he commands that Cam be brought home to Otherworld to serve as his heir.

As Cam's deadline to return to the faeries draws near, Morgan grows increasingly frantic. She's sure that she and Cam are meant to be together forever, whether he's a fairy or not, but that can't happen if he's off in another dimension. So it's up to her to find a way to keep Cam here.

Engrossing and highly entertaining, Fairy Tale draws readers in from the start. And even though the ending might be considered a little too tidy (and perhaps a little abrupt, considering how certain characters change) it's easy to overlook any minor flaws when a story is this satisfying.

I have read dark and tortured fairy stories, evil pixie stories, misunderstood fairy stories, and fairies as plants stories. I've loved them all. But Cyn Balog's version, FAIRY TALE, was so beautifully different that I now have a new favorite.

FAIRY TALE was Ms. Balog's debut, and finaled for the Romance Writer's Association of America's RITA Award in 2010. Heck of a way to begin her writing career! The story takes place in an average American neighborhood, with your average, run of the mill teenagers. Oh, except that one of them is a psychic and the other is slowly turning into a fairy.

Morgan Sparks has loved Cam Browne her entire life. They were born on the same day, been best friends since birth, and know everything about each other. That's why Cam's sudden change in behavior, live-in cousin, and the fact that he can now fly comes as a bit of a shock. Even her psychic powers didn't see that one coming.

A week before their mutual birthday blowout, her glued at the hip boyfriend Cam starts pulling away and Morgan demands answers. She breaks Cam's rule of peeking into his future and becomes convinced he has a tumor and is dying. When she confronts him, she fortunately discovers Cam isn't sick . . . he's simply a changeling switched at birth, and the rightful heir to the fairy throne.

Throw in a mean-spirited glowing pink blob hovering around trying to steal her boyfriend, a variety of unfortunate cuts and bruises, and the nerdy-turned-hottie Pip who turns out to be the human the fairies switched with Cam at birth, and Morgan's head is reeling.

But with the countdown to their sixteenth birthday on--the age when fairies fully inherit their powers and the only day fairies can cross over into the Otherworld--Morgan becomes determined. She formulates a plan with Pip, while fighting confusing feelings of attraction, to keep Cam with her. But as she watches him daily change more and more into the fairy king he truly is, she has to decide if they truly are meant to be together, or if destiny has another plan.

This story has everything I could want. A love triangle, sweet and chivalrous boys, strong heroine, involved and caring parents, angsty high school drama, and lots of giggles. Despite my mound of research I need to be doing for my own writing project, I gobbled this story up and immediately got SLEEPLESS, Ms. Balog's sophomore supernatural romance.

On her blog this week, Ms. Balog talked about sequels and how everyone wants them for their stories. While she has no plans for a sequel to FAIRY TALE, she listed several humorous ideas. I was just one of many commenters BEGGING her for a sequel for this tale.

I want to know all about Cam in the fairy world. Does he continue to save lives? What types of drama is involved with fairy politics? Since we know he defies fairy logic and can love deeply, does he fall in love with Dawn, his betrothed?

I want to know more about Pip and watch him get the happy ending he truly deserves. I want to see the love story between Pip and Morgan develop and see if there are any more awkward transitions into the human world.

I want to find out more about Morgan's psychic powers--why does she have them? Is there more to her powers then visions? Will she ever see Cam again?

Please, Ms. Balog, inquiring minds need to know! :-)

Until then, I will continue to gobble up SLEEPLESS and wait anxiously for STARSTRUCK to hit the shelves in July.