Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Marigold

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once Upon a Marigold by: Rachel Kemel
The book I read was Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris. This book is about a boy, Christian, who is looking for adventure and runs away from home. He ends up living with a forest troll. Christian liked to invent things and to watch the royal family through his telescope. He falls in love with the princess and one day sends her a letter. The boy and the princess are soon writing letters to each other all the time. The forest troll tells the boy that he has to grow up, to start figuring things out by himself and to get a job. The boy gets a job at the palace, where he learns about a plot. The plot is for the queen to kill the princess and her father so she could take the throne. The boy is put into a dungeon but he escapes, crashes the princess's wedding, and gets married to her, all of this in one day.
I thought this book was exciting to read because you could never predict what was going to happen next. I like unpredictable stories because when you read there are surprises that make you read it more and more. I was able to feel like I was in the book because the author was very descriptive when she was writing. I was able to paint a picture in my head of what was happening in the book, I feel that it is a good quality in a book. The main conflict did interest me because it helped the story get more interesting as the main conflict got bigger and bigger. The characters seemed realistic because the author described them really well, so I could picture them like a painting in my mind. The book's ending was very satisfying because everything turned out okay, the boy married the princess, the queen was defeated, and the boy was able to invent a bridge for the kingdom.
The author's voice was mysterious because she described things and then all of a sudden something happens without you knowing it. Her voice helps the story get better. The author used vocabulary in an interesting way; some words were Beelzebub, Hecate, Edric, Swithbert, Olympia, and Beaufort. These are all names of animals and people in the story. I like it because it makes the story more interesting with more interesting names. The author's unique characteristics are, being able to paint a picture in person's head, teaching lessons, keeping the suspense going, and making me feel like I was somewhere else. The author's ability to make you feel like the characters are talking to you, that you are actually there, and mysterious voice that makes you wonder what's will happen next makes you want to read the story more. The author's ability to make the characters seem to be talking to you makes the book seem more appealing because when they seem sad you start to feel sad. It really makes it interesting. When you feel like you are there, you can see everything that is happening, you feel like you are a completely different person. The author's tone made the book very unpredictable. When I read it I did not suspect anything that had happened which just made it better and better. Once Upon a Marigold is one of those books where you feel like you are in them and watching from the sidelines. I love to read those kinds of books.
I give Once Upon a Marigold a five because it was very descriptive, and I felt like I was in it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes captivating books. I would recommend this book because it is a really good book and everything good happens, it makes you want to see what will happen next.
Once Upon a Marigold is a really good book that is about things that aren't in real life that make it more interesting then it would if there wasn't. I am really glad that I read this book.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved that it was a fairy tale, and I loved the story.

Christian is a boy that ran away from home and was adopted by a troll and his two dogs. He grows up admiring the princess marigold from across the river, and when he is 17 he starts coresponding with her.

Edric, the troll that adopted Christian, thinks that Christian should go and see the world, so Christian goes and takes a job at the castle. The night he arrives a banquet is being held in honour of princess Marigold's two suiters, neither of which she likes. Marigold and Christian finaly meet and fall in love, but before they can live happily ever after they have to foil the plans of Marigold's evil mother.

Once Upon A Marigold, is a novel by Jean Ferris. It takes place in an enchanted forest and King Swithbert's castle.
The main characters are a commoner named Christian, a princess named Marigold, a troll named Ed, a King named Swithbert, and a Queen named Olympia. This story is about Christian who falls in love with Princess Marigold. Christian started to P-mail (pigeon mail) her. Surprisingly enough she writes back. One day his foster father Ed says he has to go and get a job. So Christian gets a job at the castle where Princess Marigold lives. He over hears Queen Olympia saying that if Marigold gets married to one of her suitors named Sir Magnus, who does not have a kingdom of his own and they would be have to live at the castle. She would have an "accident" happen to Marigold and King Swithbert. Then Queen Olympia would rule. Now Christian has to convince Marigold that her mother is trying to kill her! There are surprising secrets at the end that I will not tell so you have to read the book to find out.
My favorite part was when Christian and Marigold first met and Christian finds out about Marigold's powers. This is when the story gets exciting because it is what the beginning is leading up to.
I recommend you should read this book if you are between the ages of 9 and 14. I would give this book 5 stars because it was one of the best books I have ever read.

This book WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOD! I could not put it down and I read the whole thing in two days. It was such a good book and there wasn't a part that I didn't like! I would recommend it to anyone who likes cute, romantic, fairy tales that are the best! There is not a part in it that was bad! Nice job Jean Ferris! This is a great book and if your looking for a good, romantic fairy tale to read, then you need to pick up this book and read it!

I absolutely loved this book. There were times when I didn't know what was going to happen next and it kept my on the edge of my seat so I read on just so I could know that everything turned out okay. Great story. Extremely creative. I loved that it took place way back in the day. It really gives you insight as to how people lived back then.

I have read this book three times through, and I can't get enough of it. I especially love the realationships Jean Ferris builds. First of all, the relationship between Ed and Christian. It starts out with Ed finding Christian in the forest. He decides to take him home for the night since it was getting late, and thinking that he would find his parents later. Well the next day Chris won't let him find his parents, and that really annoys Ed. So, it starts out with Ed really disliking this little boy, but as the years go on, he really starts to love the kid. When Christian is about 17, he starts p-mailing (communication by carrier pigeons) Princess Marigold of the neighboring kingdom. They build a strong friendship, and when her castle's gamekeeper offers Chris a job at the castle, Christian really starts to think about leaving Ed. Then when Ed sits him down and tells him that he thinks Christian should get out in the real world, Christian agrees even though they both would rather Christian stayed. So Christian gets a job at the castle and discovers a plot against Marigold and her father. One thing leads to another, and Marigold's engaged. However, you'll have to read the book to find out who to. (Here's a hint, it's not Christian) All in all, this is a very good read,and I recommend it for all ages. Also, I just want to say that I find it very interesting how even though Ed is a troll, he is a very protective, loving, kind, and understanding father to Christian.

Marigold, a bookish, average girl, who also happens to be a princess, is the object of the affection of Christian, who, at the age of six, runs away from his family and ends up in the care of Edric, a dog-loving forest troll and unlikely father-figure, where he spends the next eleven years of his life. He falls in love with the princess after spying her through his telescope and exchanging anonymous p(igeon)-mail, eventually being hired to work at the castle, where he learns of Queen Olympia's plan to marry off Marigold and claim the throne for herself. An original story with a neat plot, which can be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

Once Upon a Marigold Harcourt, 2002, 272pp., $6.95
Jean Ferris ISBN 0-439-57624-5

Christian, a 17 year-old boy, who lives with a troll, has for ten watched through a telescope the princesses in the neighboring kingdom. He was watched them grow up and get married, all but one, Marigold. Marigold is a smart beautiful princess who has the gift to read peoples minds when she touches them. People do not know the secret of this gift, so they avoid her, which makes her sad and lonely. Her father is the one person who does not avoid his daughter. King Swithbert is a very sick man who is humble and kind to everyone. Queen Olympia, Marigolds mother, is trying to find a young prince to marry her daughter so that she can rule the kingdom.
One day while watching Marigold, Christian decides to contact her via p-mail
(carrier pigeon). She responds to his question and so their friendship begins.
Once upon a Marigold is about love and friendship. It shows a friendship grow in to love. This book has a clever plot with many humorous and surprising twists and turns. Jean Ferris created detailed characters with interesting personalities.

Awsome book! It is a great read. It includes a boy who runs away from home. And meets a princess who he likes. But some freeloader compared to a princess! This is a god book for boys and girls of all ages. It is funny, intresting, and overall a fast paced book.

My sister recommended this book to me so I decided to read it, it turned out to be very good. It was a good decision to read it. Once Upon a Marigold is about a boy who is raised by a troll. The boy falls in love with a princess. I liked it very much. It was fun to read. It was very exciting. I could not put it down. It was easy to read, and very enjoyable. This book had many exciting tiwsts. When I thought I had the book figured out, there was another twist. This book is appropriate for all ages. This is a book that I would buy and read again and again.(and I don't like to read much) I would recommend this book to everyone. :)