Penelope [Paperback]

Marilyn Kaye (Author), Reese Witherspoon (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 20, 2007

A modern-day fairytale--a major motion picture starring Christina Ricci, Catherine O'Hara, James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon.

 

Penelope Wilhern has everything a girl could want: A wealthy, socialite family, an enchanted bedroom and some of the coolest clothes around.  There is only one problem: She was born into a cursed family and has the face of a pig. 
Hidden away from the world, Penelope now finds herself subjected to a string of snobby, blue-blooded bachelors in a desperate attempt to find her a husband in order to break the curse.  Though she yearns for something greater, what's a girl to do when faced with a determined mother and her matchmaking sidekick?  Hoping to snap a photo of the mysterious girl, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires down-on-his-luck Max to pose as a prospective suitor and infiltrate the family.  But when Max finds himself truly drawn to Penelope, he can't bring himself to expose and disappoint her, so he just disappears.  Fed up with this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope decides to break free from her family and go out into the world in search of adventure.  Hiding her true identity with a scarf, Penelope discovers a wondrous world where freedom opens her eyes to possibilities she never knew existed.  Making new friends along the way, she discovers happiness in the most unexpected places.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A modern-day fairytale...Penelope Wilhern has everything a girl could want&mdasha wealthy socialite family, an enchanted bedroom and some of the coolest clothes around. There is only one problem: She was born into a cursed family and has the face of a pig.
Hidden away from the world, Penelope now finds herself subjected to a string of snobby, blue-blooded bachelors in a desperate attempt to find her a husband in order to break the curse. Though she yearns for something greater, what?s a girl to do when faced with a determined mother and her matchmaking sidekick? Hoping to snap a photo of the mysterious girl, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires down-on-his-luck Max to pose as a prospective suitor and infiltrate the family. But when Max finds himself truly drawn to Penelope, he can?t bring himself to expose and disappoint her, so he just disappears. Fed up with this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope decides to break free from her family and go out into the world in search of adventure. Disguising her identity with a scarf, Penelope discovers a wondrous world where freedom opens her eyes to possibilities she never knew existed. Making new friends along the way, she discovers happiness in the most unexpected places.

From the Back Cover

A modern-day fairytale...

 

Penelope Wilhern has everything a girl could want--a wealthy socialite family, an enchanted bedroom and some of the coolest clothes around.  There is only one problem: She was born into a cursed family and has the face of a pig. 
Hidden away from the world, Penelope now finds herself subjected to a string of snobby, blue-blooded bachelors in a desperate attempt to find her a husband in order to break the curse.  Though she yearns for something greater, what’s a girl to do when faced with a determined mother and her matchmaking sidekick?  Hoping to snap a photo of the mysterious girl, mischievous tabloid reporter Lemon hires down-on-his-luck Max to pose as a prospective suitor and infiltrate the family.  But when Max finds himself truly drawn to Penelope, he can’t bring himself to expose and disappoint her, so he just disappears.  Fed up with this latest betrayal and determined to live life on her own terms, Penelope decides to break free from her family and go out into the world in search of adventure. 

Disguising her identity with a scarf, Penelope discovers a wondrous world where freedom opens her eyes to possibilities she never knew existed.  Making new friends along the way, she discovers happiness in the most unexpected places.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (March 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031237559X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312375591
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #831,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Film

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute Fairytale, July 15, 2007

By 

Mim Smith Faro (PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penelope (Paperback)

It was a cute fairytale with a modern twist and a strong message for girls. The writing was average. The story moved quickly and the characters were interesting but there wasn't a lot of depth. I read this book before my 12 year-old read it in preparation for seeing the movie. It is a great book for the tween-young teen set. However I have ready YA stories with more substance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Penelope, December 8, 2008

By 

R. Babcock - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Penelope (Paperback)

Penelope

Penelope has hidden in the shadows for too long. She is different from all of the other kids because of a curse passed on for generations through her family. The idea is that she has to get married to break the curse of her pig-shaped face. Penelope can't find anyone to marry her. She is tired of being locked away in her home and is breaking loose from her parents. As you go along with Penelope on an epic adventure you will discover how a young adult takes in the present-day world. I enjoyed this story a lot and can't wait to read it again. I loved how the author intertwined a fairytale with an everyday book. I think anyone would enjoy the story of Penelope and her "once upon a time" life.

5.0 out of 5 stars such a cute book!, March 26, 2008

By 

Gift Card "JACKIE" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Penelope (Paperback)

Penelope is such a cute book! it was a fast read for me and i loved it alot.
Penelope is a girl who was born with a pig noise and she needs to get married to a blue blooded man. but all the guys she meets are scared of her. Then she meets Max who is being paid to get a picture of her for a reporter...
its worth the read.