A Well-Timed Enchantment [Paperback]

Vivian Vande Velde (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1998 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

A teenage girl loses her Mickey Mouse watch in medieval France, and untold adventure ensues in this bright comic fantasy. "Slapstick adventure . . . funny."--The Horn Book "Vande Velde has created an intriguing story, using familiar facts about the Middle Ages and [her usual] sly humor."--Library Talk

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Slapstick adventure . . . funny."--The Horn Book

"Vande Velde has created an intriguing story, using familiar facts about the Middle Ages and [her usual] sly humor."--Library Talk

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

VIVIAN VANDE VELDE has written many books for teen and middle grade readers, including Heir Apparent, User Unfriendly, All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories, Three Good Deeds, Now You See It ..., and the Edgar Award–winning Never Trust a Dead Man. She lives in Rochester, New York.
www.vivianvandevelde.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152017658
• ISBN-13: 978-0152017651
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,880,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enchanting read, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Well-Timed Enchantment (Paperback)

Have you ever wondered about the consequences of dropping your Mickey Mouse watch down an old wishing well? You can bet Deanna never did. She certainly hadn't counted on having twenty-four hours to retrieve her watch and keep history from changing. You see, the Mickey Mouse could start a cult in medieval Europe in which mice are sacred...and so prolong the plague in Europe for another couple hundred years...

Luckily, she's got a companion to help her. Her cat-turned-human, Oliver. But a cat? Against a not-so-wicked wizard, a couple of bumbling knights and a lady who is infatuated with Oliver?? You bet. Filled with numerous puns, fractured fairy tales and a medieval setting, A Well-Timed Enchantment is a light and fun read.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Book!!, February 21, 2002

By 

Katie (Annapolis, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Well-Timed Enchantment (Paperback)

Not only is this adventurous and romantic, it's funny too. The main character is Deanna. When she drops her watch into a well, and it is transported into medievel France, Deanna must get it back before it changes history. She has only one other thing to help her - a cat-turned-into-a-boy. Okay, I know what you're thinking. How in the world could something as simple as a watch change history? Well, suppose someone found it and believed it was something magical. And then, suppose the king found out about this watch, and he took it. Well, you know how these kings get - if one king has something, another king will want it. It could start a war, and then... Well, anyway, Deanna and the cat-boy have to get back the watch. So, in medievel France, Deanna and Oliver (the cat) meet a bunch of annoying (and rather stupid) nobles. And the story goes on with even more adventure. As for the romance, a lady noble falls in love (or at least thinks she has) with Oliver, another (Leonard) decides to marry Deanna, and finally, at the end, Deanna and Oliver fall in love. Okay, so far you haven't heard of anything funny. But there is plenty of humour. Throughout the story Oliver has to get used to being a human (he's used to being a cat and this isn't an easy switch to make). For instance, here's a part where Oliver is having trouble with using expressions.

"'...turns out since Leonard lost so badly, he figures his lady must be a real dog, so he wants to replace her with me.' Oliver stopped and stared at her. 'Leonard is marrying a dog?'"

Oliver also has trouble adjusting to a new diet of human food after all those years of mice. Anyway, if this review hasn't convinced you that this book is either adventurous, romantic, or funny, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. I'd say for ages 8-14.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, March 10, 2005

By 

Brie (Fayetteville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Well-Timed Enchantment (Paperback)

This book was very interesting, enjoyable and funny! If you're looking for a quickly moving, interesting and funny fantasy novel full of quirky characters, you should definitely read this book. I loved the character of Oliver, who is a cat turned into a human. I have never read a book with a such a fascinating character like him before. The only part I didn't like so much was the part when the elves or "Fair folk" come in. They're a little too...far out and weird. But other than that, a great read!