The Unhandsome Prince (Paperback)

by John Moore (Author) "On a hot day in late summer, when puffy white clouds were floating in a hazy blue sky, when birds were twittering in the trees..." (more)
Key Phrases: unhandsome prince, virgin brass, frog spell, Prince Hal, Prince Jeffrey, Council of Lords (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Caroline kissed every frog in the swamp until she found the one that turned into a prince--only Prince Hal isn't the handsome specimen she expected to find. Unless she can learn to love the princely sum of his parts, it'll be unhappily ever after.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ace (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441012876
• ISBN-13: 978-0441012879
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #604,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Caroline!, May 23, 2006

By	Sissy (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

The Unhandsome Prince took me by complete surprise. It is hilarious. I'm really glad I picked up this book, because my humor, at least, is fully engaged with this novel.

This book does something I've never seen another fantasy book do: the characters are amazingly modern. The ladies, instead of going out on a noble quest or having some innate, amazing talent, talk about dresses, boys, make-up, and hair. Some of the things they say are absolutely ridiculous and yet so normal that they're downright hilarious. There are a few pokes at modern society that are light-hearted and entertaining, a few more at the timeframe of the book, and definitely some of Mr. Moore's own quirky humor appears and I love it.

The characters, even though they're set up to be like normal teenagers, are extraordinarily charming... perhaps because they don't have the same degree of meanness as the modern teenagers on which they're based. At any rate, I really fell in love with the quirky characters, even some who I thought I would hate in the beginning.

The only thing that disappointed me was the romance. It just isn't at all satisfying. Other than that, this book is a wonderful read. I wish I could say more about the story and its characters, but I honestly don't wish to spoil this novel for future readers. (: At any rate, I'll definitely be reading more by Mr. Moore.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for kids, but funny for adults, August 11, 2006

By	Reader Mom :) (Maine) - See all my reviews

I bought this in the 9-12 year old section of a bookstore. I am a mom and I love reading Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events and lots of other fantasy that was traditionaly meant for kids, so I saw this and figured it was another fun fantasy. I was really surprised as I read it. I am not a stick-in-the-mud, but I would never ever let my 9-12 year old read this book. It has references to sex and oral sex and Jew jokes etc. When the girls were talking about oral sex I almost fell out of my chair. Don't get me wrong, this book is truly hilareous and is a fairy tale parody which keeps you reading and wondering how it will all turn out. But if my daughter read it I would die. Not for kids. Great for adults. I'm selling mine so it's not on the bookshelf for my daughter to find. :) Check it out from the library instead.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, August 29, 2005

By	M. Tyler (Austin Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book and was *entirely* delighted with it. I've been recommending it to my friends, and will probably be giving a few as gifts. It is fun, with a wryly sweet sense of humor.

There is some strong language and some sexual concepts that may make it inappropriate for young children, but I think it's perfect for young adults and over.

I'm disheartened to see a negative review on the basis of it's being anti-Semitic. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but I strongly disagree with that interpretation. I'd much rather see a book where the historical events are explained ... as long as the heroes take a strong stand against injustice. The heroes of this fairy tale refuse to allow innocent people become pawns of economics. Kudos to Moore for taking an opportunity to broaden the understanding of the next generation.