Saturday, July 12, 2008

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock


"How many times I have wondered what my fate might have been had I accompanied my parents that rainy spring morning."

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Summary: A girl is transformed, through instruction in life at court, determination, and magic, from sullen, pudgy, graceless Ben into Crown Princess Benevolence, a fit ruler of the kingdom of Montagne as it faces war with neighboring Drachensbett.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 344 pages

4 comments:

steven said...

I enjoyed this and it will appeal to fans of Levine, Hale, etc. The first person voice is done pretty well...flowery language but not too hard to follow. I felt that Ben was a sometimes interesting character and sometimes kind of dull. At times she seems to be fiery and rebelious, but other times she sort fades into docile narrator. Well done overall, but I wouldn't argue for Newbery.

Anonymous said...

I am half way through this book and struggling with it. I loved, loved, loved Catherine Murdock's first two books. However, Princess Ben is not at all like te D.J.

Beth said...

It's a departure from Catherine Murdock's other works, but I found it enjoyable. Readers familiar with fairy tales will particularly like the twist on true love's kiss.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this too, but at times it was slow. The language was a little tricky for a ten year old like me, but with context clues I was able to understand the meanings of the words. I started it once when a friend reccomended it, but I never finished it. When I saw it on this list I decided to try it again. I've always loved fantasy so it was perfect for me.
Overall, 7.5 / 10.