Review - Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Title: Cloaked
Author: Alex Flinn
Published: HarperCollins, 2011
Source: Library

I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all. It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission. There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades. Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

After reading Beastly, also by Alex Flinn, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on another modern fairy tale novel. This one didn't quite hit the mark for me though. I thought it incorporated way too many fairy tales into one book. It was still fun to read... light and humorous, but I guess I just had my hopes up. 

The main character of the book was extremely likable. He's just this regular teenage boy, working from morning til night at a shoe repair store, trying to help his mom pay the bills. I just wanted to give him a hug! But he had his dumb moments as well. Some of the most likable characters seem to always make the wrong decisions. Maybe that's why we like them so much? Because we feel sorry for them. 

I would recommend this book to YA readers who want a little adventure and to have a little fun with the twist on classic fairy tales.