This story is very similar to Cinderella with a few twist. In Ella Enchanted,Ella's birthday "gift" from one fairy is the "gift" of obedience. As Ella ages more people become aware of her gift/curse.After her mother's death and her father's new marriage, Ella's new siblings take advantage of her "gift." Ella searches for a way to end her curse.
I loved this take on the Cinderella story. The gift/curse could mean many different things to different people. As a parent, obedience could be a great thing. As a person, obedience leaves the ability to chose empty.
I would use this book in class to show how choices affect us. This would be an awesome book to share what gifts students received but thought they were curses.

In Ella Enchanted, Ella has the gift (or curse) of obedience. She is the major character in the story. She is a dynamic character. She has her curse lifted from her because she tells her self that she will not be obedient. She is the protagonist in the story because she does everything that everyone says and people find out about the curse and use it against her. She is a round character because her personality is huge she is very kind and loving and has power that she doesn't know about. ( )

Rather entertaining retelling of Cinderella, with a lot more humour, guts, sense and details than usual. In this version, Ella receives the gift/curse of obedience from a fairy, and has to obey anything that is said to her in the form of an order, or suffer a good deal of physical, mental and emotional discomfort. In addition, she cannot tell anyone about her curse; only her mother knows about it. When her mother dies, her merchant father sends her to boarding school where (needless to say) her obedience curse is taken advantage of by two particularly mean girls. To add insult to injury, they become her stepsisters. Ella sets off on a quest to ask the fairy to take the curse away. This Cinderella story's ending is slightly unusual in the way Ella's decision making, and attempts to protect the realm, lifts the curse.

In other Cinderella stories, whilst I couldn't abide the stepsisters and their bullying, I couldn't abide Cinderella and her "save me!" aspects either. In this version Ella learns to develop friendships, give and receive support, independence, problem solving, patience, determination, making decisions, how to bend orders, equality, to question others and their actions, to listen very carefully. This is all excellent stuff, and makes Ella a much better character to read about, and avoids a good deal of pinch of salt and gritting of teeth that the earlier Cinderella versions induce.

It is a very entertaining story, and there are some farcical and ridiculous moments. The land through which Ella journeys is an interesting one with various elves, ogres, giants, gnomes, humans, animals. She treats them all well, and takes a more genuine interest than her father, who is simply looking for a good trade to make a profit on later.

Ella's ally is Mandy the cook, who is also a fairy. She gives Ella a rather special book. When Ella opens it it shows different things each time, that she needs - letters between other people about herself; letters that affect her; visions of places or people elsewhere in the realm. There are two nasty moments when the book is taken from her, but the book must taken intentions and interests of the reader and Ella into account. In one case, (attempted theft), the book shows something that reader is not interested in and the book is returned, whilst in the other case, the books shows an entertainment, and the book is given back with gratitude.

Ella Enchanted is a refreshing read, and a welcome version of Cinderella - she actually grows in independence, power, responsibility, struggles with her curse, realises its dangers to herself and others, and finds a way to lift it. Ella does not wait for others to step in and fix it all for her; yes, she has some help, but it is often that helps herself to the next step, or another way of looking at the problem to try and solve it.

An entertaining and powerful story. ( )

This book has become a new favorite. I've always loved Cinderella-like stories and this is now one of my favorite retelling of the old fairytale classic. ( )

Ella Enchanted is an alternate version of the classic Cinderella tale. Ella was cursed by a crazy fairy when she was born: no matter what anyone asks of her, she must always be obedient. She must obey anyone and everyone, and usually, it is against her will. Ella Enchanted is the story of Ella's adventures in working to remove this curse.

Ella Enchanted is a fantastic mystery, love story, and tale of magic. It is enduring and captivating, with wonderfully complex characters that leap off the page. Levine has taken the Cinderella story and adapted it with wit and humor. What the reader gets in Ella Enchanted is a spectacular and highly readable adaptation. ( )