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Of interest: fantasy, college, magic, romance

Summary:

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather; when she finally does get a chance to visit the campus, however, she finds out that she has been selected to undergo the Legacy Test. If she passes, she gains automatic acceptance to Princeton– so of course she accepts the challenge. Without so much as a hint of advice or guidance, Lily is given the task of finding the ‘Ivy Key’– but she hasn’t a clue where or what is even is, exactly. What starts as a university visit turns into an epic struggle between two Princetons; the ordinary one, and the magical one. When Lily crosses over, the gargoyles talk; knights, nymphs, and dragons abound, and she discovers that the magical alternate dimension contains secrets of her own past, as well.

Review:

Sarah Beth Durst is already one of my favorite new fantasy authors, and Enchanted Ivy is simply magical. Really. (All books, to some degree, are magical, but I regress.) While the topic of college is rising in the trends of YA, ENCHANTED IVY didn’t go for the tell-all, gossipy path, like The Ivy did for Harvard. And it’s no Secret Society Girl either; this is a story that takes place at Princeton, but it whisks you away into a fabulous parallel world filled with magical beings, blending the real world and storybook-like fantastical elements into a setting that’s easy to fall in love with.

It’s enchanting and wonderful as it is dangerous. The story seems deceptively simple at first glance– Lily is a prospective student, who wants to attend Princeton, like her grandfather before her. She’s given the chance through a ‘quest’ of sorts; if she can find the Ivy Key, she’ll be gain an automatic acceptance to Princeton. In her search, Lily discovers a magical “other” Princeton, with the Key being the only way to unlock passage between both worlds. The story gradually broadens in scope until it’s a race to save both worlds, and there are plot twists thrown in that make the story a great deal deeper and even a little darker than expected.

The writing is neat, clean, rid of over excessive descriptions or unnecessary words; it seems so simple but it brings words to life. Lily is someone any teenager can empathize with, heading out into the daunting world of college applications, where hopes and dreams are frighteningly in reach. All the descriptions of Princeton itself are detailed, and I particularly enjoyed the details about the gargoyles. Especially when they started talking.

Unfortunately, the simplicity goes so far that it becomes too sparse in important details. Story elements are introduced in a harried pace and I found it hard to follow once the plot really started going near the end.

Enchanted Ivy will appeal to anyone who loves magic, fantasy, and strong characters; it’s a wonderful story to lose yourself in. The struggles between the two worlds isn’t purely black and white, either; and the themes of the story stand clear. As someone who has to worry about that college admissions process next year, Lily’s journey hit home, while also reawakening my imagination and including some sigh-worthy love interests along the way. I eagerly await Sarah Beth Durst’s next book.

Score: 7.8 out of 10

    Pros
  • Very unique premise that hasn’t really been explored before
  • Cute characters
    Cons
  • Somewhat messy plot


The Cover: There’s something that gives off an unprofessional feel on this cover… The image is nice, but that font was a poor choice. :P Score: 3 out of 5

Published October 12th 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry / 320 pp

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