My Very UnFairy Tale Life
3/5
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About this ebook
A humorous tale where a bold and spunky girl ends up the one saving "Prince Charming"
You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies.
I've spent my life as an official adventurer. I travel across enchanted kingdoms saving magical creatures and fighting horrible beasts that most of you think are only myths and legends. I've never had a social life. My friends have all forgotten me. And let's not even talk about trying to do my homework. So—I'm done!! I'm tired and I want to go back to being a normal girl. But then along comes "Prince Charming" asking for help, and, well, what's a tired girl like me supposed to do?
"Jenny is an adventurer I'd definitely want in my corner if my life ever took a wrong turn from Happily Ever After."—Hélène Boudreau, author of Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings
"Readers will laugh their way through the ups and downs of Jenny's many (mis)adventures."—Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of Elliot and the Goblin War
Anna Staniszewski
Anna Staniszewski lives outside of Boston with her husband and an adorably crazy dog. She was named the Boston Public Library's 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Discovery Award. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and not cleaning her house. Visit her at www.annastan.com.
Read more from Anna Staniszewski
The Wonder of Wildflowers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Very UnFairy Tale Life: Jenny’s First Adventure Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
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Reviews for My Very UnFairy Tale Life
19 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5My Very Unfairy Tale Life How many people would kill for the chance to leave their world, get out of school, and be an adventurer. Not just any adventurer but one who helps magical creatures and places? That's what Jenny thought so many years ago when she signed the contract. Since then she has battled unicorns, and been on other countless adventures, but this adventurer is getting tired. She misses her old life. Can she ditch her life as an adventurer though? Especially with an evil person on the loose who has kidnapped the queen's son. Only one adventurer can save the day here. The Good: Personally I think this is an amazing idea. Who wouldn't want to leave their life and be someone else for awhile, especially someone that can travel into new worlds and meet new people. I think the characters were funny, especially the gnome. The Bad: As much as I want to like this story I can't. I love the idea here, but I just found it to be weird an unrealistic... I mean I know it's fantasy and all, but don't you think that it's a little far out there when the main character returns to her world and finds out that she lost her mouth? Fantasy and different things are cool, but that was too much for me. Plus I wish the story centered more on the magical world and not so much on Jenny's world. I know what Earth is like, I want to hear more and explore more places in the magic land. Conclusion: Cute story and idea, but not my cup of tea. Funny story, funny characters, but I think the story line needs some work. I will be reading the next book in the series though. Rating: 2, 1/2 stars
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cute middle grade. Jenny is a likable protagonist but I felt like there was a lot that was not really explained.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I've been wanting to read this for a while since I love all things fairy tales. It was disappointing. I wouldn't have bothered finishing it except it was fairly short. The worlds were not well developed. The characters' motivations for their behaviors and choices were unclear and vague. It felt like I was reading a long version of a cartoon network episode aimed at the 10 and under crowd. I think someone in elementary school might enjoy it if the clown stuff isn't too creepy. Someone mentioned it being a next step from The Rainbow Fairies series and I think it is similarly bland.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Very Unfairytale Life is an action-packed middle grade novel. While I wouldn’t classify this as a YA cross-over, I found myself being sucked into Anna Staniszewski’s story. Jenny was a bit young for me, but she was still funny and I liked her bravery. The writing, however, is what really steals the shows.Staniszewski does an amazing job at creating suspense. She ends her chapters on the most intense notes, and you just have to keep reading to see where the story is going to go—it’s almost impossible to put down. I was able to finish the entire novel in just 2 hours, and was not bored for a minute. I would even go so far as to say that she is a middle grade Julie Kagawa. Jenny herself is a fun character. She is funny, albeit cheesy, and is certainty very brave (especially considering how much of her life has been taken over by being an adventurer). While I didn’t love her, I did enjoy reading from her perspective and am expecting her to be even better in following novels.My Very Unfairytale Life is a cute and fast read. As short as it is, it is very exciting and is exactly the kind of story I would have devoured as a child.If Staniszewski ever writes a YA cross-over, I will most certainty be picking it up! In the meantime, however, I am looking forward to the next installment in Jenny’s story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If you're still looking for a good story for that tween girl in your life this holiday, start here. Jenny has been an adventurer for 3 years, being whisked off to fairytale lands to help the various magical folk resolve problems in a common sense way. Accompanied by a gnome, living alone with her Aunt Evie, Jenny fells lonely and tries to quit. Magic, of course, follows her to her real life as well and the story comes to a great conclusion. Very nicely done!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a cute, witty, endearing story with a wacky edge that makes turning the pages so much fun!
Book preview
My Very UnFairy Tale Life - Anna Staniszewski
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Anna Staniszewski
Cover and internal design © 2011 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cover design by JenniferJackman.com
Cover images © Ocean/Corbis; Lobke Peers/Shutterstock.com; Paul Aniszewski/Shutterstock.com; Makarova Viktoria (Vikarus)/Shutterstock.com; kaarsten/Shutterstock.com
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
Fax: (630) 961-2168
www.jabberwockykids.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the publisher.
Source of Production: Webcom, Toronto, Canada
Date of Production: September 2011
Run Number: 16090
Contents
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Part 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Part 2
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Cover
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.
—Albert Einstein
Part 1
Chapter 1
You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They’re lies. All lies. No one tells you the truth until it’s too late. And then all you can do is run like crazy while a herd of unicorns tries to kill you.
Of course, I had no idea what I’d done to get the unicorns all riled up. So much for having a magical guide to help me with my adventures. Anthony was about as useful as a bent thumbtack. Still, I needed his magic if I was going to get out of this mission alive.
Anthony!
I shrieked as I darted down a hill and away from the stampeding unicorns. Anthony, help me!
Where was that carrot-headed gnome?
The unicorns’ glittering horns were right behind me. Another minute and I’d be a marshmallow on a stick.
All right, Jenny,
I said to myself. You can do this.
I forced my burning legs to speed up. If I could just get far enough away, I might be able to hide.
I dashed behind a tree and pressed up against the trunk. A second later, the herd tore past at hurricane speed. But I wasn’t safe for long. The unicorns screeched to a stop and whipped around to face me. Their golden eyes were tiny slits.
Look,
I said, gripping the tree trunk for support. I was just trying to teach you guys how to share. If you want to keep fighting over that rainbow, that’s your business.
The unicorn leader stepped forward. His horn was a full foot taller than all the others, and his head was decorated with tiny, bell-like flowers.
Can’t we all just get along?
I said. Cheesy sayings always popped out of my mouth during adventures, even when I didn’t want them to.
Nay,
said the unicorn.
What?
Nay!
Is that like a horse neigh or a ‘no’ nay?
Naaay!
the unicorn sputtered.
I fought back a hysterical giggle. Anthony had warned me that unicorns couldn’t produce human speech, even though they could understand it. Still, I couldn’t get over the fact that these mythical creatures could sound so much like…well, like regular horses.
I already tried to explain to you. I’m an adventurer,
I told them. I was sent here to help you. But clearly you don’t want my help. So if you don’t mind, I’d really like to get home now. My aunt’s probably worried sick about me.
This last part wasn’t quite true—Aunt Evie wouldn’t notice if I suddenly started walking around on my ears—but I figured it might help if the unicorns thought there was someone back home who would care if I disappeared.
Naaaaaay,
the unicorn leader replied. Then he lunged forward and jabbed my elbow with his horn.
Ow!
I cried as pain shot through my entire arm.
The unicorn came at me again, but I ducked out of the way just in time. Instead of spearing me, the unicorn’s horn sliced into the trunk of the tree. He whinnied and kicked, trying to get himself unstuck.
Seeing my chance, I jumped to my feet and sprinted away. From behind me came an angry, horselike bellow. I didn’t need to speak unicorn to know what it meant.
I could hear the unicorns galloping after me. I tried to run faster, but my arm was throbbing. Were unicorns’ horn tips poisonous?
As the sound of hooves grew louder, I realized I wouldn’t last much longer. Besides the pain in my arm, my legs were starting to feel like lead. Any second I would run out of steam.
Anthony,
I said, panting. Wherever you are, please help me.
A split second later, I heard a loud Pop! and Anthony the Gnome materialized in front of me. He was grinning from ear to ear and holding a giant ice-cream cone.
Hey, Jenny-girl. Did you miss me?
he said.
I grabbed Anthony’s arm and pulled him along as I ran. Get us out of here!
Anthony rolled his eyes like he always did when he thought I was overreacting. But he held up his free hand and snapped his fingers, managing to lick his ice cream and keep running at the same time.
With another Pop! I was pulled out of the unicorns’ land, tossed around in the void between worlds, and spit back onto my bedroom carpet.
Home.
I rolled over onto my side and moaned in pain. My arm felt like it was melting.
Looks like I missed all the fun,
said Anthony. But I found the most amazing dairy stand—
Help me!
I croaked.
Anthony’s grin faded when he saw the blood gushing onto my sleeve. He balanced his ice-cream cone on my desk. Then he reached into the leather pouch around his waist and pulled out a glass jar filled with green goo.
This should help,
he said cheerfully. He opened the jar and slapped some of the goo onto my arm before I could object.
Ouch!
I said as my arm started to burn. Ew!
I added as I caught a whiff of rotting seaweed. But a second later the burning stopped and my arm felt a whole lot better.
You’re welcome,
said Anthony. He started wrapping a bandage above my elbow, humming a little tune under his breath.
I’m supposed to thank you? I almost died!
Anthony let out a deep laugh that made his round belly jiggle. Always the drama queen. As if those unicorns would actually hurt you.
"They did hurt me. Where do you think all that blood came from?"
Oh,
said Anthony, waving his hand. That’s just how they are. It’s nothing to worry about.
That’s what you said about the baby dragons last week before they tried to turn my head into a flaming volleyball.
Anthony laughed again and tugged on his orange beard. They were just playing. No harm done. You can barely see your scar.
I groaned and lay back on my bed. My entire body ached. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten a good night’s rest. All I wanted was to curl up in bed with a book about an everyday kid with everyday problems and let it soothe me to sleep.
No time to loaf around, Jenny-girl,
Anthony sang. I just got word from the Committee that there’s another adventure you need to go on today.
I nearly choked. Another one? Anthony, that’s the fifth one this week!
Everyone keeps requesting to be saved by you, Jenny-girl. You’ve got quite the reputation.
I wasn’t sure what I’d done to earn that reputation. I didn’t even really like being an adventurer. But somehow I’d gotten stuck doing it practically nonstop for the past three years. If I ever figured out how to go back in time, I’d tell my nine-year-old self to run the other way when a gnome showed up in her room promising a life of magic and adventure.
There has to be someone else the Committee can send,
I said. What about all the other adventurers out there?
I hadn’t actually met any of the others, but Anthony was always reminding me that they’d kill to be sent on as many missions as I was.
You’re the one they want,
said Anthony.
I groaned again and tried to sit up, but my body weighed a ton and my arm was still throbbing. I can’t. I’m too tired.
Have some candy!
Anthony pulled a bag of enormous gummy worms out of his pocket. These will wake you right up.
I’m too tired to even chew. I need to get some sleep. If the Committee members can’t understand that, then I can go explain it to them myself.
Anthony rolled his eyes. You know you can’t do that. The Committee stays hidden for its own safety.
I rolled my eyes right back. Maybe the Committee stayed in hiding because its members knew otherwise they’d have angry adventurers coming to find them all the time. Just because the mysterious Committee protected the magical worlds didn’t mean it could totally take over my life. I mean, hadn’t they ever heard of child labor laws?
I’m serious,
I said, jamming a pillow over my head. I need to sleep.
The Committee’s not going to like this,
Anthony’s muffled voice answered. For a minute, everything was quiet. I could picture him standing there with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his foot.
Finally, I heard him sigh and walk over to my desk. I imagined him scooping up his ice-cream cone and giving it a big lick.
And they say you’re the best,
Anthony muttered. Then there was a loud Pop! and he was gone.
I pulled the pillow off my head and stared at the empty space where Anthony had been. A small puddle of melted ice cream oozed across my math homework.
I tried not to let what Anthony had said