Ash by Malinda Lo

Summary:

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, re-reading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love—and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief. (from Author's website)

Review:

Wow, Ash is one of the most impressive debuts I've ever read.

Ash is one of those characters that you can't help but love from the start. Since, you are over taken by her sad childhood to her love for all things fairies. Throughout, I was cheering for her to leave her overbearing stepmother, so that she could find a life to call her own. Kaisa, the King's Huntress, was also a unique and well developed character. I loved watching Kaisa and Ash's relationship bloom from the middle to end. Since, they were both so cute with each other. Plus, I admired that their love for one another was true and would never be anything but.

The plot was anther favorite of mine. I loved how it was based of Cinderella because I absolutely adored that book and movie when I was little. Also, I liked how Malinda added the whole fairy aspect into it. Since, it was interesting seeing how the fairy tales and magic stories had been passed down from generation to generation. Lastly, even though, I kind of knew what was going to happen form the start, I was still surprised when different things happened, making me think that Malinda Lo has true and unique talent.

One last thing I want to add, is how I admired Ash. Ash could have been a weak duckling, a girl that did everything her stepmother asked and did nothing to stop it. Though, Ash was everything but that. She went above the limit to get the life she wanted, including the prince, or princess in her cause. She never cared what people thought, since all she wanted was a life and love that would make her happy, which is that really maters in the end. It doesn't matter what you have or if your rich as long as you are happy being who you are. So, therefor, I give Malinda Lo props for the amazing main character that we have in Ash. I couldn't have asked for a better or stronger protagonist.

Overall, Ash is definitely a must read for the 2009 fall season. Malinda is fresh new talent and I look forward to reading more by her in the near future, hopefully.

I suggest this to fans of Fairy Tales or anyone just looking for yet anther amazing 2009 debutante book!

Grade: A+

Ash will be released September 1, 2009.

* Much thanks to AM for sending me this! :)