So it's been a long time since I've read something that is very young adult. I've lost a lot of interest in the typical YA books. But once in a while they are a fun read, and lately I want to read something light and fun. So let's jump right into the review.Cloaked by Alex Flinn follows the story of Johnny a teenage boy who works in a shoe repair shop inside of a hotel. One day a princess from a small country in Europe comes to stay at the hotel. And when she comes to Johnny with a broken shoe, she explains to him that magic is real, and her brother has been turned into a frog and is missing somewhere. She has chosen Johnny to go find her brother and bring him back so she can break the curse. In return she'll marry him.
Now, I did enjoy the book for what it was. A cute young adult novel, nothing too serious, based around obscure fairy tales. But there were a few elements of the book that I was not okay with. One of them is Johnny's thoughts on Victoriana the princess. She is a very smart, clever girl, and we don't see a lot of it. A lot of what we see is her party girl side, and how hot she is. And it's almost the same with the other female character Meg. However since Meg gets more page time, we see a little more of her spunk.
As well, the idea that this young girl is offering to marry this boy she has never met bugs me so much. But it is an interesting idea on the instalove trope that is seen in a lot of YA books. It's clear she doesn't love him, she finds him cute, funny, nice, typical things one thinks when they first meet a person. But still marriage is a huge commitment, and should not be dealt out lightly.
The characters I feel are a little bit flat, especially Meg. We do see more of her, and we see more of her spunk. But the thing we see the most is the obvious crush on Johnny she has. She seems to only be there to help out our male protagonist. So the girls in the story, not so great. However I did enjoy Johnny's love for something that is typically feminine, and that's shoes.
However, there were some things that I found really interesting about the book, and it makes the story stand apart from other fairy tale retellings. One of those is it's not just one tale that is referenced, but several. And they aren't your "typical" stories. The most obvious one that is mentioned is the elves and the shoemaker. It's refreshing to not have yet another retelling of Cinderella.
As for the romance in the book, there isn't a whole lot of that. There is a little, but it's clear that the characters are focused on their goal to save the prince not on romance. The girl Johnny ends up with is a little predictable, but endearing all the same.
Johnny is an interesting character, and easily the most well developed character in the whole book. The choices he makes are to not only help his mom, but him as well. The reason he agrees to help the princess, is because of the money he is promised. I know being selfish isn't a great character trait, but it's real. And the author doesn't shy away from that. I think that's what I loved most about Johnny was that he was real. Granted I didn't care too much if he succeeded or not, but he was much like your typical teenage boy, and I could appreciate that.
Despite having a lot of negative things to say about this book, I enjoyed it. It was the break that I needed. I've been reading Game of Thrones, and I just needed something light and fun, and Cloaked was it. Do I recommend it? Kinda? I recommend it to people who need a break from serious books, or who want something that isn't super challenging to read.
As well if you are looking for a gift for your young reader this holiday, and they like the cute books like this. Then this is something to add to their book shelves this holiday season.
Happy Holidays.
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