Fairest takes place in the world of Ella Enchanted (also by Levine and another fantastic book.). It is about a girl named Aza, a girl who was brought up by a family of innkeepers. She is a self-described oaf. And others, unfortunately, think of her the same way. After years of hearing others make fun of her looks she thinks herself ugly, too. She would like nothing more than to be beautiful. She does have a unique gift, however. She has a tremendously beautiful voice and in her kingdom this is very important because singing is a vital part of the culture. She also can "Illuse". That is, she can throw her voice and make it “come out of” different objects, and even make it sound like other people. This little gift gets her an invitation to the Royal Wedding, where she meets the Queen and becomes her lady-in-waiting. As the Lady-in-waiting Aza discovers the Queen’s magic mirror that can make her look beautiful. She then discovers the Queen’s secret beauty potion and drinks some, making her“fairest in the land.” This leads to disastrous results.
While she is living in the castle the young prince falls in love with her. But he falls in love with the “ugly” Aza. Not the beautiful Aza. This helps Aza realize that she is beautiful without a potion, and she begins to accept who she is.
This is one of my favorite reads. It was funny, romantic, and has a great message: love who you are. If you would like to read this book you can check it out at SPL by clicking here.
