Editorial Content for Flunked

I seem to have a knack for reading and reviewing books based on fairy tale characters, and FLUNKED is no exception! In Jen Calonita’s new Fairy Tale Reform School series, Gilly is a cobbler’s daughter. She lives with her parents and five siblings in an old, patched-up boot. Her father works hard to make a living for his family. He should be wealthy, as he is the person who invented the glass slipper Cinderella wore to the ball, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he is no longer authorized to make that particular kind of footwear. He makes an occasional pair of work shoes and does a lot of shoe repair, but there’s not much money to be made in that.

A page-turning twisted fairy tale

So, Gilly “helps” out the family by stealing things that can either be eaten --- like rolls and cakes from the bakery --- or jewelry and trinkets that can be sold for cash. Her heart is in the right place, but since she is doing something illegal, she is breaking the law. When she gets caught committing petty theft for the third time, she is sent to FTRS, Fairy Tale Reform School. At the FTRS, Gilly is introduced to Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother, who is now reformed and runs the school; the Big Bad Wolf, who is now one of the teachers at the school; and other unlikely storybook characters. She must find a way to redeem herself so she can leave the school and get back to her family.

Jen Calonita tells a page-turning twisted fairy tale, leaving the ending wide open for the next book in the series. If the next book is as good as this one, it will be well worth reading.