Review: Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Cloaked by Alex Flinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis from the book:
I’m not your average hero. I actually wasn’t your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all. 

It all started with the curse. And the frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission. 

There wasn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I’ve ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades. 

Don’t believe me? I didn’t believe it either. But you’ll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got CLOAKED. 

Cloaked is a cool, funny read.

Alex Flinn has taken a medley of old fairytales and given them a funky new modern setting. There are some lesser known fairystories used as inspiration, but even ones that will be very familiar to people, (stories that leapt out at me were the Frog Prince, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Wild Swans), have been blended together and given a fresh new twist.

Johnny is just a simple shoe repair boy working at a hotel, trying to make ends meet and dreaming of better things, when a beautiful princess staying at the hotel sets him on a quest to find her brother- who has been enchanted into a frog. Throw in some witches curses, a magic cloak, rampaging giants, and some birds that aren't quite what they seem and you've got a magical fun story, that'll sweep you off your feet.

This is not just a magical adventure story, it is a love story too, and the romance side of it is so beautifully told. It was so obvious to me, reading the story, that best friends Johnny and Meg are secretly in love with each other, and the way that this side of the story came across was so sweet. Some of the scrapes that they find themselves in were pretty incredible, but it is obvious that they trust each other completely, and that one either would do anything for the other.

I loved reading about the way they banter with each other, and all their reminisces and stories showed that they have such a history together, and know each other inside out. At times it was frustrating seeing the way they ignored all the signs that showed they had feelings for each other, but it was also hilarious seeing Meg trying to make Johnny jealous. I loved Meg because she is smart, sarcastic and brave, and even Johnny, despite being a bit clueless most of the time, has a strong desire to do the right thing, and was very endearing.

This is funny, romantic, and packed full of adventure. It is told in a such a lighthearted way, and I would recommend this to people of all ages, who would like a pinch of magic in their lives. Such a sweet story, refreshing and captivating- I loved it!

Favourite quotes:
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Meg makes a face and lays her hand on my arm. "And why, exactly, would John want to see Eurotrash?" 
"Hello?" Ryan says. "Because he's a seventeen-year old guy with normal male urges, and she's got-" He holds both hands out from his chest. 
"Really pretty eyes," I complete his sentence. 
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Other books by this author:

My rating- 4 of 5 stars

Newly published- a spin-off of Beastly

My rating- 4 of 5 stars