Book Review : The Summer of Shambles (Ondine, #1) by Ebony McKenna

Ondine: The Summer of Shambles by Ebony McKenna

Product details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd (5 April 2010)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1405249617
• ISBN-13: 978-1405249614

This is a brilliantly witty fairy tale with a mystery that is as surreal as it is sinister. One girl. One boy. One spell to be broken. Ondine de Groot is a normal fifteen-year-old who lives with her family in the European country of Brugel. She has a pet ferret called Shambles. But Shambles is no ordinary ferret...He's Hamish McPhee, a boy cursed by a witch. A witch who happens to be related to Ondine. When Shambles turns back into Hamish temporarily, Ondine knows that she has to help him break the spell. He is the most gorgeous boy she has ever met and her one true love! He just can't remain a ferret forever. Can he?

Ondine: The Summer of Shambles is a cute book. There are a lot of entertaining scenes and hilarious moments, but sometimes, the happenings just doesn't make sense. I really appreciate Ebony's attempt to make the book funny and interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, but the book lacks of a good plot line. There aren't much action and suspense, the events are quite predictable.

The main characters are Ondine and her pet ferret Shambles, or Hamish in his human form. I like both of them, but there aren't much to discover. (You can see the picture to see what Shambles might be.) Ondine is a obedient daughter who helps her parents out at their restaurant. She is 15 years old and tends to swoon over handsome men. Shambles is cursed by Ondine's great aunt and has remained in his animal form for decades. Will the friendship between Ondine and Shambles evolve into something more passionate? Will Ondine fall in love with Shambles after seeing his oh-so-gorgeous human form?

Overall, this book is a fun read, it is quirky with a tinge of magic (Hamish changing back to his ferret form and vice versa). But somehow, I think it is more suitable for middle grade readers than young adults. I hope Ebony can focus on developing a better plot in her next book.

Rating:

I won an ARC of this book @ Becky's blog : The Bookette.

The decision to leave a career in journalism was a logical choice for Ebony. There wasn't enough time in the day to write the fictional stories she wanted to tell, against the factual that she had to tell. She followed her heart towards writing science fiction, romance and young adult adventures. Ebony now writes full time and lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and young son.

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Ondine: The Summer of Shambles is available at these places:
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Angus & Robertson Australia
Blackwell UK
Book Depository UK
Waterstone's UK
WH Smith UK