Ondine [Kindle Edition]

Ondine: The Summer of Shambles is a humourous and quirky spin on a traditional fairytale. Ondine is the youngest of three sisters and she has been sent to Psychic summercamp. The story begins with Ondine's decision to run away home and take the ferret she has befriended at camp with her.

In the first chapter, I found Ondine's voice quite stilted and a little prim for a teenage character. However, by the second chapter her voice became more believeable and her character highly likeable. Her relationship with her parents and sisters was both realistic and endearing.

Shambles, the ferret, is a cheeky yet charming character. His voice gave the novel its humour and his actions helped the plot to speed along. The scottish accent was well communicated and at times frankly hilarious. I couldn't stop myself laughing out loud at some of his kooky expressions. Every scene that he appeared in was a joy to read.

Of course, this is a fairytale and no such story would be complete without a sweet and passionate love developing between the girl and the ferret. We must not also forget the winning ingredient of the witch that cursed poor Shambles in the first place. Vincent was perhaps a little too cliched but as he played a minor role, I can forgive this.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed reading Ondine. I surprised myself! Shambles sold the whole story with his wit and charm. This is by no means a serious book but it is a great fun and quirky read which will have you laughing out loud. Recommended for girls 12+ who enjoy romantic comedies and fairytales.

Oh this book...SO. MUCH. FUN.

Really it is. I pretty much laughed my way through it, only pausing for a brief period of time almost at the end when it looked like a line of people had formed itself to slap Ondine straight in the face - not cool, you bastards. So, as I was saying, I laughed so hard with this book that the laughing itself was the main reason for me not to finish it in the same night I started it, because my neighborhood was so quiet, rested, self asleep...and then there was me, laughing-out-loud like a mad hatter. I was positive that if I didn't put the book down, I was going to awake someone up.

And why this book is so hilarious, you ask? Well, it is the tale of a spitfire teenage girl, a Scottish ferret-boy, and of a normal (meaning: a lovely, crazy and sometimes embarrassing) family, so of course it is hilarious. Plus, they all live in Brugel. A fictitious European country that never once won the Eurovision Song Contest and always gives 12 points to Slovakia. (Hang in there people of Brugel, my country has never won it either, but our turn will come!) And if this story takes place in the contemporary era, one barely notices because Brugel is stuck in time. Proof number one: there's no internet, which gives the story yet more of that fairy tale tone I appreciate so much.

Please note that this is one of those lighthearted, warm and fuzzy, to-read-in-a-couple-of-hours book, which was just what I needed when I picked it up.... Ebony has one of the most amusing, clever, altogether entertaining voices I've ever came across, which is precisely why I'm not even telling more about the plot of the story in the review - because, despite the fact that it is a delightful tale, full of creative scenarios and great advice -especially for the youngsters-, I also feel like it doesn't even matter, for I'm sure I'd have enjoyed reading the phonebook this much if only Ebony had written it. Read more ›

I really enjoyed this one. It was really easy to get into and really funny. I really liked the writing style and loved the footnotes - they really added to my enjoyment of the story.

It didn't take me long to get into the story - it basically had me hooked the moment Shambles spoke! I loved all the characters, especially Shambles! Is it wrong that I really want my own talking ferret now? Ondine was really sweet and I like the way she progress through the story - it felt as if Shambles/Hamish has a good affect on her. I also enjoyed the stories involving the secondary characters and the whole world McKenna created.

Although I liked the ending and how everything plays out I did find myself coming to the last page and feeling disappointed that it had ended. I wanted more! Now I know there is a sequel (and third book) in the works I'm happy and am looking forward to the rest of the story.

Not your typical boy meets girl story but rather, girl meets enchanted ferret, falls in love and strives to break the spell which has transformed him from handsome young man into hirsute pet.

Ondine de Groot, our 15 year old heroine, runs away from Psychic Summer Camp accompanied by her new acquaintance, Shambles, the ferret. Ondine returns home to her family and discovers en route that Shambles can speak albeit with a strong Scottish accent and,at times, incomprehensible dialect (Fear not, there are ample footnotes which provide translation).
Yes, this is quite a sweet fairy tale romance but it is very much enhanced and fortified by the inclusion of Shambles whose humour and wit is great comedy value. The footnotes also provide an air of authenticity, providing more information about Ondine's fictional hometown Brugel and frequent comic asides.
Against this fairytale background we witness the very realistic representation of a teenage crush, family conflicts and sibling rivalry. Ondine is a clever, independent young lady who knows what she wants in life but achieves her aims without veering too far from the straight and narrow.
This is a fun, romantic, well written read which would appeal to young girls aged 12+ who enjoy intelligent and witty writing.