About this item
School Library JournalGr 810Flinn's latest fairy-tale mash-up revisits the witch from Beastly (HarperTeen, 2007). The story jumps right in with Kendra explaining how she came to be a witch. In 1666, she fled her plague-ridden village in England with her little brother (and only surviving family member). The young witch was unaware of the full extent of her powers and near starving when she wandered lost in a vast forest with Charlie. The two stumbled upon a cottage that was constructed of sweet-smelling gingerbread, but as soon as the first delicious bite was swallowed, a witch captured them and declared her intention to "bake" them into cookies. Kendra harnessed her own newfound witchy powers and honed her wits to fool the elder witch and break free.
About the Author
Alex Flinn was born in Syosset, New York. She learned to read at three and wanted to be a writer at five. She received her first rejection letter (from Highlights magazine) at eight. At twelve, her family moved to Miami, Florida, where she had a really hard time making friends, due to congenital shyness and a really bad haircut. So she read a lot and tried to write a novel but never finished because she had no idea what to write about.Flinn attended a performing arts high school program, similar to that portrayed in her book, Diva, then majored in vocal performance in college. Panicked upon realizing that there weren't a whole lot of jobs for opera singers, Flinn went to law school. Law school was, it turns out a really good place to learn to write for teenagers. Writing for teens and writing for judges are very similar because both judges and teens have a lot of demands on their time and minimal time for reading. Also, Flinn interned at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, trying many domestic violence cases, which were later the inspiration for her first novel, Breathing Underwater.Breathing Underwater was published in 2001. It received many honors, including being chosen a Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. It was followed by Breaking Point, Nothing to Lose, Fade to Black, Diva, and Beastly. Beastly is soon to be released as a motion picture. Her newest book is A Kiss in Time, a modern Sleeping Beauty.Flinn still lives in Miami with her husband, two daughters, a dog, cat, and African Spur-Thighed Tortoise. She enjoys performing arts, biking, and travel.
