Fairest

When you first look at Gail Carson Levine's Fairest, it seems like it's going to be a Snow White tale. While it has elements, it is also a story all of its own. If it wasn't called Fairest, I'm not sure it would even appear to be like Snow White until over halfway through. You see, it's about this girl, Aza, who was abandoned as an infant at the door step of an inn.  Luckily, the innkeeper and his wife took her in and raised her as their own.  Aza lives in the kingdom of Ayortha where everyone is beautiful and has a beautiful singing voice.  Aza, however, doesn't quite fit in.  She's larger and isn't as beautiful as the other Ayorthians, but she does have the most amazing singing voice and has taught herself a trick.  Not only can she imitate other voices, but she can make it sound like it's coming from somewhere else. 

Because Aza is so different from the other Ayorthians, many guests at the inn don't care for her.  That is, until she bonds with the cranky duchess because of the inn's cat.  And so when the duchess is on her way to the palace for the king's wedding and the duchess's companion falls ill, Aza is asked to go with the duchess in her place.  And so Aza's fairy tale begins. 

Fairest is a really cute YA novel. I recommend it to those who enjoy a twist to the traditional fairy tale love story.