Retro Friday: The Last Unicorn

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc

This weeks entry: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (1968)

Hidden away in her own sanctuary, Beagle's unicorn has little cares for the world due to her magic and immortality. However, when she hears that she might be the only unicorn left in the world, she sets out on a journey to see if there is any of her kind left. After being captured by a freak show she meets up with a bumbling magician, Schmendrick, and later, a middle aged maiden, Molly Grue. Together these three head on a quest that will take them into the dangerous realm of King Haggard. It will be here that the last unicorn will have to face her nemesis, the Red Bull, in order to free the rest of her kind.

(Summary from SFFWorld.com)

Okay, not one person who lived through the 80's hasn't at least heard of the cartoon movie The Last Unicorn which starred Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges and Angela Lansbury. (You can watch the intro here.) The story itself is an amazing tale about the loss of magic in the human world that both embraces and shuns it. The unicorn, believing that she may very well be the last of her kind, sets out on a journey to find out what has happened to her fellow unicorns. She has no idea what she will come across but she is determined to find out.

The Last Unicorn is a classic tale of circumstances. The Unicorn becomes an unintended champion of her species. Because of her travels she is forever changed from who she was before they started. She meets humans she would never have known of and creates lasting bonds with them. The King is a villain because of selfishness rather then maliciousness towards the Unicorn herself. The King set out to collect something he found beautiful, but in his greed he became the unintended villain to the unintended hero. He no more sought out the Unicorn then she did him.

Now in it's 40th anniversary edition (2008) The Last Unicorn (Conlan Press) is considered a classic among Fantasy books. I'm currently reading this book.

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead (Series) by Meg Cabot
(Goodreads) (Author Page)

Emerson Watts, 16 and female, loves playing video games, and hanging out with her best friend, Christopher, who she is also secretly in love with. Of course. During a Stark superstore opening Em is involved in a serious accident which leads her to wake up as Nikki Howard, teen supermodel. Em finds that she has to get used to being so physically desirable while at the same time hold onto her feminist ideals.

Which isn't easy. Not when you're used to being judged for your brain rather then your looks.

When Em decides to go back to school and finish her high school degree she has to balance the stresses of fulfilling Nikki Howard's contractual obligations along with homework. She also quickly realizes that she is being watched. She's not sure why, but she's willing to put a stop to it. And she's pretty sure the spy-er is the head of Stark enterprises.

Now, I'm a huge Meg Cabot fan. I think I can say that I easily enjoy about 80 % of Meg Cabot's books, both YA and Adult. Sometimes I don't like her books for whatever reason. I just don't instantly love them. Take Airhead for example. While I thought there was an really good premise of a girl whose brain is transplanted into a super model's body I felt that this book moved along rather slowly. I mean, how extremely interesting to see what it's like to be a celebrity, and even more interesting that Nikki is being spied on for some reason by, probably, Stark enterprises. Most of this first book, however, was focused on Em easing into Nikki's life with no real focusing on the most interesting part of the book. WHY is Nikki Howard being spied on? WHY isn't Em more interested in figuring out that mystery then the mystery of why her best friend, and secret love, Christopher has changed so much after her "death"?

I suppose you'd need to read book 2 (book three coming out in May 2010), but I don't think I'll be finding out any time soon. Since I'll be waiting for the paperback release of book 2, Being Nikki, in order to continue the series. Although it does sound like, from the summary, things are heating up greatly for Em Watts, now Nikki Howard. Sounds like you will find out just why Stark is spying on her, and just why Nikki's family is so absent in her life. I believe that this book is still well received by fans of Meg Cabot's books. So don't take my review as a reason not to read it. Even though I didn't love book one it certainly hasn't made me not want to read the second book.

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Young Adult, Memoir

Summary (from author website)
A riveting memoir of a girl’s painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s.
A Chinese proverb says, “Falling leaves return to their roots.” In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline’s affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family.
Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.
All I can really say about this book is that it really opened my eyes. Not just to life in China during the 1940's and 50's, but how deeply the culture and traditions of China played such a huge part in ostracizing a little girl and her brothers and sisters from her step-family. Chinese Cinderella was one of the most moving memoirs I've ever read. I cried reading this book for the life that this little girl, obviously now a grown women, lead simply because of the circumstances of her birth.
I also snapped up her adult memoir Falling Leaves which continues her story not completely told in her YA book. The way her adult life continues and how she continues even as an adult to try and be accepted by her family is heartbreaking and true to life. I could completely relate to Adeline's desires to be loved by her step-mother. I highly recommend this to readers who love stories where someone has everything against them still raise above her circumstances.
Read an interview with Adeline Yen Mah on Writer's Write.
Or read a book review of Falling Leaves on Book Whisperer.