Fun, funny, fabulous. I love Morgan and her crazy faery friends. ( )

Wood, M. (2008). How I Found the Perfect Dress. New York: Berkley Jam.

9780425219393

231 pages.

Appetizer: It's winter and several months after Morgan's bike trip across Ireland (See Why I Let My Hair Grow Out for that particular adventure). She and Colin still email one another, but Colin's notes are arriving less and less often. That is of course, until an email reporting that he'll be visiting Morgan in a few weeks arrives. But his arrival is not exactly the ideal reunion, because Colin spends each night being whisked away to dance at fairy balls against his will. Morgan must find a way to save Colin from his perpetual exhaustion. But to do that, she'll have to figure out if leprechauns and gnomes really exist and find a date and a dress for the junior prom.

I found that I really liked Morgan's voice as she narrated. It is consistent with Why I Let My Hair Grow Out, but for some reason, I found her to be funnier in this novel. While I was amused with the first book, this one actually made me chuckle a few times.

While present in the first book, How I Found the Perfect Dress explores the way femininity is presented more extensively. Morgan is still dealing with the fact that she is part goddess. Her little sister is obsessed with Disney princesses. Her best friend is a witch--excuse me--a 'wich basketball player. Plus, a less than happy Morgan finds herself dressed as a princess with glass slippers and all.

This book also reflects the current economic climate. Morgan's father has been laid off from his job at a bank and isn't having any luck in finding a new job.

I enjoyed How I Found the Perfect Dress. I still find that I have an unanswered question or two. For starters, how exactly is Morgan the daughter of a Fairy Queen when her supposed father is dead centuries ago and she has two mortal parents? I don't get it. Perhaps the answer will be in the third book in Morgan's series, What I Wore to Save the World (to be reviewed in the not so distant future).

Dinner Conversation:

"Tinker bell pajamas!" My sister Tammy was the happiest girl in the world. "Look, Morgan! Look what Santa brung me!"
"That's 'brought,' Tammy. Look what Santa brought me."
Even on four hours' sleep, my mom could hear bad grammar coming a mile away. It was Christmas morning, six a.m. Mom was catatonic on the sofa in her bathrobe, dark circles under her eyes, mumbling about verbs. I was in a similarly groggy condition, except I was on the floor and couldn't care less about verbs. My dad was in the kitchen, making coffee with the desperation of a bomb-squad guy dismantling a detonator that was already ticking: five-four-three-two-
"Snow White!" Tammy shrieked" (p. 1).

"True. I loved Lamb Chop as a kid.
"Exactly!" Mom would not be stopped. "Lamb Chop was age-appropriate. It wasn't a show about a giggly princess whose goal in life is to twirl around in a flowy pink dress, waiting for some muscle-bound princes to show up."
No, I though, it was a show about a middle-aged woman who kept a sock on her hand for company" (p. 6).

"Was this a good time to tell the junior prom planning committee that I was part goddess? How might that news go over? I helped myself to a Cheez Doodle.
Cheez Doodle, Snack of the Goddess. That idea made me crack up. Sarah must've thought I was have a breakdown" (p. 12-13).

"The way Dad explained it to me, the whole original purpose of driver's ed was to make new drivers safer. Then someone figured out that the way to make new drivers safer is to make them older, since eighteen year olds have far fewer accidents than sixteen and seventeen year olds. So the school canceled the classes in the hopes that sixteen and seventeen year olds would continue to take the bus and nag their parents for rides until senior year, at least.
Follow the logic, if you dare: There's no driver's ed in my high school anymore, because the whole original purpose of driver's ed can best be achieved by not having it. Proof that logic does not always make sense" (p. 23).

To Go with the Meal:

This is a humorous and (more than a little) absurd novel can be a fun recommendation, especially for teens that can relate to having a long distance relationship, running into a dreaded ex, listening to their parents fighting or being described as a princess or half-goddess (happened to me aaaaaaaall the time! Truth.).

In terms of discussion of themes, a teacher could focus on the way logic, subversiveness and femininity are presented.

Tasty Rating: !!!! ( )

Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com

Morgan is back and the only thing that's different is that her hair is longer!

While quite a bit of time has passed since her adventures in Ireland, and she is now an ocean's length away, Morgan still feels like it was just yesterday that she was frolicking with the fairies and biking across Ireland. The worst part is she's away from Colin, the guy she fell for while on the bike trip. Yes, they've exchanged the odd email here and there, but their relationship has pretty much fizzled out.

Now all Morgan has to worry about is the upcoming Junior Prom. While all she really wants is for Colin to be her date, she knows that it's not going to happen. That is until she gets an email from him telling her that he's coming to the States. Of course, Morgan is excited, but the moment he steps off the plane Morgan can tell that something is wrong. Colin seems to be exhausted. Morgan soon finds out that the fairy folk cast a spell on Colin, making him dance with fairies every night. Any hope Morgan had of taking Colin to prom vanishes when she discovers this, as she knows he won't want anything to do with dancing, let alone have the energy.

The fairies better look out though, because Morgan is determined to have Colin as her date -- and she will find a way to break the curse!

When I finished WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT, I really didn't think it could get much better. Well, I stand corrected, because the sequel outdid the first book. I mean the first one was awesome, but this one was even better.

Morgan returns as funny as ever and definitely doesn't disappoint. This book is completely irresistible and unforgettable. Lately, I have found myself thinking about the events of this book over and over again; they seem to just be cemented in my mind and certainly have no intention of leaving! There was nothing that could've made me put it down. The fantastical mix of magic and romance is still great, but we also get a bigger picture of reality as Morgan returns to high school.

I highly recommend this book as it will take you into another world, but then snap you back into reality just like a good book should! For fans of fantasy, romance, and just plain good books, go and walk....no, run!, to your nearest library or bookstore and grab a copy. This book will certainly not disappoint and will take you on an adventure not even feasible in your wildest dreams! ( )

I’m a fan of the series, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the first novel a lot more then its predecessor. How I Found the Perfect Dress still had the signature style of Wood’s writing, but the storyline wasn’t as captivating as Why I Let My Hair Grow Out.Perhaps it’s because Connecticut isn’t as magical a setting as Ireland. I mean you don’t hear much about faerie lore from Connecticut. I was also disappointed the way the faerie world was connected to the mortal world, it seemed flat and random. A grocery store doesn’t spell out fantasy to me.I did however enjoy the growth of Morgan’s character! It was great to see her finally coming into her own and being her own person rather than figuring out who she was in the first novel. Colin’s character continues to be my favorite!You’ll definitely want to read How I Found The Perfect Dress if you are a fan of the series, just don’t expect to be dazzled like you were in the first novel. ( )

Morgan Rawlinson recently discovered she's the goddess Morganne. It led to a number of interesting adventures in Ireland, but she has not had contact with any faeries since returning to Connecticut. She's learning to drive, helping to plan the junior prom, and trying to explain to her little sister Tammy whether or not Santa is real. Then Colin, her guide and crush from Ireland, comes to UConn for a robotics competition. Unfortunately, Morgan's favor made him a target to the faeries.

Morgan immediately sets to work, wanting to free Colin before the faeries exhaust him to death. It's fun to watch her go for it because she's inventive and puts the pieces together quickly - no missing obvious solutions. At the same time, the riddles she's faced with aren't overly easy to solve. (Rereading the novel, I even discovered meaning to a clue I missed the first time! I love it when there's more to find the second time around.)

The fantasy elements blend well with the other story threads. They even work with her parents fighting over lawn gnomes! (I'm on the mom's side. Yard ornaments are not my thing.) Nor is it my thing when authors use magic in their novel when it serves no purpose to the story, so it's nice to see how Maryrose Wood makes it mesh well with a high school girl's ordinary life in Connecticut.

I'm also partial to faerie stories, and I like Wood's faeries. They don't really care what happens to humans but they aren't randomly vicious, and they've got a wicked sense of humor. Try not to laugh when Morgan meets them at the grocer's. She also finishes the book with a few revelations that make me hope for another book.

For those who haven't read WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT and fear they'll be lost, don't be. Wood introduces past story elements clearly so that HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS can easily stand on its own. Of course, you'll still want to pick up the first book to read more about Morgan and Colin.

HOW I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS is a light-hearted and comedic novel that works well as a faerie tale and as a school story. ( )