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Roxy and Jones : The Great Fairytale Cover-up
A hilarious modern fairy-tale mash-up set in a world in which witches are real, magic is real and fairy tales are not only real ... but recent history.
Once Upon a Modern Time, in the city of Rexopolis, in the Kingdom of Illustria, lived twelve-year-old Roxy Humperdinck, half-sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THE Hansel and Gretel, not that she knows it). Enter Cinderella ("Call me Jones") Jones, who most definitely does NOT want to marry ghastly Prince Charming and is far too busy hunting for lost relics of the Cursed Kingdom. But now she needs Roxy's help. And Roxy's about to discover the truth about her world and her family: that witches are real, magic is real and fairy tales are not only real ... but recent history.
Once Upon a Modern Time, in the city of Rexopolis, in the Kingdom of Illustria, lived twelve-year-old Roxy Humperdinck, half-sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THE Hansel and Gretel, not that she knows it). Enter Cinderella ("Call me Jones") Jones, who most definitely does NOT want to marry ghastly Prince Charming and is far too busy hunting for lost relics of the Cursed Kingdom. But now she needs Roxy's help. And Roxy's about to discover the truth about her world and her family: that witches are real, magic is real and fairy tales are not only real ... but recent history.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2020
1 person is currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Angela Woolfe
15 books5 followersAngela Woolfe has written for The Guardian and Vogue magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 3, 2020
Thank you Walker Books Australia for providing me with this finished copy to review.
Release date: 1 July 2020
Synopsis:
Once Upon a Modern Time, in the city of Rexopolis, in the Kingdom of Illustria, lived twelve-year-old Roxy Humperdinck, half-sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THE Hansel and Gretel, not that Roxy even knows it). Enter Cinderella ("Call me Jones") Jones, who most definitely does NOT want to marry ghastly Prince Charming.
Review:
This story has 2 main sassy characters, Roxy (11yrs) & Jones (12yrs) who meet in a chance encounter when Jones famously loses one shoe (a green sneaker) as she flees the grand ball held in the mysterious 'Ministry of Soup'.
The two become frends as they investigate the hidden magical history of their world.
I liked the subtle but clever references to classic fairytales as the 2 girls embark on their journey. Roxy's sister Gretel doesn't allow her little sister to eat any sugar... i wonder why? Lol
THE fairy godmother makes an appearance, a couple of magic mirrors, a reformed witch, an ever so tall tower & my personal favourite Rumplestilskin.
The escape of the infamous Queen Bellissima adds some much needed suspense, action & excitement to a story that for the majority of the book, has had a healthy level of mystery & intrigue.
Roxy & Jones was a clever, quirky and a fun little read. Recommended reading age: confident readers of 8+ years
⭐⭐⭐.5
Release date: 1 July 2020
Synopsis:
Once Upon a Modern Time, in the city of Rexopolis, in the Kingdom of Illustria, lived twelve-year-old Roxy Humperdinck, half-sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THE Hansel and Gretel, not that Roxy even knows it). Enter Cinderella ("Call me Jones") Jones, who most definitely does NOT want to marry ghastly Prince Charming.
Review:
This story has 2 main sassy characters, Roxy (11yrs) & Jones (12yrs) who meet in a chance encounter when Jones famously loses one shoe (a green sneaker) as she flees the grand ball held in the mysterious 'Ministry of Soup'.
The two become frends as they investigate the hidden magical history of their world.
I liked the subtle but clever references to classic fairytales as the 2 girls embark on their journey. Roxy's sister Gretel doesn't allow her little sister to eat any sugar... i wonder why? Lol
THE fairy godmother makes an appearance, a couple of magic mirrors, a reformed witch, an ever so tall tower & my personal favourite Rumplestilskin.
The escape of the infamous Queen Bellissima adds some much needed suspense, action & excitement to a story that for the majority of the book, has had a healthy level of mystery & intrigue.
Roxy & Jones was a clever, quirky and a fun little read. Recommended reading age: confident readers of 8+ years
⭐⭐⭐.5
April 25, 2020
Roxy isn't really enjoying living with her stepsister, but it's her only choice. She doesn't want to make things difficult for her, but she's somehow got caught up in Jones' mission to maybe save the world, possibly. Well, the country. Definitely at least the city.
I want to note before I start, the summary below isn't completely accurate. I took out a piece that's supposed to be a surprise in the story, and another part of it doesn't actually come up in the story at all. But maybe it will in future installments.
Now that that's out of the way, look at that gorgeous cover! So colourful and lovely.
This is a fabulous, fun, magical story. Set in a world where magic was real until very recently, Roxy knows nothing about it and Jones knows much less than she thinks she does. They run into various magical characters; half the fun is trying to guess who these characters were from which fairy tale. I definitely missed a couple, but they're obvious in hindsight.
Roxy and Jones (and third partner who shows up later) are fantastic characters. The writing style is great and there's plenty of room for lots more stories set in this world. I'm looking forward to reading them.
I want to note before I start, the summary below isn't completely accurate. I took out a piece that's supposed to be a surprise in the story, and another part of it doesn't actually come up in the story at all. But maybe it will in future installments.
Now that that's out of the way, look at that gorgeous cover! So colourful and lovely.
This is a fabulous, fun, magical story. Set in a world where magic was real until very recently, Roxy knows nothing about it and Jones knows much less than she thinks she does. They run into various magical characters; half the fun is trying to guess who these characters were from which fairy tale. I definitely missed a couple, but they're obvious in hindsight.
Roxy and Jones (and third partner who shows up later) are fantastic characters. The writing style is great and there's plenty of room for lots more stories set in this world. I'm looking forward to reading them.
August 6, 2020
Roxy accidentally discovers a secret vault in which a girl called Jones was hiding, dressed in a daffodil outfit. The pair soon discover the secrets of the false enchantment charm, put on people who know that their country , Illustria once had a frightening past ( the cursed Kingdom of Diabolica ) . Roxy has a brother and sister called Hansel and Gretel which triggers suspicion in Jones mind that they might be from a fairy, that fairytales existed. Jones then revealed that her real name was actually Cinderella, adding to suspicion.
A book where fairy grandmothers come in times of trouble and gift their god daughters a magical vegetable vehicle, an aubergine motorbike in this case.
This book is brimming with camaraderie when Roxy helps Jones when she is living already in a not so opulent home. The story had a familiar plot of Jones wanting to seek revenge on her stepmother with the help of the seventh witching store.
Will this eccentric crew be able to return the seventh witching stone to the right hands?
A book where fairy grandmothers come in times of trouble and gift their god daughters a magical vegetable vehicle, an aubergine motorbike in this case.
This book is brimming with camaraderie when Roxy helps Jones when she is living already in a not so opulent home. The story had a familiar plot of Jones wanting to seek revenge on her stepmother with the help of the seventh witching store.
Will this eccentric crew be able to return the seventh witching stone to the right hands?
July 10, 2020
Though I absolutely loved the premise for this story, I personally found the dialogue and some of the description to be a little too over the top for my liking. (However, I definitely can see how it would appeal to a younger reader!)
The characters of Roxy and Jones were genuine and likeable. The traits of determination, ingenuity and pragmatism were evident in both of their thoughts and actions, and I think these characteristics could be easily accepted and recognised by a younger audience.
The plot was fast-paced and jam-packed full of information. (Though there was a little too much at times!) I would have liked to have seen the story told from alternating perspectives, as I feel like this might have allowed me to witness the unfolding events in different ways.
Though this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I know for a fact that my younger cousins will devour this tale!
Thank you @walkerbooksaus for gifting me this story to read and review!
The characters of Roxy and Jones were genuine and likeable. The traits of determination, ingenuity and pragmatism were evident in both of their thoughts and actions, and I think these characteristics could be easily accepted and recognised by a younger audience.
The plot was fast-paced and jam-packed full of information. (Though there was a little too much at times!) I would have liked to have seen the story told from alternating perspectives, as I feel like this might have allowed me to witness the unfolding events in different ways.
Though this wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I know for a fact that my younger cousins will devour this tale!
Thank you @walkerbooksaus for gifting me this story to read and review!
May 5, 2020
This book was very enjoyable. It was a fun romp through an alternative fairy tale world, that was believable and utterly fantastical all at the same time! Roxy and Jones themselves are fun characters, and the people they meet on their adventure are interesting and varied. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, imaginative romp, in a world that is a mixture of modern and magical.
I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
May 13, 2020
An off-the-wall, wacky modern fairytale, this book is both gripping and hilarious. In what seems to be a series of casual mishaps and coincidences, the reader is catapulted into an unlikely journey, full of weird revelations about the stories we know and love, quirky characters both old and new and twists and turns that keep us on our toes. A sinister plot is being carried out by villains; other villains are trying to foil it for even more sinister reasons of their own and to save the day, we are introduced to two sassy, bold heroines trying their best to stay under the radar. Crafty, clever and full of spark, Roxy & Jones are a heart-warming, fun-loving duo that find themselves navigating a mystery that can't be beat. Fast-paced, funny and a brilliant adventure...you'll never look at fairytales the same way again.
October 9, 2023
Clean fun and a way to make a tween look at solving a puzzle.
Entertaining.
Cute.
Not your average fairy tale.
Entertaining.
Cute.
Not your average fairy tale.
August 17, 2025
Has everything you’d want in a children’s book!
December 17, 2020
This was recommended to me by a friend as something that would cheer me up while we were still in full lockdown, and it most definitely did just that! This book is so much fun, it’s about a girl called Roxy who discovers that the world she lives in isn’t anywhere near as boring as she once thought, and is in fact home to people who used to be fairytale characters but are now banned from using their magic, when she meets Cinderella Jones. I really liked both the main characters, and the supporting cast are just delightful. Some particular favourites were the fabulous fairy godmother Frankie, Roxy’s sister Gretel and the talking mirror she comes across on her adventure. There’s one particular scene with the mirror that had me in absolute stitches. The twists on classic fairytales and little references were brilliant as well; I’m most definitely planning to pick up the next one in the series once it’s out. Also, this is so random and not really related, but it made me so happy when I realised the author also writes as Emerald Everhart because I ADORED a series by her when I was younger!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews