Book Review- Enchanted Ivy

By Sarah Beth Durst

Published by Margaret L. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster

Released on October 12th, 2010

Source- Author/Publisher

5 stars- I Highly Recommend It

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!

Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.

When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.

Enchanted Ivy seduced me with it's rich lore, and held me captive by it's vivid setting. Sarah Beth Durst's breathe taking descriptions of her setting had me wishing I could travel to Princeton to walk through the FitzRandolph Gate just to see the land that lies on other side.

Lily Carter has a dream to attend Princeton University like her parents and grandfather before he did. When she and her mother accompany her Grandfather to a reunion weekend at this prestigious university, Lily is offered a chance to attend Princeton. She must find the Ivy Key. IF she passes this secret test, she will not only be granted the right to attend the University, but she'll be apart of a secret society. There's a whole lot more to Princeton that meets the eye.

Lily is a fun character to get to know. She's real and relatable as like many high school juniors, she stresses about college applications and if she had enough credits and passed her exams. She's also loyal and very caring and concerned about those she loves. Even when unthinkable things happen, she more or less goes with the flow of it. She's also stubborn and strong when she needs to be. I really enjoyed watching her relationship with Tye evolve. While I'd like to say I was torn between Tye and Jake, as both guys are strong, warriors, and protectors of their secrets and Lily, Tye won me over. I should say, it's hard choosing between a were-tiger and a knight, as both characters have very little flaws and were at times entertaining as they fought for their right to protect Lily.

Enchanted Ivy is a mesmerizing, fast paced, engaging read that left me yearning to read more. With twist and turns and wonderful characters, it's definitely a book I'll be picking up again. It's rich in history and lore, and has a simple, yet fascinating love story at it's core. Enchanted Ivy is filled with magic, talking gargoyles, dragons, faeries, goblins, unicorns, were-tigers, centaurs, dryads, a secret society, action and much more. If you want to get lost in a beautiful world that resides in both the real world and in the realm of the unbelievable, go pick up Enchanted Ivy today.

You can take a tour of Princeton via Sarah's tour on her blog here http://tinyurl.com/2fpf6nj.

You can read more about the gargoyles found on the grounds of Princeton here http://tinyurl.com/247lhf7