Vande Velde has the ability to think up odd magical situations with a modern twist. Sometimes the characters create attachment to the situation, other times the whole thing seems downright weird. Here is one of her more un-weird creations, that works. And, while the end is, 9 out of 10 times, one of those "Yeah, right." moments I enjoy it. I mean, really. Haven't you ever imagined that your favorite pet/toy/plaything came to life? You just never thought it as thoroughly through as VV did. ( )

typical quality entertainment from one of my favorite authors ( )

I thought this was one of Velde's weaker books. The dialogue is a little worse than usual, the plot holes a little bigger, and the ending a tiny bit less conclusive.

I don't particularly like the transition from cat to human mindset. For example, this dialogue bugs me: "Do you think I can go back after this? Be happy with what I was: rubbing against people's legs for attention, coughing up hairballs, eating mice in the barn?"

We don't exactly see Oliver slowly becoming more human and liking it. Much less knowing what love is.

The plot was more than silly because it could have been resolved so easily. And the girl Deanna is more than silly. I usually give leeway for Velde's heroines, but she just ignored obvious things (like the pigman continually trying to get her attention), was randomly self-conscious about Oliver, couldn't really understand subtext (Leonard's random love for her and how to avoid). And the continuous expression drops got rather annoying.

All in all, decent book by Velde that could have been better.
I'd probably recommend you skip over this book and read her other ones.
Two stars.
( )

I didn't enjoy this as much as some of Vivian Vande Velde's other books, but A Well-Timed Enchantment has a certain whimsical, almost fairy-tale like feel to it that's very different compared to her other books, and I think it just took me by surprise.

The beginning is very hard to get into, but all of the sudden I was almost finished with it, so it ends up being a very absorbing, if short, read. And while the beginning and middle parts are a little lacking, the ending is so good that it makes up for it. I also have to commend Vivian Vande Velde for pulling off a humanified cat (Oliver is pretty awesome in both forms).

Which leads me to another VVV point: she writes the best kinds of love stories. Doesn't lay it on too thick, but doesn't have it pop out of nowhere.

Overall a pretty good, short read. I would've liked it to be a bit longer and more involved, but then I don't think it would've had that strange, whimsical quality I mentioned before. ( )

Boring book, don't read. ( )