Fairy Tale Fail

I will have to warn you that I am nuts for the author of this thing, Ms Mina V. Esguerra. I can't even refer to her without that title! I sometimes feel it's blasphemous to cite her using just her pen name, but we shall reserve analyses of my awkwardness for later. The point is, one of Ms Mina's self-published novels was recently picked up by Summit Publishing for national print distribution. [Excellent move, Summit Team! I've always approved of your creative decisions, even if you did phase out Seventeen PH.] The most recent of Ms Mina's Philippine-published books is entitled Fairy Tale Fail, and it has won the first ever Filipino Readers' Choice Awards for the Chick Lit Category.

I would describe the book this way:

Even with the modest income of a twenty-something Makati-dweller, Ellie Manuel's hobby remains planning efficient escapades to foreign countries, where no one knows about her and her recent awful breakup with all-around good guy Don. She can't even hate Don - she can't get over the fact that he's broken up with her in a disturbingly calm fashion that all their friends decide to be downright awful, and she still thinks they have a chance of getting back together. Because their romance is a carefully brought-together fairy tale, and Don is her only prince charming.

Contrary to what the typology of traditional fairy tales promises, however, a mysterious, undefinable character arrives in the form of Lucas Haresco, who is neither Fairy Godmother nor Donor nor Messenger. He is the office Rock Star, and while the little switch in Ellie's danger radar hints he might not be the type of guy to bring home to Mom, she finds herself falling for his addiction to chocolate truffles, his offers to refill her coffee mug with caffeine stashes from the department pantry, and his stern half-resignation, half-support of everything that had caused ex-boyfriend Don to decide to drop out of her life.

So who does Princess Ellie choose? The Prince her life plan demands her to pursue, or the Half-Prince whose existence may be the undoing of her happy ending? 


Firstly, I think that of all the books by Ms Mina that I've read, this one has the most glorious backdrops, the most believable characters, and the most realistic plot-line. It is not at all a fairy tale; in fact, I would say it is the opposite, as it tries to extend a proposition that happy endings don't always have to unravel in formulaic fairy tale succession. Love bubbles out of slow, everyday occurrences that add up to something greater than just dinner and the occasional coffee. Reality is as much an important factor of relationships as affection is, and even where sparks dare exist "mundane" considerations like career opinions and lifestyles matter.

With self-prodding I will admit that I enjoyed That Kind of Guy more than I did Fairy Tale Fail. In my rather immature opinion, the former is more of a romance story that unbelievable happy endings are possible, while the latter is a treatise on how relationships and love are in this day and age. I found Fairy Tale Fail very serious, very pensive, and while that is probably its best asset, I still find the 'simple' sexual tension in That Kind of Guy more effective. Maybe it's because I can relate to Julie Crisostomo of TKoG better. Or maybe because in FTF, I actually find myself more sympathetic to Don - judgmental nature, notwithstanding. I understand and am sincerely at awe regarding how the plot of FTF came together, but I find myself constantly overthinking the causes of the crucial inevitabilities that took place in it. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful book. I truly believe Star Cinema should make a movie version of it, that way we can have more high-quality fare in the romantic comedy industry.

I think Ellie and her prince are wonderful together. They are one of the best couples ever played out in 140-pages of romance writing, and their easy compatibility makes one feel grateful happy endings exist after all. I think their situations are fairly easy to relate to, their worries making them more human and more vulnerable than any of Ms Mina's previous characters. I love them, both of them, whether together or apart. They remind me of my friends, and at the same time they remind me of how ideal love is perceived to be by most people.

My Other Reviews for Ms Mina V. Esguerra's Books
My Imaginary Ex
No Strings Attached
That Kind of Guy

Photo Credits
Cover Reveal: Fairy Tale Fail, the Summit Books edition