I can't remember ever reading a book twice in a row before, but this one was so cute that I got to the end and promptly decided I needed to read it again. The characters are adorable. I love the Brownie naming scheme. The plot is just right, neither too much nor too little, and the descriptions made me feel like I could see it. My only real regret is that the romance is barely there, the main characters not even speaking to one another until 2/3 through the book. I would have liked a little bit more epilogue, both to see how things turned out with Lord whats-his-name and to give the MCs a little more time to deepen their relationship. Still, it was a very enjoyable read. This story is a sweet little fairy tale type, cute and funny. Ladder Rung is (probably) half-human and so he looks a little different than the other brownies. He is in the orphanage and continually fails his cleaning exams due to his insistence on cleaning “wrong”. He is picked on and bullied, called Wrong even by his teachers. He is an abused brownie and it made me sad. When another brownie, Sewing Needle, one of the biggest bullies around, informs Rung that he will most likely be killed due to his inability to clean properly, Needle helps Rung run away. Rung heads to the castle, even though the Prince has issued an edict of No More Brownies! They clean him to distraction and he loses everything. He’s a slob, honestly. Rung makes a difference at the castle, but there are forces who don’t want him to be successful. Rung is a wonderful character who wants himself safe but also wants to improve and help. I loved the idea of the thank you, “cold shivers running up his spine told him he was about to be thanked”. Poor Rung. There isn’t a real romance in this story, just some tender moments and one lovely kiss. Made me smile.
What do You think about Cleanly Wrong (2012)?
No romance here but the story is so sweet. :)
—Krizzy
