We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(4) Base Camp
This is not a terribly dense or complicated book, though it brims with novelty and humor. Some of the humor is rather subtle, as with the joking flirtation between Ella and Charmont, or Ella's inventive ways of "obeying" commands. Take this moment, when Mandy has just ordered Ella to be careful holding a bowl:
The order came too late. I got the broom. (4.69)
Did you get it? Ella dropped the bowl. If you're not paying attention, you'll miss moments like this—so keep your wits about you as you read. Just like Ella.