Fairies like nothing better than practical jokes and being entertained. One of their favorite pranks was to switch a human 
baby with a fairy baby, except fairy babies are less common. So, one enterprising fairy decides to switch two human babies: one a commoner and the other a noble. Anna grows up in a noble household surrounded by rumors and comments from those around her about how she doesn’t fit in with her family. Her magic is different; her eyes and hair are different. No one stands up for her except her brother, Henry, and eventually her fiancée, Ed.
While crying in the garden one day after a particularly hurtful comment, Anna hears a fairy wondering about her situation. The fairy is surprised when Anna talks back and even more so when she captures him during a wager. When the fairy confirms her fears about not being a part of this family, Anna forges a pact with him to teach her magic and about how commoners live. She knows she should tell her family, but she’s scared of what might happen to her.
This is the first volume in a manga series with a long, self-explanatory title; however, although Anna is just starting to like her fiancée and worries about her engagement being broken, the family doesn’t discover the switch until the very end of this volume. Presumably, with the family’s reaction to their real daughter, and particularly Henry’s, the engagement will be addressed in a future volume. The first volume does a good job setting up the world and giving hints into what Anna might be facing. She tries to prepare herself for life as a commoner by learning skills like cooking and sewing.
This would be a good addition to any library collection as it examines the differences between nobility (rich) and commoners (poor) from the inside and also digs into the emotions of belonging. I would make sure to purchase volumes one and two at the same time (volume 3 releases soon) so that a reader isn’t left with the awful feeling of volume one’s familial rejection at the end. Teenagers and mature tweens would be the best audience for this series; however, adults will also enjoy the story telling and delicate artwork that evokes a range of emotions and showcases the noble finery Anna lives in. My hope for the next volume is that the artwork displays the differences between the nobles and the commoners to match that exploration.
When I Became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement!Â
By Kenzi Oiwa
Art by Kaoru Takanashi, Kaya Kuramoto, Liz Hollendonner, Liz Hollendonner
Yen Press, 2023
ISBN: 9781975362430
Publisher Age Rating:Â Teen
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
