Ella Enchanted

 Another retelling of Cinderella. 

Ella was "blessed," more like cursed, when she was a baby by a fairy named Lucinda to be Obedient, therefore she must do everything someone, anyone, tells her to do. She tries to fight against the curse going at it slowly or obnoxiously, but eventually she has to give in to whatever someone says. After her beloved mother dies, she is forced to go to finishing school with two nasty girls (who'd eventually become her step sister). On her way there, Hattie figures out that Ella has to be obedient and starts making her life miserable. She runs away, trying to find Lucinda to take the curse away (with the help of her own fairly godmother) but things don't go as planned. 

A simple, very fanciful retelling of the traditional story, it "fixes" a few of the things that modern audiences have problems with. Why didn't Cinderella leave? Why does she have to do what she's told? Why would the Prince marry her at the end without even knowing her? Historically, those questions wouldn't have mattered. Arranged marriages happened all the time and not being able to leave your home or position was obvious. But it gives our modern eyes reasons and explanations. 

I enjoy Ella and Char as a characters. I like the way their relationship is friendly and develops over the course of the story. Often we don't get that in a Cinderella story (which is why I think it is retold so much and why we get so many versions of it, the romance is open ended). I think their relationship is what makes this story. Yes, Ella goes on an adventure, but them together or their letters to each other is what really draws us through the story. 

Stepsister

Stepsister is a story of what happens after Cinderella and her prince glide away to their castle and "live happily ever after."

Isabelle cut off her toes to try and fit into that slipper, her sister Octavia cut off her heel. Now they are known as the ugly stepsisters and are somehow supposed to still function in their village society. Not only do they have those repercussions, but there is now a war going on that is infiltrating their part of France and Fate and Chance are fighting for her life, and on top of it all, Isabelle wants to change. She wants to be better and the whole world is literally crashing down on her. Can Ella's fairy godmother help even an ugly stepsister like her?

This is a big time "girl power" book. For people who like Tamora Pierce, you will like this. This book contains many themes and morals to the story all trying to empower women and empower self in general. Finding yourself and being okay with yourself, especially when it may go against what tradition or society dictates. I'm sure many young women and young adults enjoy this book and can feel motivated to do more by reading it.

I very much enjoyed the characters and how different they developed. Though, now that I think of it, it seems like the only people who really changed except for Isabelle... So that was lacking a little. But over all they were fun characters to read about. Chance is probably one of my favorites. Jennifer Donnelly could have a lot of fun with the Grimm Fairy Tales with Chance and the Fates. And because of how well this one was written, I'd read them too.

I thought it was well done. Read well. I don't have really any problems with it, except that some might think that it was too preachy to the "girl power" side. But because it had basic self-empowerment, I can let it slide and happily enjoy the book.

Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass  is a book I've heard nothing but praises for and, after having read it, I completely agree.

The best assassin was previously captured and put into a mining camp to pretty much die. But because she had the will to stay alive, she is invited to the palace of the man who imprisoned her in the first place. Live in a palace and find a way to escape while going through a competition against other villainous peoples to be the "King's Champion" (AKA personal assassin) with a chance of freedom or die in the mines... the decision was easy. In becoming the Crowned Prince's champion in this competition, Celaena is watched over by not only the Crowned Prince (who is a handsome, charming, reputation-holding man who doesn't like the King/his father), but also the Captain of the Guard (a shy, glaring, but kind guy) is keeping an eye on her so then she won't assassinate anyone while she is residing in the palace.

While she is the best assassin in the land, she is also an 18 year old girl. She still acts like an 18 year old girl. There is a slight love triangle that happens, but it's not super heavy so I overlooked it. (Except at the cute parts anyway.) There were a few Cinderella moments (which the author makes reference too in the commentary at the end) where she goes to a masquerade ball where she gets to dance with the prince. But she's also an assassin and doesn't take crap from anyone.

At the same time of the competition to be the King's Champion, there are ghosts and murders among the competitors. Not only are they getting kicked out of the competition but they are also getting murdered and eaten by something that is haunting the palace. There is magic, fairies (referenced, but not so much in the book), assassins, fighting, love, deep backstories, etc. Setting was well thought out and beautiful, different. Characters were entertaining, with witty bantering and simple conversation. There was one part where a Princess of a conquered land makes an appearance and she has a conversation with Celaena in another language while most everyone else didn't know what was being said. Being completely honest about situations and people, while those people around around, and they can't understand you... It was must funny.

My only problem with it would probably be that it was a bit predictable. I could tell who the bad guy was going to be from about the middle on, but I still very much enjoyed it. How things happened were surprises to me. It's an action book, not really a murder mystery. But I am eagerly awaiting the next book that I'm in queue for at my local library.

Support your libraries. They have many hidden gems.

Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is another fantastic read.

In the first of a four part Lunar Chronicles series (the fourth, Winter coming out on November 15, 2015), Cinder is the story of a cyborg Cinderella. Now before you get turned off to the book thinking: "Cyborg? Why would I want to read that? And Cinderella? How could she pull that off?" Give the awesomeness that is Cinder a chance.

This book is very different from the original Grimm story and even the Disney movie from the 1950's. Cinder starts out her journey in a futuristic New Beijing, China not rural France. She is a mechanic instead of maid, an android friend instead of mice, and not all of her stepsisters are nasty. There is a plague that has killed many on this futuristic Earth and people live on the moon. The Moon Queen is a piece of work with almost fairy like powers--pixie too the max. Our Prince Charming is none other than Prince Kai who is caring and sweet and is trying to figure out how to save his country.

Cinder is far more of a real person in my opinion than in almost all of the renditions of Cinderella, besides the 2015 version that Disney came out with. Her character development isn't necessarily the biggest in this novel but in later books she grows tremendously and it's fun to see how she grows.

I tell everyone to read this book because it's fun, although predictable in some places. She is Cinderella-but-better after all.

If you are also a fan of audio books, the reader--I believe it is Rebecca Soler--has a great voice and brings the characters to life and has fun with it.