So it seems my posts have been thematic in nature, as I go through different phases, by posts go through different phases. Most of the posts (who am I kidding) ALL of my posts this spring were about my internship with Family Support Network. Now that has officially ended. I greatly enjoyed that consulting experience and would love to do something similar again at some point if the opportunity arises.
However today I wanted to post a brief review of a book galley I read this week. It is of the book Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon. I saw it on my weekly Netgalley email and I love Cinderella stories so I had to read it. And overall it was pretty good, for a YA novel.
Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon is an interesting new take for YA readers on the classic Cinderella story, although it strays the farthest from the original Cinderella of any version I have ever read. In this version Cinder and Ella are two sisters, Cinder the obedient one and Ella the beautiful one and closest to her father. They have two sisters, Katrina who is the bossy and demanding one and Beatrice who is immature and greedy. The girl’s father is bewitched by the evil Prince and leaves/disappears, while their mother becomes completely absorbed in her spinning. From this set up we can see the similarities with the traditional Cinderella story; however the plot drifts far from the original. The novel includes all of the elements of a good fairy tale: knights, adventures, and love, while not treating the story too simplistically. The characters in the story especially Ella, are thoroughly developed and while they have stereotypical moments most characters are highly humanized and very personable. Additionally the dialogue between the characters is often witty and fast pasted. However, the plot itself I felt was not fully as developed and flushed out as it could have been. For example, in the background of the story is the legend that each person’s life is connected with a tree that grew on the same day they were born. This legend, while mentioned, seems to change throughout the novel as further magic is introduced into the story. Sometimes that magic seems highly contrived and used just to get the author out of a tight spot. I wish the author had gone back and written in the magical elements of the legend when it is first introduced rather than having them appear later.
Overall Cinder and Ella is a good light read for YA (especially female) readers. I would recommend this story to readers who enjoy fairy tale adaptations or adventure stories with female protagonists who love to focus on great characters. Lemon‘s questions at the end of the novel are also good conversation starters and could transform this light read into a good discussion book.
Just a thought for those of you who like these types of novels :)
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