Stepsister

I loved this book because it was about me. Not literally (obviously), but when I put myself into fairy tales, I rarely see myself as the princess—classically beautiful, polite, kind under all circumstances, soft-spoken.

Not that I don’t have these qualities sometimes, but they aren’t the first things that jump to mind when I think of myself, and this book nailed how out-of-place and pushed aside not being the princess character can make you feel. For better or worse, I’m a “stepsister.” I’m messy and loud, and I say things I regret later.

And you know what? That’s okay.

This is my favorite book of Donnelly’s, perhaps because I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her upon its release. This book was an inspiration to me as a writer. Not only is Isabelle considered “ugly,” but her spirit is so downtrodden at the beginning of the story because others don’t believe in her abilities. She must find her own agency and her own belief in her abilities to do great things and realize that real beauty shines from within. 

While I wanted to know more about Cinderella's fairy godmother, Donnelly dug deep into the lives of her stepsisters. The result is a minor miracle, holding beautifully to the original story while still making both stepsisters (and Cinderella herself) heartbreakingly human. By the end, I wanted all three of them to have their happy ending.

There's also a lot of emotional truth here, with Isabelle working on her emotional journey right there on the page. It's a braver thing to do than any physical battle, and it only made me love her more. Even more importantly, it reminded me to… show more.

“This is a dark tale. A grim tale. It’s a tale from another time, a time when wolves waited for girls in the forest, hearts paced the halls of cursed castles, and witches lurked in gingerbread houses…It’s grim for any girl who loses her way. Grimmer still for a girl who loses herself…” Donnelly uses one of the oldest and most familiar of fairy tales—Cinderella, to give a unique perspective. This feminist retelling shows us the world through the eyes of Isabelle, the ugly stepsister, who cuts away pieces of herself (literally and figuratively) to fit the mold… show more.

This is a unique take on the Grimm brothers' version of Cinderella, told from one of the ugly stepsister's point of view. It's a tale about finding who you are and learning to be true to yourself, and it reveals the beauty of the human heart. The author does a remarkable job by giving us a conflicted main character, with both negative and positive traits. Donnelly also doesn't take the easy road and make Ella (Cinderella) the pretty bad guy everyone loves to hate, with flaws of her own despite her kindness and perfect beauty.

It's a story every… show more.