Stepsister

A beautiful written book about embracing who you are and not what society wants to make out of you.Set in Cinderella's world, the story follows Cinderella's step sister who has cut off her toes to fit into the glass slipper and is now dubbed as one of the ugly step sisters and shunned from everywhere.If the chance arrives to take your fate into your own hand and be who you want to be and not what society wants you to be, would you have the courage to take it?The book explores the thought with Isabella trying to navigate life after Cinderella has left and trying to find the pieces of her heart.What I loved: The sisters. They each have their own personalities and none is less than the other.What I did not like: The tiny chapter length. This however is just a personal opinion. If I was traveling the bite sized chapters would have been perfect.Pretty sure you would come to love the sisters too! Give this book a go if you want something empowering and Fairytale like :)

Book arrived in good condition no edges were tattered it arrived within delivery date. But it did have a lot of dust on it but that’s no problem just take a damp cloth and rub it over it and it should be fine. Overall satisfied with the service would recommend And would buy from the same seller again too.. :)

A retelling of Cinderella with one of the stepsisters as the central character. The story was well written. I really loved the word building. The ongoing game between Chance and Fate made this story more enjoyable.4/5

Loved the book.. The style of writing, the plot the content, the personification of concepts our fairytales are built around... Magnificently described.. In a relatable manner. Hats off!

I am not a fan of Cinderella(or kinda stories) , but I really loved this spin off ✨

I was promised a new book, but it looks kind of used. I mean the spine is splattered with paint and overall it appears sort of old. I have given this review 5 stars cuz I don't want to mess up the author's rating.

My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for an eARC via NetGalley of Jennifer Donnelly’s ‘Stepsister’ in exchange for an honest review. I found that I was enjoying the first few chapters so much that I elected to buy its Kindle and Audible editions.This was a skilful retelling of the story of Cinderella, focussing on what happens to Ella’s stepsisters after the failed attempt by their ambitious mother to trick the Prince into accepting one of them. As in the original story this is quite gristly rather than the idealised Disney version.Yet these ‘ugly’ sisters are not quite the charectitures one might expect. Octavia (Tavi), the oldest, is very interested in mathematics and science and wanted an education, not gowns, corsets and suitors. The younger sister, Isabelle, was described by her mother as a hoyden (tomboy) and was made to learn to sing and dance and behave like a proper lady.Isabelle has also come to the attention of cosmic forces. In the Prologue we are introduced to the Fates. They are visited by a mercurial figure that names himself Chance. He challenges them to a wager over Isabelle’s destiny. Both he and the eldest Fate head to the village of Saint-Michel, where Isabelle and her family live. They proceed to meddle in her life. Another player is Tanaquill, the fairy queen who had assisted Ella to attend the Prince’s Ball, but now is summoned by Isabelle to assist her. She sets a quest for Isabelle before she will grant her wish.This was a delight. The writing was beautiful and elegant with rich characterisations. Jennifer Donnelly clearly has a good grasp of the original fairytale as well as the tropes of fantasy so was able to weave various strands together into a new perspective for a contemporary audience.I felt that it was excellent and recommend it for lovers of fairytale retellings.

I listened to this as a free library download, mainly as it sounded like something I could have on in the background whilst cooking etc. I was drawn in from the very beginning!It was a fabulous story and a really interesting insight into why we act the way we act. It showcases resilience in horrible circumstances, and each of the many female characters have strength, vulnerability, and flaws like the rest of us, rather than being unattainable fairytale princesses. It's a solid book and an interesting twist on a story that's been told to death.I'm no reviewer so I'll leave the detail to others, but I liked it so much I've now bought it for my 11 year old to read on her kindle.

I like fairytale retellings especially if they are a little dark. This book ticks all my boxes and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I was a little upset when it ended because I wanted to read more straightaway.Stepsister focuses on the story of Cinderella's step sister, Isabelle, and picks up from the traditional fairytale at the point where they are trying on the shoe. I loved all the little nods to the many different versions of the well known Cinderella stories - clearly Jennifer Donnelly has done her research. She has also managed to put her own twist and spin on the tale by introducing Fate and Chance. I was really interested to see what impact they had on the story.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book, I've read lots of fairy tale re-imaginings but often find myself disappointed. Not the case with Stepsister. It was a really cracking book, strong, fleshed-out characters, a fast-paced plot, and great elements of fantasy. I absolutely love a strong female protagonist, and Isabelle was certainly a great one. I loved how she grew and changed as the story progressed. I'll be recommending this to anyone who enjoys fantasy and fairy tales, and I'm sure I'll read it again sometime soon.

We often get consumed in the fairy tale and we don't think of the other characters - we are just glad they got what they deserved. As in life it is not always black and white... I really liked the story, how it unravelled, the twists and how things come together. I also liked the structure of the book with the small, scene-like chapters. I read it in one go - good use of my lockdown time... :-)