Could've been great but the last pages weakened my opinion of the story

I didn't like this book very much. Kat is supposed to end up with the prince but tries to push Ella onto him, even though she's in love with the princes cousin. It really bothered me because you could tell how in love Kat and the prince were, but never did anything with those feelings. I wouldn't read this book again and I probably wouldn't recommend it either

4.5 stars  

★★★★★

RTC

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Review originally posted on my blog: I Heart Fictional People

INITIAL THOUGHTS

I got this book months ago and just never got around to reading it. I’ve always been curious about fairy tale retellings, but I can’t remember any that I have read. Guess I haven’t been curious enough. But when I saw this book available for review, I instantly requested it. I love the Cinderella stories and all the movie adaptations. I’ve never heard the story from the ugly stepsister’s point of view, so I was definitely intrigued. Plus, I LOVE the cover.

WHAT I LIKED

Kat. I loved her. First of all, she was completely relatable. As soon as she compared herself to Belle from Beauty and the Beast because of her love of books, I knew I would love her. And she has always felt like the unpopular, unattractive one that no one notices, which I can relate to as well! So I was attached to her right away. Secondly, she has this determination and perseverance about her that I admire. Once she sets her mind on something, she does whatever it takes to get it done. She sticks up for what she believes in, unafraid to offend anyone or of the consequences. Such an awesome character to look up to.

The very real issues. While the majority of the book is based on the original Cinderella story, I really like the unique additions to it. For example, Kat is very adamant about making changes in this world she is forced to live in. She sees children working in horrible conditions and being treated like they don’t matter. She sees that women have no say in anything because they are inferior to men and should be only doing domestic duties. I love that she takes on such real issues as child labor and gender equality.

The references to modern-day pop culture. Ahh! I LOVED all the references to books and movies. She is stuck in this world that is 100% different from her world, but she can’t help comparing certain situations to what she is familiar with, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Kill Bill, and Inception. At times, it made the story hilarious. This was such a fun part of the book. I absolutely loved it.

Kat and Edward’s relationship. Okay, their relationship was my favorite part of the book. She was so determined to make Prince Edward fall for Cinderella, but she couldn’t help falling for him herself. And I loved how cautious and hesitant she was around him. She didn’t throw herself at him, and she rejected his advances. Their relationship just gradually grew. It was heartwarming and sweet, and it was done perfectly.

The suspense. I just HAD to know how this book was going to end! I couldn’t stop reading it! My husband kept telling me to go to bed. But I couldn’t help myself. Was Kat ever going to get back to her real world? How was she going to get the prince to fall for Cinderella when he was falling for her? Was she going to give in and just stay in this world to be with Edward? WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?! I was obsessed…

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER

At first, I wasn’t a fan of how Kat was transported to this story and time period. So she accidentally rips a book and is now cursed and stuck in the story? Books fall apart over time. That’s just what they do. I thought there could’ve been a better, more creative way to get her into the story. BUT, as the story progressed, I totally forgot about what bothered me in the beginning because I was so captivated by everything about the book.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I loved this book so much that I told my mom all about it and the author, which I never do. (By the way, mom was ecstatic because the author is from Taiwan and so is my mom, so it was like a family member of hers became a published author. Too funny.) I read a lot, but I don’t usually bug my family and friends about the books I read because they are not readers. But I had to tell them about this one! It is so, so good! I mean, we all love the Cinderella story, but it has been told the same way for years. It was so refreshing to read a completely different version of it. The amazing protagonist, the humor, the romance, the suspense, the fascinating plot. Everything about this book was incredible, and I am super happy that I got the chance to read it. I can’t wait to read the sequel, which is coming out next year! Kudos to Aya Ling for her awesome storytelling skills. She just became my new favorite author!

*I received an eBook copy of this book from the author via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really clever retelling of the Cinderella story - a girl from modern times gets thrown into the story as one of the ugly stepsisters and has to create the "happily ever after" ending in order to get back home. Characters were great, it wasn't predictable, and there was a good amount of humor in it. I'd read the rest of the series.

I thought the concept of this book was cute, Cinderella retold by her ugly stepsister. In fact I was all over it when I first read the synopsis because like Kat, I love fairytales. Plus, I really love the cover that blue dress really pops against the white background.

Kat is a shy seventeen year old girl that describes herself as ugly. When cleaning out her attic she rips apart an old copy of Cinderella, sending her into its magical world. The only way she can get back to her normal life is to make sure the story ends how it should. But when she meets the handsome prince everything becomes more complicated. Will she be able to get him to marry Cinderella before she falls in love with him?

I thought this was a really cute story and I found it fun to read. Lately, I've been a little scared to read retelling of fairytales because they don't always turn out well. But this one did, it was really worth the read. The ending made me mad though. I was going to give it 4 stars but then the ending happened. I spent the whole time rooting for her and Edward even though I knew I shouldn't. I guess I think it could have ended some other way.

I understand why it ended the way that it did though, I'm just not happy about it. Anyway, I think this is a great read for anyone that loves fairytales!

I found this really fun to read and loved that it didn't shy away from dark topics. It 'normalised' a lot of horrible things that happened during those days and made everything a lot more realistic. She was a strong protagonist without having to overcompensate.

3.50

I gave it 4.5 stars

I honestly still think about THE UGLY STEPSISTER days after reading it. It was so fun to read a whole new take on Cinderella.

Kat LOVES to read and when her old picture book rips apart in her hands she is forced to play out a story and make sure she gets the characters to the end. She is cast in the role of one of the ugly stepsisters, but she is anything but ugly. She is a bit of a clutz, but she is very loyal and caring. She doesn't like how some of her new friends are treated and fights for them. She has an instant connection with the prince, but really wants to go home and she knows he is supposed to be with Cinderella.

I really enjoyed all the struggles that Kat found herself in. Because she is from a different time she has a whole new way of thinking and it really made her character stick out. The romance between her and Prince Edward was sweet, but not overly done. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters and was rooting for them all to get their happily ever afters too.

I did have one issue with THE UGLY STEPSISTER, I didn't love the ending. I hated that there really wasn't a happily ever after in the larger sense. I don't want to go to much into it because that would spoil it, but I was hoping for more when the story part of the story ended. Would I read it again? Oh yea, I so want to see a movie about the ugly stepsister now.

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first I was sceptical: how good could this be? The answer: very good. Katriona accidentally tears a book and finds herself trapped in the story, cast as one of the players in Cinderella - and she has to fashion a happy ending if she ever wants to go home again. From the beginning it all starts to go horribly wrong as Kat, a modern-day teenager, is thrown into an early industrial society as a lady of standing, about to be presented at court. The culture shock Kat suffers, the customs and speech she has to learn, even how to walk, all make her feel real to me. (And give me a strange desire to watch The Slipper and the Rose and a few others again.)

I love Kat's honesty, her loyalty, and her integrity; despite her claims that anyone from her world would act the same, I know it's not true. the way the omniscient reader can see where it's going long before the characters do, and especially that the ending worked out so perfectly. I was worrying a little as I read that the ending would spoil the book, but it didn't. This is one for the reread pile.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.