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A review by iheartfictionalpeople
The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling
5.0
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*
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*