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aureolyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
This was one of the books under my series of starting books because of their dedication.
“To everyone who’s ever felt that they’re not enough”
I loved this book. I thought the messages were strong and good. I really liked how the author made the distinction between being pretty and being beautiful. Being pretty was just about a person’s appearance. Obviously there’s pretty privilege but once we got to know the characters, we can see how their passions and personalities shine and make them so beautiful. I also like the idea of breaking out of molds and finding oneself. Great character development makes me weak. The more I got to know the characters the more attached and invested I was. Anyways, if you haven’t already guessed this is a twisted tale of the famous Cinderella story but this story follows her stepsisters after the original fairytale. It’s filled with a rollercoaster of emotions that I’m still working through as I’m trying to form my thoughts here. It starts pretty dark and the insertion of chance and fate was a bit confusing. I think their introduction could’ve been better which is why this isn’t 5 stars but as we got to know the characters and as the story unfolded, it started to make more sense. Lastly, I also liked that all the characters were flawed. It makes them so much more human and that much more relatable.
“To everyone who’s ever felt that they’re not enough”
I loved this book. I thought the messages were strong and good. I really liked how the author made the distinction between being pretty and being beautiful. Being pretty was just about a person’s appearance. Obviously there’s pretty privilege but once we got to know the characters, we can see how their passions and personalities shine and make them so beautiful. I also like the idea of breaking out of molds and finding oneself. Great character development makes me weak. The more I got to know the characters the more attached and invested I was. Anyways, if you haven’t already guessed this is a twisted tale of the famous Cinderella story but this story follows her stepsisters after the original fairytale. It’s filled with a rollercoaster of emotions that I’m still working through as I’m trying to form my thoughts here. It starts pretty dark and the insertion of chance and fate was a bit confusing. I think their introduction could’ve been better which is why this isn’t 5 stars but as we got to know the characters and as the story unfolded, it started to make more sense. Lastly, I also liked that all the characters were flawed. It makes them so much more human and that much more relatable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, and Animal cruelty
Body mutilation, appearance shamingfreewings21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I quite enjoyed this book. The sections with Chance and Fate were kind of boring but the rest of the book was really strong. Another win from Jennifer Donnelly
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, War, Blood, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny
20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Mental illness
spinkysaurus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The beginning of the book was hard because the main character was so bitter. Donnelly did a good job of showing what Isabelle had become. As the plot progressed the story and the all of the characters became understandable and far more interesting and likable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, War, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Self harm
This is a darker retelling and the beginning describes a lot of the more graphic portions of the original Grimm telling of Cinderella. In addition it has a lot of perceived gender roles being forced upon people who do not want them.yunnie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Stepsister is a dark adaptation of Cinderella that begins with where the Brothers Grimm version left off. There are many things that I loved about the book. The world building is amazing, with the perfect mix of blending historical with supernatural elements. Donnelly's writing is also amazing, which maintained the tone and pace of the book. I just wish that there were a few more pages to dig deeper into how the history between the characters affect their current mindset.
Special Note:
Love that Queen Elizabeth I's Speech to the Troops at Tilbury is quoted accurately.
<Also, the contributions of Yennega, Abbakka Chowta, and Abhaya Rani are included in this chapter to further inspire Isabelle>
Special Note:
Love that Queen Elizabeth I's Speech to the Troops at Tilbury is quoted accurately.
<Also, the contributions of Yennega, Abbakka Chowta, and Abhaya Rani are included in this chapter to further inspire Isabelle>
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, and Misogyny
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