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rebeccaisabelle's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I like the overall cinderella theme of the book. It was really cute. The better between the main characters is also cute. I didn't like how the 'evil stepsisters' - especially Chloe treated Elle. same for Brian - the way he treated Darien , but that's expected in Cinderella adaptations so it's okay. I thought Elle was gonna buy her house afterward. No mention was made at the end of the book. I thought we would have seen a bigger confrontation at the end btwn Darien and his father. I thought the father would have shown up or something but he didn't. I'm glad Gail got promoted. Well deserved indeed. There was character development throughout the book but I felt that most of the conversations between the main characters were on their phone/ online. I would have wanted there to be more physical interactions between them, even if they didn't know the others' secret as yet. The phone texts I believe took up more than ½ of the book. Instead the texting part could've lasted around ½ the book and their physical interactions could have started right after. They could come across each other more than once. Let their lives intertwine a bit more - the parts when didn't know the either was their phone crush. Kind of like Miraculous Lady Bug and Cat Noir in a way. Both protagonists could feel that their phone crush would never reciprocate what they were individually feeling and slightly give up on pursuing a relationship- conflicted. Then in person, they are seeing each other, not knowing it's their phone crush,start off hating each other then finally liking the other through a series of events (standing up for another, etc.), then they could feel even more conflicted because they feel they are being unfaithful to the phone crush...only to find out they were them all this time. I feel like I would get slightly upset reading that kind of book but it would've been more interesting for sure. I would have also wanted to see more of their interactions after they got together .
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
ceena's review against another edition
5.0
*I received this book through netgalley, but all opinions are my own. *
Ladies and Gents, for the first time in a long while, I have added a book to my favorites list.
I'm not saying there aren't problems with this book, there are a few (for me personally), but wow... I have never connected with a book so much.
I am nostalgic for a show I've never seen and for all the fandoms I'm in. I wish when I was in high school and beginning college I had this book-- I book to tell me it is okay to be geeky ACTUALLY GEEKY and it is okay to write fanfic and cosplay and be who you are because fandom is family.
"We're all geeks here."
This made me want to watch Firefly again and finally get around to watching Star Trek. I also really want to go to a convention haha.
What can I say about this book???
OK, I should probably admit that from page five you get this sense of dread that just builds and builds because of how sh*tty Elle's life is. Stepping away from the book for a while probably did me good. Even Dare has some crappy stuff that happens to him and it really hurts. I felt so connected. The plot? We all know how Cinderella goes-- cliche? Yeah, but here in this book of fandom it almost makes it more heartwarming.
What is great about this story? Budding friendships, the good (and bad) sides of fandom, being true to ourselves, how media helps us grow and be better people, an lesbian couple (side couple, but at least there is some representation?), bringing up white washing, and a good old fashion The Geek Gets the Girl (or Boy-- or both?!) [American Hi-Fi anyone?]
So, this amazing lovely book has now wiggled its way into my heart. Perhaps I'll re-read it, but I know I will definitely recommend it and think back on it fondly.
I recommend this book to anyone in a fandom, anyone who like fairy tale re-tellings, or cute love stories.
Ladies and Gents, for the first time in a long while, I have added a book to my favorites list.
I'm not saying there aren't problems with this book, there are a few (for me personally), but wow... I have never connected with a book so much.
I am nostalgic for a show I've never seen and for all the fandoms I'm in. I wish when I was in high school and beginning college I had this book-- I book to tell me it is okay to be geeky ACTUALLY GEEKY and it is okay to write fanfic and cosplay and be who you are because fandom is family.
"We're all geeks here."
This made me want to watch Firefly again and finally get around to watching Star Trek. I also really want to go to a convention haha.
What can I say about this book???
OK, I should probably admit that from page five you get this sense of dread that just builds and builds because of how sh*tty Elle's life is. Stepping away from the book for a while probably did me good. Even Dare has some crappy stuff that happens to him and it really hurts. I felt so connected. The plot? We all know how Cinderella goes-- cliche? Yeah, but here in this book of fandom it almost makes it more heartwarming.
What is great about this story? Budding friendships, the good (and bad) sides of fandom, being true to ourselves, how media helps us grow and be better people, an lesbian couple (side couple, but at least there is some representation?), bringing up white washing, and a good old fashion The Geek Gets the Girl (or Boy-- or both?!) [American Hi-Fi anyone?]
So, this amazing lovely book has now wiggled its way into my heart. Perhaps I'll re-read it, but I know I will definitely recommend it and think back on it fondly.
I recommend this book to anyone in a fandom, anyone who like fairy tale re-tellings, or cute love stories.
kathydubs10's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this modern day retelling of Cinderella! Normally, these re-tellings tend to be very dry and predictable. Poston followed the formula for Cinderella very well but it wasn't a text-book copy cat. She used really ingenious ways of nodding to Cinderella while still making it free-standing. I honestly forget it was based on Cinderella for most of the time it took me to read it! My one critique for this story would be how time was spent. I think for the length the book is, there would have been an adequate amount of space to fit before and after the convention, but the majority of the novel was spent before the book. I appreciated it because it gave us insight into what things meant, how characters act, etc. However, the end felt a bit too perfect and picturesque. It happened so quickly! I would have loved for the end to show some of these real life challenges and to be explored a bit more.
eileen9898's review against another edition
4.0
CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE
pastelsux's review against another edition
5.0
Real rating: 4.5 stars.
A lot of things were going against this book that should’ve made me not like it. I’m really used to books incorporating fandom/internet culture getting everything wrong and being a cringe-inducing mess. I’m not usually a fan of mistaken-identity plots (or whatever you’d call the plot in this). And finally, I admittedly only picked this book up initially so that I could get to the sequel, because lesbians. But this book did all of those things I usually hate so well and so right that I actually really enjoyed it! I went into this book cynical (just like Elle went into the Starfield reboot cynical, and for a lot of the same reasons), but I have to give it credit for being a really fun story— lighthearted, but heavy where it needed to be— that actually feels like it was written by someone involved in fan culture.
There were about two chapters where the characters acted nothing like themselves for the sake of moving the plot along, and a little bit of bad copy-editing (my book was peppered with random missing words), but those were really the only things out of the whole book that I didn’t like.
A lot of things were going against this book that should’ve made me not like it. I’m really used to books incorporating fandom/internet culture getting everything wrong and being a cringe-inducing mess. I’m not usually a fan of mistaken-identity plots (or whatever you’d call the plot in this). And finally, I admittedly only picked this book up initially so that I could get to the sequel, because lesbians. But this book did all of those things I usually hate so well and so right that I actually really enjoyed it! I went into this book cynical (just like Elle went into the Starfield reboot cynical, and for a lot of the same reasons), but I have to give it credit for being a really fun story— lighthearted, but heavy where it needed to be— that actually feels like it was written by someone involved in fan culture.
There were about two chapters where the characters acted nothing like themselves for the sake of moving the plot along, and a little bit of bad copy-editing (my book was peppered with random missing words), but those were really the only things out of the whole book that I didn’t like.
eoevina's review against another edition
5.0
Kocham
Totalnie nie mogłam się oderwać i przeczytalam na raz
Totalnie w większości sytuacji utożsamiam się z Ellą
Totalnie nie mogłam się oderwać i przeczytalam na raz
Totalnie w większości sytuacji utożsamiam się z Ellą
smiles11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ameliabriceno's review against another edition
4.0
I completely flew through this book, it was so cute and it made my heart happy. I'm not the biggest retelling fan so the Cinderella story aspects were annoying me after a while, plus it made for a really predictable plot. But I'm putting that aside because I had a lot of fun reading this.
diadandy's review against another edition
lighthearted
2.0
Dude, stop calling your 25 year old manager "older". 😆
booknerd4everandever's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75