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lejomi9_9's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ilaria_m's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
4.5
Voto complessivo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Dramma: 💧💧💧
Sugar: 🧁🧁🧁
Spice: -
Dramma: 💧💧💧
Sugar: 🧁🧁🧁
Spice: -
Trope: friends to lovers - hidden identity - celebrity romance - disability rep - family - friendship.
Il mondo di Ella crolla in un momento, quando un camion butta fuoristrada l’auto in cui stanno viaggiando lei e sua madre. La donna muore sul colpo, e la ragazza è costretta in ospedale per 8 mesi, tra interventi e riabilitazione. È già un miracolo che sia tornata a camminare, però nulla potrà cancellare le cicatrici da ustione che coprono il 70% del suo corpo. Non vede suo padre da quasi 10 anni, ma è lui l’unico parente a cui può essere affidata. L’aspettano così Los Angeles, una matrigna, due sorellastre, e tanti problemi di inserimento in una scuola estremamente snob, per nulla clemente con una nuova arrivata disabile e poco incline a fare amicizia. Tutto ciò che le rimane è Cinder, il suo miglior amico, conosciuto online, ma mai visto di persona. Non conosce nemmeno il suo vero nome. Dopo 8 mesi di silenzio, riuscirà a riallacciare i rapporti?
Se vi dico retelling in chiave moderna, qual è la prima fiaba che vi viene in mente? Scommetto che molti risponderebbero Cenerentola, per cui non è facile per una storia con queste premesse farsi strada tra tanti concorrenti. Kelly Oram, però, riesce a ritagliarsi un suo posticino, puntando su temi quali disabilità, famiglia e amicizia. Non c’è pietismo, e i cattivi non sono poi così cattivi: la matrigna ci prova, così come una delle due sorellastre (l’altra un po’ meno, ma anche lei, a conti fatti, è solo una ragazzina spaventata).
Il romance rimane più sullo sfondo, e,mi azzarderei a dire, è quasi secondario.
Per quanto alcune cose siano scontate (è un retelling!) e talvolta ci voglia un po’ di sospensione del giudizio, alla fine, pensandoci bene, non mi è dispiaciuto né il trasformare il ballo con il principe in un meet-and-greet ad una convention fantasy, né cosa ha sostituito la scarpetta. Buona anche l’idea di non avere una fata madrina bensì una più articolata rete di supporto, con tanto di coppia di costumisti di Hollywood per il vestito.
Magari chi avrebbe voluto più romance, sarà rimasto un po’ deluso, ma non è detta l’ultima: abbiamo anche un secondo volume, Happily Ever After, ancora inedito da noi, che probabilmente compensa questa piccola lacuna.
Consigliato soprattutto agli amanti del found family.
rowena_rs's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide attempt
martak733's review against another edition
2.0
Pełna klisz, aż rażąco
Najbardziej zawiodła mnie płytkość charakteru i przerysowanie postaci negatywnych... Przez ponad połowę książki zachowywali się okropnie, traktując bohaterkę protekcjonalnie jak dziecko, podczas gdy była już pełnoletnia. Uzasadnienie ich zachowania pod koniec jakoś mnie nie kupiło, nie było wiarygodne. A już na pewno nie tłumaczyło takiego zachowania.
Jedyna postać najbardziej bliska rzeczywistości to Juliette. Spodobała mi się najbardziej, jej przemiana jako jedynej była wiarygodna i dobrze opisana na przestrzeni całej książki.
Najbardziej zawiodła mnie płytkość charakteru i przerysowanie postaci negatywnych... Przez ponad połowę książki zachowywali się okropnie, traktując bohaterkę protekcjonalnie jak dziecko, podczas gdy była już pełnoletnia. Uzasadnienie ich zachowania pod koniec jakoś mnie nie kupiło, nie było wiarygodne. A już na pewno nie tłumaczyło takiego zachowania.
Jedyna postać najbardziej bliska rzeczywistości to Juliette. Spodobała mi się najbardziej, jej przemiana jako jedynej była wiarygodna i dobrze opisana na przestrzeni całej książki.
erikajay's review
4.0
This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! It’s a modern-day Cinderella retelling, full of teen drama and pleasant cliches. It reminds me of the teen movies that I loved!
Honestly this was a great retelling. It’s clearly the Cinderella story, but there were a bunch of unique takes that made the book interesting. For example, we get actual motivation behind her stepfamily’s dislike. It’s not just simply “we hate her”. And I actually loved her stepmother! Yes, she was cruel at times. But it makes perfect sense WHY she was cruel and I honestly couldn’t blame her some of the time. Her dad is also still in the picture and they have a difficult relationship. And even though Ella is beautiful, she’s been in a tragic accident that leaves her handicapped and so she has to deal with tormentors because of that. I also love that Ella was really nerdy and more outspoken.
This book also ends nicely so you don’t need to read book two if you don’t want to!
Honestly this was a great retelling. It’s clearly the Cinderella story, but there were a bunch of unique takes that made the book interesting. For example, we get actual motivation behind her stepfamily’s dislike. It’s not just simply “we hate her”. And I actually loved her stepmother! Yes, she was cruel at times. But it makes perfect sense WHY she was cruel and I honestly couldn’t blame her some of the time. Her dad is also still in the picture and they have a difficult relationship. And even though Ella is beautiful, she’s been in a tragic accident that leaves her handicapped and so she has to deal with tormentors because of that. I also love that Ella was really nerdy and more outspoken.
This book also ends nicely so you don’t need to read book two if you don’t want to!
nata567's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dia_dia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
So here goes, as I said, I might write a review, well here it is. :)
Wow, this was a fun, but also very intense book. Don't be fooled by the cute cover, this story isn't only about finding your true love, or having a wonderful friend. It is also about an accident, suicide, burns and the bullying that people do. It is about a whole lot of things, and while I normally don't like book with an overabundance of topics, it all matched with this one. Every part that happened is to get closer to a certain goal.
There was one thing that I didn't get. A girl who lost her mom in an accident, has a limp, scars that will never leave gets to a dark place and tries to commit suicide. She is instantly put under watch and even when she is 18, she can't do anything because she is under the care of her dad, forcefully. She can't make any decisions, has forced sessions with therapists and all in all no one listens to her, but everyone makes demands. I really don't get it. So she was once in a bad place, um no shit, I would be the same if I lost my mom, didn't get to be at the funeral, lost all my stuff, my house, my place and on top of that, have a limp and severe burning scars. Why, after months of rehabilitation and such, would this mean I am still a danger to myself? I am out of the dark place. Our main character has quite often said she is not a danger any more, that she just wants her own place, her own way of finishing school. Instead she has to proof herself so much that it breaks her again. I don't think is what people would want, do they?
I felt sorry and so sad for the main girl. She is trying her hardest, but gets punished unnecessarily for something she did when she was in a bad place just after the accident. Maybe this is how it works in America, I don't know, but I think it is just ridiculous to treat people like this.
I loved our main character. She tried her best, she tries to fit in. And I can imagine her anger with her dad (more on him in a bit). I loved that she loved books and movies, that she liked reviewing them. I felt sad when she found out her dad got rid of all her precious books. All the books she collected or had gotten from her mom. I can imagine the pain, the feeling that you already lost everything and now you barely have anything to remember your mom. :(
I loved her interactions with Cinder, they match up so well. And it was just fun to read about their conversations.
She was also strong (like when she went to school and had to go through all the bullying and stuff), though I knew that on the inside she was sad and feeling not all too good.
Luckily not everything is bad. She makes new friends and her family is warming up to her. Add to that a whole chunk of romance (though not the easy kind of romance, as is never the case when one falls in love with a stranger who turns out to be a celebrity).
Cinder was an interesting character and while at times I disliked him and his attitude, I loved how he was with Ella. He really cared for her, really wanted to be there for her. And he didn't mind her scars that much, though I am sure he had quite a shock when he saw them the first time, but that is logical, especially when the scars are big like this.
The things he did for Ella were absolutely amazing and adorable.
The dad, for most of the book I disliked and despised him. I can imagine he was trying his best for his daughter, but there are better ways to do so. Forcing her to live with you, throwing away everything from her old times without asking, forcing her to do several things, getting angry at her when she wants to wear certain clothes that mean a lot of her and a whole lot of more things. Add to that that he should have known it might end up bad. You LEFT her, you can't just expect her to like you again after all those years.
And sure, near the end he turned a bit better and we could understand him more, but I still disliked him and his actions.
The sisters (especially one of them) were horrendous. Dear Lord, jealousy much?
The story itself was pretty awesome, and again, I really loved the interaction between Cinder and Ella.
Also nice fairytale retelling. :)
So don't go into this book just expecting romance. As I said, this book deals with a whole lot of topics, some are pretty big and difficult.
I would really recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Wow, this was a fun, but also very intense book. Don't be fooled by the cute cover, this story isn't only about finding your true love, or having a wonderful friend. It is also about an accident, suicide, burns and the bullying that people do. It is about a whole lot of things, and while I normally don't like book with an overabundance of topics, it all matched with this one. Every part that happened is to get closer to a certain goal.
There was one thing that I didn't get. A girl who lost her mom in an accident, has a limp, scars that will never leave gets to a dark place and tries to commit suicide. She is instantly put under watch and even when she is 18, she can't do anything because she is under the care of her dad, forcefully. She can't make any decisions, has forced sessions with therapists and all in all no one listens to her, but everyone makes demands. I really don't get it. So she was once in a bad place, um no shit, I would be the same if I lost my mom, didn't get to be at the funeral, lost all my stuff, my house, my place and on top of that, have a limp and severe burning scars. Why, after months of rehabilitation and such, would this mean I am still a danger to myself? I am out of the dark place. Our main character has quite often said she is not a danger any more, that she just wants her own place, her own way of finishing school. Instead she has to proof herself so much that it breaks her again. I don't think is what people would want, do they?
I felt sorry and so sad for the main girl. She is trying her hardest, but gets punished unnecessarily for something she did when she was in a bad place just after the accident. Maybe this is how it works in America, I don't know, but I think it is just ridiculous to treat people like this.
I loved our main character. She tried her best, she tries to fit in. And I can imagine her anger with her dad (more on him in a bit). I loved that she loved books and movies, that she liked reviewing them. I felt sad when she found out her dad got rid of all her precious books. All the books she collected or had gotten from her mom. I can imagine the pain, the feeling that you already lost everything and now you barely have anything to remember your mom. :(
I loved her interactions with Cinder, they match up so well. And it was just fun to read about their conversations.
She was also strong (like when she went to school and had to go through all the bullying and stuff), though I knew that on the inside she was sad and feeling not all too good.
Luckily not everything is bad. She makes new friends and her family is warming up to her. Add to that a whole chunk of romance (though not the easy kind of romance, as is never the case when one falls in love with a stranger who turns out to be a celebrity).
Cinder was an interesting character and while at times I disliked him and his attitude, I loved how he was with Ella. He really cared for her, really wanted to be there for her. And he didn't mind her scars that much, though I am sure he had quite a shock when he saw them the first time, but that is logical, especially when the scars are big like this.
The things he did for Ella were absolutely amazing and adorable.
The dad, for most of the book I disliked and despised him. I can imagine he was trying his best for his daughter, but there are better ways to do so. Forcing her to live with you, throwing away everything from her old times without asking, forcing her to do several things, getting angry at her when she wants to wear certain clothes that mean a lot of her and a whole lot of more things. Add to that that he should have known it might end up bad. You LEFT her, you can't just expect her to like you again after all those years.
And sure, near the end he turned a bit better and we could understand him more, but I still disliked him and his actions.
The sisters (especially one of them) were horrendous. Dear Lord, jealousy much?
The story itself was pretty awesome, and again, I really loved the interaction between Cinder and Ella.
Also nice fairytale retelling. :)
So don't go into this book just expecting romance. As I said, this book deals with a whole lot of topics, some are pretty big and difficult.
I would really recommend this book to everyone.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
kerithesmutslut's review
4.0
Cute young adult retelling of Cinderella. Unique while still having all of the typical elements of Cinderella that we love.
amyy_books's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75