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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
The comparisons between this book and [b:Geekerella|30724132|Geekerella (Once Upon a Con, #1)|Ashley Poston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476734515l/30724132._SY75_.jpg|50652411] write themselves. (But looks like this book came out first so we'll give it a pass and raise an inquisitive eyebrow in Geekerella's direction instead. Maybe it is just that both steal the A Cinderella Story vibe.)
Basically, it is a Cinderella retelling between an average fan and the secretly nerdy but super hawt actor playing the male lead in the movie adaption of her favorite book. Oh, and both books involve a con.
But unlike Geekerella, which focuses primarily on the con and nerd culture, Cinder & Ella focuses more on the dark side of Cinderella's story. Her mother died in a car crash and she is physically scarred and picking up the pieces of her life when she is forced to move in with the Dad who abandoned her for his new family. She has lots of emotional and physical scars. Her only support comes from her BFF--a guy named Cinder who commented on her blog.
I've been struggling with why this book didn't check all the boxes with me because on paper it works just fine: internet friends, celebrity romance, Cinderella retelling, loyal friends, redeemed villains, emotional nuance, etc. And I stayed up till 2 am to finish (I've really got to stop doing that.)
But if I focus in on the one thing that felt off...I'd have to point to the romance. While I liked Ella and I thought her emotions felt valid, Cinder is two parts wish-fulfillment, one part spoiled brat, and one part Character Change Due To The Love Interest. (Which falls squarely in my pet peeves category.) Friends, family, personality, brooding backstory...they all get hinted at. But at the end of the day, he's the cliche, flirtatious Hollywood bad boy.
It is not even that I found his friendship with Ella that unbelievable. That was probably the sweetest part. No, it was more the romance. It was like the novel wanted to escape YA by adding just a hint of more mature romantic tropes. The whole way Cinder approaches Ella romantically just felt off to me, from the possessive jealousy to heated kisses. It was like someone wanted to take a PG Disney channel movie and make it PG13 but still wanted the PG rating...so you just get told about Cinder sleeping around, getting hung over, etc. and we all just wink, nod, and ignore his bad behaviors because he loves Ella.
Now, I know. I know, Michelle. You are going to say read the sequel. And I will. And I'm sure it will take away all my concerns about Cinder's emotional development. ;) But for this book, I felt we really got to see a nice character arc with Ella and less so with Cinder.
The comparisons between this book and [b:Geekerella|30724132|Geekerella (Once Upon a Con, #1)|Ashley Poston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476734515l/30724132._SY75_.jpg|50652411] write themselves. (But looks like this book came out first so we'll give it a pass and raise an inquisitive eyebrow in Geekerella's direction instead. Maybe it is just that both steal the A Cinderella Story vibe.)
Basically, it is a Cinderella retelling between an average fan and the secretly nerdy but super hawt actor playing the male lead in the movie adaption of her favorite book. Oh, and both books involve a con.
But unlike Geekerella, which focuses primarily on the con and nerd culture, Cinder & Ella focuses more on the dark side of Cinderella's story. Her mother died in a car crash and she is physically scarred and picking up the pieces of her life when she is forced to move in with the Dad who abandoned her for his new family. She has lots of emotional and physical scars. Her only support comes from her BFF--a guy named Cinder who commented on her blog.
I've been struggling with why this book didn't check all the boxes with me because on paper it works just fine: internet friends, celebrity romance, Cinderella retelling, loyal friends, redeemed villains, emotional nuance, etc. And I stayed up till 2 am to finish (I've really got to stop doing that.)
But if I focus in on the one thing that felt off...I'd have to point to the romance. While I liked Ella and I thought her emotions felt valid, Cinder is two parts wish-fulfillment, one part spoiled brat, and one part Character Change Due To The Love Interest. (Which falls squarely in my pet peeves category.) Friends, family, personality, brooding backstory...they all get hinted at. But at the end of the day, he's the cliche, flirtatious Hollywood bad boy.
It is not even that I found his friendship with Ella that unbelievable. That was probably the sweetest part. No, it was more the romance. It was like the novel wanted to escape YA by adding just a hint of more mature romantic tropes. The whole way Cinder approaches Ella romantically just felt off to me, from the possessive jealousy to heated kisses. It was like someone wanted to take a PG Disney channel movie and make it PG13 but still wanted the PG rating...so you just get told about Cinder sleeping around, getting hung over, etc. and we all just wink, nod, and ignore his bad behaviors because he loves Ella.
Now, I know. I know, Michelle. You are going to say read the sequel. And I will. And I'm sure it will take away all my concerns about Cinder's emotional development. ;) But for this book, I felt we really got to see a nice character arc with Ella and less so with Cinder.
I couldn't let this amazing work out of my hands, i was at a restourant reading eating there and during that i was reading. I really like rap ups from fictional strys (i think its called). And this ne was infact amazing.
Me di cuenta que no puedo comentar cuando estoy con las hormonas a flor de piel, me hacen llorar por todo y me hace sentir que todo lo que leo es maravilloso. Patrañas.
Tengo una opinión ambigua con respecto a la lectura.
No sale del cliché dramoso juvenil que últimamente nos venimos fumando:
-Chica insegura y desprotegida, que sufre una tragedia.
-Chico Famoso y ganador, que no está conforme con su vida.
-Loca que no permite que estén juntos.
Con el adicional de la familia de mierda que le tocó a Ella.
Yisus, no llego a comprender por qué la autora se ensañó con hacerle la vida tan jodida a la pobre Ellamara ¡¡No lo entiendo!! El 70% del libro se trata de bullear a la desgraciada protagonista con el único fin de demostrar un punto??? Es tal el grado de acoso, que me angustió! (la semana que tuve tampoco ayudó) El único rayo de luz que tenía la chica era Cinder. Ojo, me gustó el hecho de que el famoso Brian Oliver no le importó una mierda las apariencias, y apostó al amor. También los amigos que fue haciendo en el camino fueron aplacando un poquito toda la depresión de la historia.
El tipo que se hacía llamar padre realmente merecía ser el conductor ese día. LO ODIÉ... con toda mi alma! En ningún momento lo sentí sincero. Sí sentí que no le importaba una mierda su hija biológica. Y la excusa de por qué no la vio por 8 años me confirmó que es un hijo de puta. La madrastra y las hermanastras son tres gatos celosos. Llegué a pensar que Ella estaría mejor en la clínica que en su propio hogar.
A pesar de toooodo esto, en su momento... me gustó.
Le dejo 3 estrellas.
Tengo una opinión ambigua con respecto a la lectura.
No sale del cliché dramoso juvenil que últimamente nos venimos fumando:
-Chica insegura y desprotegida, que sufre una tragedia.
-Chico Famoso y ganador, que no está conforme con su vida.
-Loca que no permite que estén juntos.
Con el adicional de la familia de mierda que le tocó a Ella.
Yisus, no llego a comprender por qué la autora se ensañó con hacerle la vida tan jodida a la pobre Ellamara ¡¡No lo entiendo!! El 70% del libro se trata de bullear a la desgraciada protagonista con el único fin de demostrar un punto??? Es tal el grado de acoso, que me angustió! (la semana que tuve tampoco ayudó) El único rayo de luz que tenía la chica era Cinder. Ojo, me gustó el hecho de que el famoso Brian Oliver no le importó una mierda las apariencias, y apostó al amor. También los amigos que fue haciendo en el camino fueron aplacando un poquito toda la depresión de la historia.
El tipo que se hacía llamar padre realmente merecía ser el conductor ese día. LO ODIÉ... con toda mi alma! En ningún momento lo sentí sincero. Sí sentí que no le importaba una mierda su hija biológica. Y la excusa de por qué no la vio por 8 años me confirmó que es un hijo de puta. La madrastra y las hermanastras son tres gatos celosos. Llegué a pensar que Ella estaría mejor en la clínica que en su propio hogar.
A pesar de toooodo esto, en su momento... me gustó.
Le dejo 3 estrellas.
Das war schön! Irgendwo zwischen 4 und 5 Sternen idk
GOSH!!! Seriously!!!!!
OMG!!
This was exactly what I needed. Something cute & fluffy, with great banter and a really feel-good-happy-clappy-ending.
It reduced me to mush. And made me even sigh happily. I will stop gushing and fangirling and try to wipe that stupid grin of my face...
or maybe not...
ANYHOW! Oram has just once more proven why I love her novels and is on my list of top indie young adult authors.
SO my review will follow... closer to release date
AND if you haven't heard about the ball:
DONT MISS IT!!!
OMG!!
This was exactly what I needed. Something cute & fluffy, with great banter and a really feel-good-happy-clappy-ending.
It reduced me to mush. And made me even sigh happily. I will stop gushing and fangirling and try to wipe that stupid grin of my face...
or maybe not...
ANYHOW! Oram has just once more proven why I love her novels and is on my list of top indie young adult authors.
SO my review will follow... closer to release date
AND if you haven't heard about the ball:
DONT MISS IT!!!
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ich hab bis 2 in der Früh gelesen, weil ich nicht aufhören konnte… wie super ist das Buch????!!!!
Edit: Gonna change my rating from 5 to 4 stars. Noticed during the reread that there‘s some problematic vocabulary and also, why do some dialogues feel so forced?
Edit: Gonna change my rating from 5 to 4 stars. Noticed during the reread that there‘s some problematic vocabulary and also, why do some dialogues feel so forced?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Either 4 or 3.5 stars
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. Before starting it I was certain I'd love it, but once I got a few chapters into it I got a bit unsure. Both Ella's and Cinder's POV were introduced in the first chapters and my first impression of both of them was not great. Ella had just gone through her accident and was in a difficult place, but she was extremely judgemental and prejudiced against LA and all the people living there and was being a brat about all the efforts her new family was putting into accommodating her. I understand that she would have problems with it and I was expecting her to act out and not get along with them because of plot reasons, but it was a bit too close to just being rude and unappreciative of people that are clearly trying.
Then Cinder/Brian's POV was introduced and it showed him being a total disrespectful jerk to everyone around him. At this point I wasn't as excited about this story as I had been before meeting the two main characters.
Once the story picked up and the characters started their (much-needed) character development arcs, it started to grow on me more. The relationship between them was cute, which is the main thing I wanted from this story. Cinder/Brian's excuse for his terrible personality at the start gets explained later in the book, and while it's not an actual excuse for him being rude to people I do really appreciated that there was an excuse at all and that it wasn't just how he always had been.
I liked the way Ella and her family slowly (very slowly) started to grow to understand each other's sides of this whole situation more and I liked that it wasn't handled in an unrealistic wish-fulfilment way. Every single person in the family gets their moment to explain how the situation feels for them and how they struggle with it and what they're trying to do to make it work.
I liked the way the revalidation (both physical and mental) was a very prominent part of the story. It made it feel more realistic for me since you can't just expect her to be out of the hospital and be completely fine right after.
The way the romance unfolded was very cute and while we all know what the ending is the way it happens is always partly a surprise and I did enjoy the way this one went!
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. Before starting it I was certain I'd love it, but once I got a few chapters into it I got a bit unsure. Both Ella's and Cinder's POV were introduced in the first chapters and my first impression of both of them was not great. Ella had just gone through her accident and was in a difficult place, but she was extremely judgemental and prejudiced against LA and all the people living there and was being a brat about all the efforts her new family was putting into accommodating her. I understand that she would have problems with it and I was expecting her to act out and not get along with them because of plot reasons, but it was a bit too close to just being rude and unappreciative of people that are clearly trying.
Then Cinder/Brian's POV was introduced and it showed him being a total disrespectful jerk to everyone around him. At this point I wasn't as excited about this story as I had been before meeting the two main characters.
Once the story picked up and the characters started their (much-needed) character development arcs, it started to grow on me more. The relationship between them was cute, which is the main thing I wanted from this story. Cinder/Brian's excuse for his terrible personality at the start gets explained later in the book, and while it's not an actual excuse for him being rude to people I do really appreciated that there was an excuse at all and that it wasn't just how he always had been.
I liked the way Ella and her family slowly (very slowly) started to grow to understand each other's sides of this whole situation more and I liked that it wasn't handled in an unrealistic wish-fulfilment way. Every single person in the family gets their moment to explain how the situation feels for them and how they struggle with it and what they're trying to do to make it work.
I liked the way the revalidation (both physical and mental) was a very prominent part of the story. It made it feel more realistic for me since you can't just expect her to be out of the hospital and be completely fine right after.
The way the romance unfolded was very cute and while we all know what the ending is the way it happens is always partly a surprise and I did enjoy the way this one went!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Yes
Cinder and Ella by Kelly Oram was an impulse buy. I've never heard of it or this author before, but when it popped up on my Amazon Recommendations list I thought I'd give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! Less than 24 hours later I'm finished with the book and I absolutely LOVED it. The plot is highly engaging; I was turning pages so fast I'm surprised I didn't give myself a digital papercut. Lol! The characters are very well written. My mama heart hurt so badly for Ella, and I found Cinder super endearing. I love how they're actual friends first who bond over a shared love of books, and then they fall in love (even though they take quite a while to get to one another physically). I found their love story to be super cute and magical. I love the nod to Cinderella ... this story definitely follows the popular teen-age, angsty Cinderella-esque storyline, but is super unique in its own right. This is going to sound odd, but my favorite aspect to this novel is how well Oram writes the rip-your-heart-out scenes. Man, she really can write heartache and heartbreak! All in all, Cinder and Ella is a wonderful gem. I'm so glad I followed my whim and purchased this book. It was well worth spending an entire day reading this lovely, poignant story.
I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook format from Amazon.com on November 21, 2021 in order to read and review. The opinions in this review are my own.
I wanted to like this book, and while I didn't hate it, it fell a little flat to me. I found it unbelievable just how incredibly mean every person in this story was, minus the few friends she'd collected by the end of the book. Add to that, Brian/Cinder was an unrealistic character to me. The emotional angst came from external forces (bullies, bad parents, mean step sister) and therefore was forced. I feel like Colleen Hoover told the story better with November 9th.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes