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betsybear4's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Trafficking, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Second only to Snow White, I feel like Cinderella deserves a twisted tale wherein she's given agency over herself/her choices. I appreciated the inclusion of Cinderella's desire to create an equitable place for magical peoples within the kingdom and that this desire didn't fall off in the face of her budding romance. I also enjoyed the fun, campy aspects of Cinderella being a maid in the castle serving the Prince's quirky, eccentric aunt (another pro-magic girlie). I even enjoyed the reframing of the Duke as the actual villain! His motivations re: consolidating power and usurping the rule of the kingdom flowed very logically and I could see how one transgression would lead to another and the way he could justify his actions to himself as being for the good of the kingdom. Frankly, I was surprised that The Mouse Company would include such a blatant case study for not trusting the landed gentry/villainy being inherent in demanding the status quo remain unchanged (I mean, it also reinforced the idea of a Good and Deserving Monarchy and the change made re: magic being un-outlawed was handwaved and so shallow as to be meaningless when extrapolated outward, but still. We got a crumb!). Ultimately, though, the story was pretty surface level and gave Cinderella very little room for actual character development. Being trafficked by her stepmother and deciding to escape was the closest she got to asserting real agency, and it happened so quickly and had so few repercussions afterward that I almost feel insane writing it down, because it feels so tonally disconnected from the rest of the book.
But! I still mainly enjoyed this book. My main point of enjoyment, opposite to my feelings about the film, was the romance. The pining, the mutual recognition, Charles never giving up on Cinderella, the garden scene when they first met... it all made me feel in my heart the way I vaguely remember feeling during the film's "So This Is Love" dance sequence, bubbly and sparkly and just plain romantic. Can I explain why? No. Do I think I'd feel this way were I to reread it? IDK. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
But! I still mainly enjoyed this book. My main point of enjoyment, opposite to my feelings about the film, was the romance. The pining, the mutual recognition, Charles never giving up on Cinderella, the garden scene when they first met... it all made me feel in my heart the way I vaguely remember feeling during the film's "So This Is Love" dance sequence, bubbly and sparkly and just plain romantic. Can I explain why? No. Do I think I'd feel this way were I to reread it? IDK. But I enjoyed it for what it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Trafficking
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